Democratic failure

Charles Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellington, attending a ceremony held at Hougoumont Farm to mark the bicentenary of the battle of Waterloo. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

The election by hereditary peers of the ninth Duke of Wellington (Report, 16 September) to the House of Lords by 21 votes over the Marquess of Abergavenny and the Earl of Harrowby (six votes each) is incomprehensible by any democratic standard. The first way in which the size of the House of Lords should now be reduced is by ending byelections such as this one in which hereditary peers vote to keep 92 of their number voting on our legislation.
Chris Rennard
Liberal Democrat, House of Lords