House of Lords Drops the Tie Rule, but Keeps Business Dress
The House of Lords has removed the requirement for men to wear a tie, directing them instead to wear "business attire" The Guardian. The update was published on 18 September 2026 and covers dress in the upper chamber.
The rule is recorded in Erskine May section 1.38 on Members' dress, the main guide to parliamentary procedure. It says Members should dress in business-like attire and that a tie is not required Erskine May.
The position now differs between the two Houses. The House of Commons November 2023 Rules of Behaviour and Courtesies say men are expected to wear a tie and must wear jackets House of Commons. Parliament's page on rules and traditions notes the Speaker, who chairs Commons debates, has on several occasions objected to informal clothing, including men not wearing jackets and ties UK Parliament.
State occasions remain under a separate provision. The Standing Orders of the House of Lords Relating to Public Business, the Lords' formal rule book, provide that when His Majesty comes publicly to the House, Lords shall wear robes or other dress approved by His Majesty Standing Orders. That language covers royal attendance. It stands apart from the everyday dress rule.
The broader context here is procedural pluralism within a single Parliament. Lords procedure and Commons procedure are run through separate instruments, with Erskine May, Standing Orders and the Speaker's authority working in distinct channels. Divergence on dress fits that structure. It creates no formal conflict, but it formalises a visible difference. Procedure often evolves through small clarifications like this.
In my view, the practical test will be interpretation rather than text. Business attire and business-like attire are broad standards, not lists of garments. They leave room for judgment about what counts in ordinary debate. The written change is short. Its use will be worked out case by case.
Looking at what this means for Westminster practice, the Lords change clarifies the baseline without abandoning formality. Dress still matters. A business-like appearance is still required, and robes for ceremony are required under a separate rule. The upper House now defines its code in less prescriptive terms, while the 2023 Commons rules still expect a tie. That asymmetry is unlikely to cause procedural friction, but it will be noticed.
