1999 House of Lords elections

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Elections of the excepted hereditary peers were held in October and November 1999, before the House of Lords Act 1999 excluded most hereditary peers from the membership of the House of Lords allowing Earl Marshal, Lord Great Chamberlain and 90 others to remain in the House. Before the passing of the 1999 Act, the Lords approved a Standing Order stating that those 90 would consist of:

  • 15 peers to be elected by the whole House
  • 75 peers elected among and within party groupings:
    • 2 to be elected by the Labour hereditary peers
    • 42 to be elected by the Conservative hereditary peers
    • 3 to be elected by the Liberal Democrat hereditary peers
    • 28 to be elected by the Crossbench hereditary peers

The elections used a version of plurality block voting: voters were required to rank candidates in order of preference for the number of seats available, with the candidates receiving the greatest number of votes, without regard to the ranking on the ballots, declared elected. Preference order was only considered in the cases of ties.

Until November 2002, vacancies among the elected hereditary peers were filled by hereditary peers who received most votes in the corresponding 1999 election without being elected to remain. Since November 2002, by-elections have been held to fill vacancies.

Election by the whole House

1999 House of Lords elections
27 and 28 October 1999
Turnout56.59%
  First party Second party
 
Party Conservative Crossbench
Seats won 9 2
  Third party Fourth party
 
Party Labour Liberal Democrats
Seats won 2 2

15 excepted hereditary peers were elected by the whole House in an election held from 27 to 28 October 1999. 1,115 members of the House were eligible to vote and 631 valid votes were cast. The result was as follows:

  Party Candidate Votes
Crossbencher YThe Countess of Mar 570
Labour YThe Lord Strabolgi 558
Conservative YThe Lord Elton 558
Conservative YThe Lord Lyell 547
Conservative YThe Lord Skelmersdale 544
Conservative YThe Lord Aberdare 530
Conservative YThe Lord Brougham and Vaux 525
Liberal Democrats YThe Viscount Falkland 519
Conservative YThe Lord Colwyn 488
Conservative YThe Viscount of Oxfuird 482
Conservative YThe Lord Reay 471
Conservative YThe Lord Geddes 461
Labour YThe Viscount Simon 453
Liberal Democrats YThe Lord Methuen 421
Crossbencher YThe Lord Ampthill 418
Crossbencher The Viscount Allenby of Megiddo 327
Conservative The Viscount St Davids 168
Crossbencher The Lord Bridges 164
Conservative The Lord Lucas and Dingwall 144
Crossbencher The Baroness Strange 124
Conservative The Earl of Onslow 119
Conservative The Viscount Davidson 104
Conservative The Lord Swinfen 100
Conservative The Lord Chesham 96
Crossbencher The Lord Walpole 93
Conservative The Earl of Dundee 88
Conservative The Earl of Kinnoull 84
Crossbencher The Earl of Shannon 84
Conservative The Lord Belhaven and Stenton 60
Conservative The Lord Morris 51
Crossbencher The Lord Swansea 49
Conservative The Earl of Kimberley 41
Conservative The Lord Cadman 24
  1. Still a Sitting Member of the House of Lords (as of 18 December 2025).
  2. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Carleton, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland

Elections by groups

75 excepted hereditary peers were elected by hereditary peers of three parties and crossbenchers in elections held from 3 to 4 November 1999.

Conservatives

42 excepted hereditary peers were elected by the Conservative hereditary peers. 241 peers were eligible to vote and 204 valid votes were cast. The result was as follows:

Candidate Votes
YThe Earl Ferrers 190
YThe Lord Strathclyde 174
YThe Lord Trefgarne 173
YThe Lord Denham 169
YThe Lord Mancroft 168
YThe Earl Howe 165
YThe Lord Brabazon of Tara 165
YThe Earl of Caithness 161
YThe Lord Henley 160
YThe Lord Glenarthur 157
YThe Lord Astor of Hever 151
YThe Viscount Astor 146
YThe Earl of Courtown 143
YThe Earl Peel 142
YThe Lord Moynihan 137
YThe Earl Attlee 135
YThe Viscount Goschen 132
YThe Duke of Montrose 127
YThe Lord Burnham 127
YThe Lord Vivian 126
YThe Earl of Northesk 126
YThe Earl of Selborne 125
YThe Viscount Bridgeman 125
YThe Lord Luke 124
YThe Earl of Lindsay 116
YThe Lord Lucas and Dingwall 115
YThe Lord Montagu of Beaulieu 113
YThe Earl of Home 113
YThe Lord Glentoran 104
YThe Earl of Onslow 99
YThe Lord Crathorne 97
YThe Lord Willoughby de Broke 96
YThe Lord Inglewood 95
YThe Lord Northbrook 95
YThe Lord Swinfen 95
YThe Earl of Shrewsbury 95
YThe Lord Selsdon 94
YThe Earl of Liverpool 93
YThe Earl of Arran 90
YThe Earl of Dundee 90
YThe Lord Mowbray and Stourton 88
YThe Lord Rotherwick 88
The Viscount Trenchard 87
The Lord Norrie 87
The Viscount Weir 86
The Lord Lucas of Chilworth 82
The Viscount Addison 80
The Viscount Torrington 80
The Viscount Long 80
The Earl of Kinnoull 74
The Viscount Davidson 73
The Lord de Ramsey 71
The Lord Coleraine 70
The Lord Chesham 67
The Lord Rowallan 65
The Lord Hindlip 62
The Lord Beaverbrook 62
The Lord Birdwood 61
The Viscount St Davids 60
The Lord Renwick 60
The Earl of Limerick 60
The Lord Gray 59
The Earl Cathcart 59
The Earl of Clanwilliam 58
The Earl Alexander of Tunis 58
The Viscount Dilhorne 57
The Lord Westbury 57
The Lord Ironside 56
The Lord Sempill 52
The Lord Harlech 52
The Lord Newall 51
The Viscount Eccles 50
The Earl of Lindsey and Abingdon 48
The Lord Belhaven and Stenton 45
The Viscount Brentford 45
The Lord Annaly 45
The Earl of Buckinghamshire 45
The Lord Poole 45
The Earl De La Warr 43
The Lord Pender 42
The Lord Strathcarron 41
The Lord Ashbourne 41
The Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax 41
The Earl of Lauderdale 40
The Lord HolmPatrick 39
The Earl of Denbigh 39
The Viscount Massereene and Ferrard 38
The Viscount Hood 38
The Lord Sudeley 37
The Lord Rennell 35
The Earl of Haddington 35
The Lord Teviot 33
The Lord Wise 33
The Earl of Kimberley 32
The Lord Monk Bretton 31
The Viscount Gage 31
The Lord Cadman 30
The Lord Morris 28
The Lord Biddulph 27
The Lord Harmsworth 27
The Earl of Munster 26
The Lord Mountevans 25
The Lord Harding of Petherton 23
The Lord Rodney 21
The Lord Ellenborough 20
The Lord Gainford 19
The Lord Layton 14
The Lord Leigh 13
The Marquess of Ailsa 12
The Lord Elibank 12
The Lord Seaford 11
The Earl of Granard 10
The Lord Merrivale 8
  1. Still a Sitting Member of the House of Lords (as of 18 December 2025).
  2. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Northington, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  3. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Salterford, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  4. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Sudley, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  5. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Foxford, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  6. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Clainwilliam, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  7. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Oriel, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  8. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Gage, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  9. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Granard, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland

Crossbenchers

28 excepted hereditary peers were elected by the crossbench hereditary peers. 131 peers were eligible to vote and 105 valid votes were cast. The result was as follows:

Candidate Votes
YThe Baroness Darcy de Knayth 85
YThe Lord Freyberg 82
YThe Lord St John of Bletso 81
YThe Lord Northbourne 78
YThe Earl of Sandwich 78
YThe Viscount Allenby of Megiddo 75
YThe Viscount Tenby 74
YThe Lord Palmer 72
YThe Viscount Slim 72
YThe Viscount Bledisloe 70
YThe Lord Monson 70
YThe Viscount Brookeborough 68
YThe Lord Bridges 68
YThe Lady Saltoun of Abernethy 64
YThe Lord Hylton 64
YThe Earl Baldwin of Bewdley 63
YThe Earl of Carnarvon 58
YThe Earl of Listowel 58
YThe Lord Moran 57
YThe Baroness Strange 53
YThe Earl of Erroll 52
YThe Lord Walpole 52
YThe Viscount Craigavon 51
YThe Baroness Wharton 48
YThe Viscount Colville of Culross 47
YThe Viscount Waverley 47
YThe Lord Greenway 47
YThe Earl of Rosslyn 45
The Lord Cobbold 43
The Lord Chorley 42
The Earl of Iveagh 40
The Lord Ashburton 40
The Lord Gladwyn 39
The Earl of Shannon 39
The Earl of Kintore 39
The Earl of Effingham 38
The Earl of Clancarty 36
The Lady Kinloss 36
The Lord Rathcavan 35
The Viscount Runciman of Doxford 35
The Lord Hankey 34
The Lord Shaughnessy 32
The Earl of Drogheda 31
The Earl Cairns 27
The Lord Meston 26
The Lord Napier and Ettrick 26
The Lord Napier of Magdala 26
The Lord Norton 25
The Lord Carew 24
The Earl of Stair 24
The Lord Birkett 23
The Lord Dulverton 23
The Lord Lawrence 20
The Viscount Rothermere 20
The Viscount Mountgarret 19
The Viscount Alanbrooke 19
The Viscount Exmouth 19
The Baroness Arlington 18
The Earl of Huntingdon 17
The Lord Hayter 17
The Lord Tryon 16
The Lord Dunleath 15
The Lord Craigmyle 15
The Earl of Cromer 15
The Lord Swansea 14
The Lord Nunburnholme 14
The Lord Cromwell 14
The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley 14
The Lord Wrenbury 14
The Viscount Leathers 14
The Lord Amwell 12
The Lord Broadbridge 12
The Earl of Buchan 12
The Lord Blyth 11
The Marquess of Headfort 11
The Lord Glanusk 8
The Lord Lindsay of Birker 8
The Viscount Dunrossil 6
The Lord Catto 4
  1. Still a Sitting Member of the House of Lords (as of 18 December 2025).
  2. The Earl of Carnarvon died on 11 September 2001 and was replaced by Lord Chorley.
  3. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Hare, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  4. The Baroness Wharton died on 15 May 2000 and was replaced by Lord Cobbold.
  5. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Carleton, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  6. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Viscount Clancarty, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  7. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Moore, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  8. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Carew, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  9. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Mountgarret, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland
  10. Eligible to stand by virtue of his junior title, Baron Kenlis, as his senior title is in the Peerage of Ireland

Liberal Democrats

3 excepted hereditary peers were elected by the Liberal Democrat hereditary peers. All 20 peers who were eligible to vote cast their votes. The result was as follows:

Candidate Votes
YThe Earl Russell 17
YThe Lord Avebury 13
YThe Lord Addington 10
The Earl of Mar and Kellie 7
The Earl of Carlisle 4
The Earl Grey 3
The Lord Calverley 3
The Earl of Glasgow 2
The Lord McNair 1
  1. Still a Sitting Member of the House of Lords (as of 18 December 2025).
  2. Created Baron Erskine of Alloa Tower for life in 2000

Labour

2 excepted hereditary peers were elected by the Labour hereditary peers. 18 peers were eligible to vote and 17 valid votes were cast. The result was as follows:

Candidate Votes
YThe Lord Milner of Leeds 8
YThe Lord Rea 7
The Lord Grantchester 7
The Lord Monkswell 6
The Lord Kilbracken 3
The Lord Kennet 3

See also

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