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Britain has approved a referendum on abolishing the House of Lords

04 September 2026 22:51 (UTC +04:00)

A referendum on abolishing the House of Lords (the upper house) of the British Parliament could be held in the United Kingdom if it obstructs legislative initiatives from the right-wing populist Reform UK party. This was stated by party leader Nigel Farage.

Speaking at the Reform UK conference, the politician indicated that if he wins the next general election, he is prepared to declare a "national emergency" and cancel public holidays in the House of Commons (the lower house of parliament) in order to legislate the party's platform within his first 100 days in power. "If necessary, Parliament will sit 24 hours a day, six days a week, until we have passed the necessary legislation," Farage emphasized, his speech broadcast by Sky News.

"I expect the House of Lords to respect this," he noted. "But if not, then we will come up with an idea. It's not new; it's been used before. We will appoint hundreds of new peers so that we have a majority in the House of Lords. And if that proves difficult, then we will hold a referendum on the current composition of the House of Lords, and they will be thrown out [on the street] by British society."

Farage also stated his willingness to reform the civil service if it fails to adhere to Reform UK's political agenda. He indicated that, in such a case, business representatives would be appointed to replace the heads of civil service in each department.

Farage recalled that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had demanded 10 years to implement political reforms, but the Reform UK team would be ready to deliver tangible results within its first 100 days in office. He promised to immediately dismiss any ministers who fail to deliver.