Some questions, not very topical (but very much Simfan questions!), but it seems the history section is very much US-focused.
When (or before) the Life Peerages Act was being debated- and I am aware they had existed before then- was there ever some kind of system considered that would have allowed the creation of hereditary peerages that would have allowed only the first holder (the would-be life peer) to sit in the Lords, so in other words, the peer's heirs would have inherited the title but not the right to sit in the Lords?
Or, perhaps did anyone ever consider, for the Peerage Act 1963, a solution less dramatic than complete surrender of the peerage- that one could have, say "retired" from the Lords (apparently you can do this now?) by suspending their right to receive a writ of summons, and that whenever this was no longer desirable/necessary they could again receive the writ?
And can the Prime Minister still "recommend" the creation of heriditary peerages to the Queen?
Again, very much the sorts of questions I
would ask, but, look, this is why I find your country so interesting in the first place! Going around calling everyone "Mr" and "Ms" seems so... dull. Although these days, one can't even take
that for granted because we're all apparently on a first-name basis with each other now...
