MPs vote to axe hereditary peers but keep Church of England bishops in constitutional shake-up

Just 73 MPs, all of whom were Conservatives, voted to retain the House of Lord's 92 hereditary peers.

All five Reform UK MPs abstained on the third reading of the House of Lords (Herediary Peers) Bill.

Addressing MPs, Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves said: "This legislation is the first step of reform of the House of Lords, as set out in our manifesto.

"In our manifesto, we committed to this reform immediately, which is why we are discussing it today."

However, paying tribute to the now-outgoing 92 hereditary peers, Reeves added: "The Government value the good work done by hereditary peers, and we have spoken on several occasions about the individuals who have served in Parliament with duty and dedication.

Despite Labour pushing ahead with its manifesto pledge, Tory MP Simon Hoare mocked Sir Keir Starmer for leaving the radical wing of the Labour Party wanting more.

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He said: "If you are very quiet and listen, Madam Deputy Speaker, you can hear the voices of Labour radicals of the past muttering to themselves, 'Is that it? Is that what all the intervening years since 1997 and the 14 years of Labour navel-gazing in opposition, as it contemplated its radical programme for government, have produced—removing 92 people who would have been removed in any event had Blair not blinked?'"

SNP MP Peter Wishart added: "As the Conservatives have said, this really is a timid pipsqueak of a Bill."

However, Labour’s manifesto also said it would impose a retirement age of 80 on members of the Lords at a later date.

Ex-Education Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson separately voiced his annoyance at Church of England bishops remaining in the House of Lords.

Williamson told the House of Commons: “It is fundamentally unfair that we still have a situation where you have a block of clerics that have a right and a say over our legislation, over the way that my constituents live.”

He added: “For me, as someone who is an Anglican, I cannot see why I have a greater right for greater representation than my children who are Catholics.”

However, MPs rejected Williamson's amendment by 378 to just 41, with 18 Tories also opposing the move.

The Church of England is currently embroiled in a major sex abuse row, with Justin Welby today quitting as Archbishop of Canterbury.

An independent review had concluded John Smyth, the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the church, might have been brought to justice had the archbishop formally reported him to police a decade ago.