MPs have backed plans to get rid of all hereditary peers from the House of Lords.A bill making its way through Parliament would abolish the 92 seats reserved for peers who inherit their titles through their families.

Donors and “cronies” should be removed from the House of Lords, an SNP MP has said, as he called for the upper chamber to be abolished altogether. Pete Wishart described Parliament’s second chamber as an “absurd embarrassment” and criticised the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill for not going far enough.

Cross party support expressed for abolishing the bishops' bench entirely in debate on reforming the House of Lords