The House of Lords and the House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of British Parliament. It's formed by 650 members, known as Members of Parliament (MPs), elected by the Uk publics to represent their interests. Mps consider and propose new laws and can scrutinise government policies. Each Mp represents a constituency and is a member of a political party. Unlike the elected House of Commons, most new members of the House of Lords are appointed. Memership of the House of Lords is made up of Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. There are currently 26 Lords Spiritual who sit in the Lords by virtue of their ecclesiastical role in the Church of England. The number of Lords Spiritual was further restricted by the Bishopic of Manchster Act. Now they can number no more than 26. Lords Temporal make up the rest of the membership ; of these, the majority are life peers who are appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, or on the advice of the House of Lords Appointments Commissions. Originally, Lords Temporal included several hereditary peers (that is, those whose peerages may be inherited), who ranked as dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons. Nowadays, only 92 individuals may continue to sit in the upper House by virtue of hereditary peerages. The largest group of Lords Temporal are life peers appointed by the Prime Minister.