The British opposition Labour Party plans to replace the House of Lords (upper house of parliament) with an elective body in case of victory at the next parliamentary elections, the newspaper The Financial Times reported.

According to the newspaper, the party intends to include this clause in its election manifesto as part of restoring public confidence in politics. Labor leader Keir Starmer criticized former Prime Minister Boris Johnson for appointing lackeys and donors to the House and for being rude about the appointments system.

The proposed reforms, first reported by The Observer, would take away the ability of prime ministers to appoint people to the House of Lords. Instead, Labor proposes to elect members of the upper house by direct vote, the FT added.

The House of Lords of England emerged in the XIV century and then consisted exclusively of large feudal lords - peers, whose titles could be transmitted only by inheritance. Its current name the Upper House was given in 1544, and in 1649 was abolished by the revolutionary government. It was restored in 1660.

Now the House of Lords consists of spiritual (the highest clergy of the Church of England) and secular (peers) lords. 60% of its members are hereditary peers and 36% are lifetime peers.