What describes the composition of the House of Lords?

• A. Unelected peers including former ministers, appointees, inherited peers and bishops.
• B. Elected representatives from political parties.
• C. Members of the public chosen by lottery.
• D. The monarch's closest advisors only.

Answer: (A)

Membership in the House of Lords is not decided by elections; it consists of unelected peers who sit in the upper chamber as Lords Temporal and Lords Spiritual. This includes former ministers who have been granted life peerages or other appointments, people appointed as life peers for public service, hereditary peers who inherit titles, and bishops from the Church of England who sit as Lords Spiritual. Unlike the Commons, which is made up of elected representatives from political parties, the Lords is appointed rather than elected, and it includes a mix of individuals from government, public life, and the church. This blend of appointed peers and bishops is what describes the House of Lords’ composition.