Voting in the Lords

[sven_me...@web.de]

After the death of some members this month there are still 125 members who haven't voted in 2024. 

[Henry W]

Do you have a list of those peers who have not voted this year?   I am assuming you have already removed those on Leave of Absence.  There have been plenty of opportunities to vote this year.

I had a look at my list of elderly hereditaries (i.e. turning 75 this year, or older), and updated their last spoken and last voted dates:

Viscount Bridgeman [C] (born 1930) - spoke Nov 2023. voted April 2024
Viscount Eccles [Whole House C] (born 1931) - spoke Jan 2024. voted April 2024
Duke of Montrose [C] (born 1935) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Lord Geddes [Whole House C] (born 1937) - spoke March 2024. voted March 2024
Earl of Arran [C] (born 1938) - spoke Nov 2023. voted April 2024
Lord Willoughby de Broke [C] (born 1938) - spoke 2020. voted 2021.
Lord Hacking [Whole House Lab] (born 1938) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Lord Crathorne [C] (born 1939) - spoke 2020. voted April 2024
Lord Greenway ([XB] born 1941) - spoke Dec 2023. voted April 2024
Lord Trefgarne [C] (born 1941) - spoke March 2024. voted April 2024
Earl of Sandwich [XB] (born 1943) - spoke March 2024. voted March 2024
Earl of Liverpool [C] (born 1944) - spoke 2022. voted April 2024
Lord Glenarthur [C] (born 1944) - spoke May 2023. voted March 2024
Viscount Craigavon [XB] (born 1944) - spoke Nov 2023. voted April 2024
Duke of Wellington [C] (born 1945) - spoke April 2024. voted March 2024
Earl of Cork & Orrery [XB] (born 1945) - spoke Jan 2024. voted March 2024
Viscount Hanworth [Whole House Lab] (born 1946) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Earl Peel [C] (born 1947) - spoke Dec 2023 (prior to this, only to spoke to give messages from Royal Family members - he was Lord Chamberlain until 2021). voted April 2024
Lord Aberdare [XB] (born 1947) - spoke March 2024. voted April 2024
Lord Mountevans [XB] (born 1948) - spoke March 2024. voted March 2024
Earl of Caithness [C] (born 1948) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Earl of Erroll [XB] (born 1948) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Lord Carrington [XB] (born 1948) - LGC.  spoke March 2024. voted April 2024
Earl of Dundee [C] (born 1949) - spoke Nov 2023. voted April 2024
Viscount Waverley [XB] (born 1949) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Lord Sandhurst [C] (born 1949) - spoke April 2024. voted April 2024
Lord Strathcarron [C] (born 1949) - spoke Feb 2024. voted April 2024

With the continuing exception of Lord Willoughby de Broke, all have voted this year.

[sven_me...@web.de]

Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare

Lord Barker of Battle (Leave of Absence)

Lord Bates (Leave of Absence)

Lord Black of Crossharbour 

Lord Boyd of Duncansby (Disqualified)

Lord Browne of Madingley 

Baroness Campbell of Loughborough (Leave of Absence)

Lord Carter of Haslemere

-Lord Christopher (Leave of Absence)

Lord Clarke of Hampstead 

Lord Currie of Marylbone

-Lord Darroch of Kew 

Lord Darzi of  Denham

Lord  Davies of Abersoch (Leave of Absence)

Lord Feldman of Elstree (Leave of Absence)

Lord Freud (Leave of Absence)

Baroness Fritchie (Leave of Absence)

Lord Hague of Richmond 

Lord Hameed

Lord Hanningfield (Leave of Absence)

Lord Hardie (Leave of Absence)

Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield

Lord Irvine of Lairg (Leave of Absence)

Baroness King of Bow 

Lord King of Lothbury

Lord Levene of Portsoken

Lord Llewellyn of Steep (Leave of Absence)

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Suspended)

Lord Malloch-Brown (Leave of Absence)

Lord McFall of Alcluith (Senior Deputy Speaker, seit Mai Lord Speaker)

Baroness Morgan of Ely (Leave of Absence)

Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury (Leave of Absence)

Lord O'Shaughnessy (Leave of Absence)

Lord O’Neil of Gatley

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay (Leave of Absence)

Lord Owen

Earl of Oxford and Asquith

Lord Palumbo of Southwark (Leave of Absence)

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers (Leave of Absence)

Lord Reed of Allermuir (Disqualified)

Earl of Rosslyn

Lord Saville of Newdigate

Baroness Scotland of Asthal (Leave of Absence)

Lord Sugar (Leave of Absence)

Baroness Vadera (Leave of Absence)

 

Lord Allen of Kensington (* 1957)

Lord Alliance (* 1932)

Lord Bichard (* 1947)

Baroness Billingham (* 1939)

Lord Bird (* 1946)

Baroness Black of Strome (* 1961)

Lord Blair of Boughton (* 1953)

Lord Boswell of Aynho (* 1942)

Lord Botham (* 1955)

Lord Bowness (* 1943)

Viscount Brookeborough (* 1952)

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (*’ 1941)

Lord Carey of Clifton (* 1935)

Lord Bishop of Chichester (* 1958)

Baroness Corston (* 1942)

Baroness Cox (* 1937)

Lord Dannatt (* 1950)

Lord Davies of Oldham (* 1939)

Lord Bishop of Derby (* 1966)

Lord Dykes (* 1939)

Baroness Eccles of Moulton (* 1933)

Lord Elis-Thomas (* 1946)

Lord Evans of Watford (* 1942)

Lord Flight (* 1948)

Lord Gardiner of Kimble (* 1956)

Lord Goodman of Wycombe (* 1959)

Baroness Greenfield (* 1950)

Lord Greenhalgh (* 1967)

Lord Bishop of Guildford (* 1961)

Baroness Hallett (* 1949)

Lord Hammond of Runnymede (* 1955)

Lord Haughey (* 1956)

Baroness Hazarika (* 1975)

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (* 1953)

Lord Bishop of Hereford (* 1961)

Lord Heseltine (* 1933)

Baroness Howarth of Breckland (* 1940)

Lord Janvrin (* 1946)

Lord Kalms (* 1931)

Baroness King of Bow (* 1967)

Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho (* 1973)

Lord Lebedev (* 1980)

Lord Bishop of Leicester (* 1968)

Lord Leitch (* 1947)

Lord Bishop of Lichfield (* 1958)

Lord Bishop of Lincoln (* 19??)

Marquess of Lothian (* 1945)

Lord MacKenzie of Culkein (* 1940)

Baroness Mallalieu (* 1945)

Baroness McGregor-Smith (* 1963)

Duke of Norfolk (* 1956)

Lord Bishop of Norwich (* 1970)

Lord Parker of Minsmere (* 1962)

Lord Patten of Barnes (* 1944)

Lord Paul (* 1931)

Lord Pearson of Rannoch (* 1942)

Baroness Porter of Fulwood (* 1982)

Lord Prescott (* 1938)

Lord Rana (* 1938)

Lord Rees of Ludlow (* 1942)

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux (* 1952)

Lord Sentamu (* 1949)

Lord Bishop of Sheffield (* 1961)

Lord Singh of Wimbledon (* 1932)

Lord Smith of Kelvin (* 1944)

Lord Bishop of St Albans (* 1957)

Baroness Stern (* 1941)

Lord Stevens of Birmingham (* 1966)

Lord Taverne (* 1928)

Baroness Valentine (* 1958)

Lord Verdirame (*’ 1971)

Lord Walker of Aldringham (* 1944)

Baroness Willis of Summertown (* 1964)

Lord Willoughby de Broke (* 1938)

Lord Bishop of Winchester (* 1959)

Lord Wolfson of Aspley Guise (* 1967)

Lord Archbishop of York (* 1958)

Baroness Young of Hornsey (* 1951)

[Henry W]

Thank you for this list.  Obviously a number are on Leave of Absence or otherwise disqualified currently.  They cannot be removed for lack of activity in the House.

My understanding (but please correct me!) is that the Bishops are NOT subject to removal for lack of activity.  The House of Lords Reform Act 2014 states:

A member of the House of Lords who is a peer and does not attend the House of Lords during a Session ceases to be a member of the House at the beginning of the following Session.

My understanding is that the Bishops are Lords of Parliament and not peers, so the above does not apply to them.

Some peers on your list will attend the House, and even speak in the House, but do not vote for various reasons.  Most obvious in your list is Lord McFALL OF ALCLUITH, the Lord Speaker.  Another is Lord OWEN who despite not voting in years, continues to speak in the House, including 4 times this year.  I don't have time to check the entire list at the moment, but we should be careful not to equate lack of voting with no involvement in the work of the House, though I agree its a good starting point to find such a list.

I looked at the excepted hereditaries in your list (who were not already on my previous list):

Duke of NORFOLK - last voted Oct 2023. Never spoke.  As Earl Marshal he may largely attend only in that capacity.

Earl of OXFORD AND ASQUITH - Spoke January 2024.  Last voted 2018.

Earl of ROSSLYN - Spoke 2009. Last Voted 2007 (on House of Lords reform options!)

Viscount BROOKEBOROUGH - has voted this year (April 2024) - possibly after you checked him in what was probably a lengthy trawl!  Spoke Dec 2023.

[Shachar Raz]

Henry, your assumption about the Lord Bishops are correct: "Bishops to whom a writ of summons has been issued are not peers but are Lords of Parliament, and shall be introduced on first receiving a writ and also on translation to another see" Standing Order 6 of the House of Lords. This does not apply of course to former Bishops holding Life Peerages (currently Lord Carey of Clifton, Lord Chartres, Lord Harries of Pentregarth and Lord Sentamu serving in the HoL)

[sven_me...@web.de]

Interesting about the bishops I thought about that already. And I agree voting is only one important part speaking and committees are others. But I'm wondering why some are taking part in debates and not show up for votes in years. Lebedev was noted despite other things for his poor attendance. Some on the list are at an very adavanced age and not likely to play a big part (or any part) in the future and should think about retirement. But not only them some others who have been near exclusion should go in my opinion. 

[Henry W]

I wonder if some peers, especially those on the crossbenches or outside the main three parties, view the votes as largely a party-political exercise which they want no part of.  They continue their involvement in the chamber as providing scrutiny to legislation, which comes about in amendments that pass without a vote.  The House of Lords' great strength in our constitution is the expertise on its benches that enable it to be an excellent revising chamber.

[rcb1]

I strongly agree with Henry that it is a mistake to measure peers' contribution primarily by how often they vote.  Taking part in committees and speaking on areas of expertise, even if they do not then vote, is AT LEAST as valuable. 

[sven_me...@web.de]

Some have voted in the meantime. Are some of them at risk loossing their seat?

[sven_me...@web.de]

someone who noticed my question?

[Henry W]

Your question, whilst of interest to me, would require a large amount of work to carefully check. Regretfully I lack the time to dedicate to it, outside of my particular interest with the excepted hereditary peers.

I know that Colin has, in the past, done similar investigations, though understandably waits until the parliamentary session is nearing its end.

The current session began 7 November 2023.  A search would not only need to check for new 2024 activity of any peer on your list, but also any late 2023 activity as well.   Activity should not just be limited to voting, but speaking as well.  I know that Colin then checked other attendance / expenses records to determine if any peers with no votes/speeches has attended the House as these peers would not be subject to exclusion (presumably this is how the Earl of Rosslyn & Lord Willoughby de Broke have avoided exclusion for so long). 

[sven_me...@web.de]

I see it's a bit early. 

[John B-H]

The Duke of Norfolk has spoken at least once, in June 2003: Countryside (Hansard, 11 June 2003) (parliament.uk).

[colinp]

I will be carrying out my usual analysis but probably only when the General Election is officially announced.  No attendance records for the current Session have yet been published.

[colinp]

According to the Telegraph the Government have announced that Parliament will be prorogued on Friday 24 May and dissolved on 30 May ahead of the General Election on 4 July.  That means peers only have two days to attend (if they have not already done so) or, if they have not done so, to retire or apply for leave of absence.  

Over the weekend I will carry out my usual analysis with a prediction as to which peers may be at risk of expulsion for non-attendance.  More difficult to predict this time as we only have two months of attendance records (Nov/Dec 2023) available for the current session although January 2024 should become available middle of next month. Three elected hereditary peers look as if they may be at risk - the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Rosslyn and Lord Willoughby de Broke

[colinp]

I should have said "excepted hereditary peers" as of course the Duke of Norfolk is not elected

[john]

The Duke of Norfolk is usually attending the state opening per his ceremonial role. I didn't checked the videos of last year to verify but I would be very surprised if he would expulsed for non-attendance.

[sven_me...@web.de]

It reminds me of a memoir in which someone states he or she met a member of the house at state opening who said he always attends the house but in reality meant only state opening. 

[colinp]

I believe the Duke of Norfolk did attend the State Opening in Nov 2023 in his ceremonial role and waited upon the King and Queen.  However the HoL expenses records for November do not record his attendance that month.  I would guess therefore that his presence in his ceremonial role did not count as an attendance of the Lords - he was not of course seated in the Chamber although how relevant that is I am not sure.  The Lords who were robed and seated in the Chamber may have "attended" but perhaps not the Duke.  David Beamish may be able to confirm whether that is a correct assumption