La-Di-Da Lords - but what does the House of Lords do?

Just last night, a vote took place in the House of Lords which overturns an idea the Government put forward which wouldn't guarantee the rights of EU nationals in the UK after Brexit.

Yeah, I feel you...

Let's start here.

After the UK voted to leave the European Union, and Theresa May became Prime Minister, there were worries about whether European people (people from countries within the EU) could stay here in the UK when Article 50 is triggered. At the same time, there were worries about UK nationals living in the EU and whether they would have to be sent home to Britain.

Let's do some number crunching (I'll make it easy, I promise)...

According to the BBC, the current population of the UK is 63.7 million people.

2.9 million people - 5% of the whole population - are from Europe.

Just under 1.2 million people from the EU currently live in the EU.

BBCdiagram

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Yay. Thank you BBC.

So from this, we realise a lot of people's lives are at stake here. There are more people from Europe here in the UK, but there are also over a million people who might be feeling uncertain across Europe.

So what did the House of Lords actually rule and what does it mean?

The House of Lords have demanded that the rights of EU citizens living in the UK should be guaranteed (that they are allowed to stay here legally) within three months of Article 50 being triggered - which the Government wants to happen by the end of March.

The House of Lords voted for this at 358 votes to 256.

Government Ministers have said their view won't change, and they'll try to overturn this vote. There are claims that the House of Lords is unelected, as well as a few more choice words...

A petition to abolish the House of Lords has now passed 55,000 signatures. After 10,000 signatures, the Government must respond. At 100,000 the petition can be debated in Parliament. The Government has already responded...

"The Government is clear that comprehensive reform of the Lords is not a priority in this Parliament. However, we believe that its size should be addressed."

But, despite the harsh comments made, polls online suggest that the House of Lords were right to demand protection for EU nationals in the UK.

If you vote in the one below, you'll see the result as it stands.

So now we've got the key issue out of the way we can move onto what the House of Lords is, and what it does each day.

What is the House of Lords?

There are two chambers to our Parliament - the House of Commons, who are elected by the people, and the House of Lords, who are not elected by the people.

It is, however, not linked at all to the House of Commons. The one thing that links them is the responsibility of making and shaping laws, as well as checking the work of the Government.

Photo: Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images

Who is in the House of Lords?

There are around 800 members who are able to take part in work at the House of Lords. Most of these are life peers - members for life, no matter how long or short. There are many members in their 70s and 80s, and even some in their 90s.

Many peers (members) have a political background, but some don't - and they represent a wide range of professions. You might recognise some of these names...

Lord Sugar (Alan Michael Sugar) - The Apprentice star and business tycoon

Lord Blunkett (David Blunkett) - former Labour MP and Home Secretary Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon (Doreen Delceita Lawrence) - known for her son, Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in London in 1992

How is it different to House of Commons?

Rather than having to be voted in every five hers like MPs do in a General Election, members of the House of Lords are members for life, as long as they turn up.

It is not made up of the same kinds of people as the House of Commons - for example, there are more Labour and Liberal Democrat peers than there are Conservative peers, even though the Conservatives are in Government. There are also peers known as Crossbenchers - those who are not directly linked with any party, and vote as individuals rather than what their party wants.

I even made a chart for you. You're welcome.

As you can see, the total number of Labour and Liberal Democrat peers (those against Conservative) is 304, which trumps the Conservative 252.

Okay, but what about their funny outfits?

Yeah, I admit, they do dress a bit weird sometimes. But, I suppose you could say the same about our courts of law - Judges wear wigs and weird robes, as do many lawyers.

It's about tradition, and paying tribute to the way things have been in our Parliament for hundreds of years. Rather than having iPhones in their hands, the procession at the start of Parliamentary business features swords and maces.

You might be saying, but that's not how we do things nowadays. But what we do nowadays, isn't what people of the future will be doing. What difference does a little bit of procession make? As The Smiths said, it makes none, but the procession marks a change from the House of Lords being used for tourism and being used for serious legislation. In a BBC documentary, the member known as Black Rod said it's part of the distinctiveness of Britain, not just of Parliament.

And the people who inherit their titles?

You might have seen stuff like this said online...

There are some people called hereditary peers, who inherit their title from a parent (most likely their father). There are 92 of these left - out of around 800 members of the House. The oldest member of the House, Lord Carington, is 97 years old and has been in the House of Lords since 1941, according to the Parliament website. He has been Foreign Secretary under Margaret Thatcher, and was Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords.

What changes have they made recently then?

The Lords can make amendments to Bills that are put forward by the Government or the House of Commons. So you may not see them in everyday politics, but they're probably working behind the scenes, suggesting changes to laws that Commons put forward. They can do this because many peers are experts in their field - like business, education, or health.

Here's some of the things they have changed or overturned recently...

European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill - this is the fancy name for the demand the House of Lords made just last night This is just a small amendment to a much larger Bill.

Higher Education and Research Bill 2016-17 - the Lords voted to amend the Bill so that the status of a university was protected: this means that more universities cannot be set up and sell degrees more easily.

Actually, most Bills have some significant amendments made to them by the House of Lords before they become (if they become) Acts of Parliament (law). But there some of the more important ones.

And do YOU think we need the House of Lords?

Speaking personally, and after having done a lot of research, yes I think we need the House of Lords.

Some people may think that it is acceptable to get rid of the House of Lords when something doesn't go their way. In fact, by some people meaning those who voted to leave the EU, classing this defeat as un-British or calling those who made the amendment "Remoaners"...

Just because something doesn't go your way, doesn't mean you can get rid of it and deny its existence or importance. Plenty of countries have two chambers of Parliament to make laws. It's hugely important as it helps to balance the Bills put forward by the House of Commons and has a lot of experts in each field.

Having opposition to the Government, or those in power, is called democracy - and it doesn't just end with a vote like the referendum. It continues forever, which is what is so absolutely brilliant.

#politics