Members of the House of Lords have begun voting for a hereditary peer who will make a return to the upper house.

Voting began on Tuesday morning for the by-election to fill the vacancy arising from the death of the Viscount of Oxfuird.

Over 80 lords, dukes, earls and viscounts have thrown their ermine-clad hats into the ring.

Some 92 hereditary peers remain in the House of Lords following the decision to remove them from the second chamber.

While it had been expected that they would only sit in the Lords until further reform was instigated, the failure to secure consensus on how to proceed has given the 92 peers a second stay of execution.

Tory constitutionalist Lord Norton of Louth is pursuing attempts which would result in hereditaries who die not being replaced.

Critics say such a move will eventually create an entirely appointed House by default.

They argue that this would play into the hands of the prime minister - who has already signalled his determination to halt the introduction of an elected element to the second chamber.

In the meantime the death of any hereditary peer who still sits in the House will create a by-election likely to be hotly-contested by those thrown out by the Blair government.

With 81 candidates in the running no-one is second guessing which of their lordships will resume their career in the Upper House.

Karen Barlett, director of Charter 88, condemned the by-election.

'This is a farcical situation which has resulted from a lack of will for Lords reform," she said.

"The hereditary peers issue should have been solved in one fell swoop, and we should now have an elected House. The people of Britain, MPs and leading think tanks want a modern democracy, starting with an elected second chamber, and sooner, not later".

The full list of candidates is as follows:

V. Addison (Conservative)

L. Ashbourne

L. Biddulph (Conservative)

L. Birdwood (Conservative)

L. Birkett (Crossbench)

V. Brentford (Conservative)

L. Cadman

E. Cairns (Crossbench)

L. Calverley

L. Carew (Crossbench)

E. Carlisle (Liberal Democrat)

E. Cathcart (Conservative)

L. Chesham (Conservative)

E. Clancarty (Crossbench)

L. Clifford of Chudleigh (Crossbench)

E. Cowley (Conservative)

E. Cranbrook (Conservative)

E. Cromer (Crossbench)

L. Cromwell (Crossbench)

L. De Mauley

L. De Ramsey (Conservative)

E. Drogheda (Crossbench)

V. Eccles (Conservative)

E. Effingham (Crossbench)

E. Enniskillen (Crossbench)

V. Gage (Conservative)

L. Gainford (Conservative)

L. Gladwyn (Crossbench)

L. Glanusk (Crossbench)

E. Glasgow (Liberal Democrat)

L. Grantchester (Labour)

L. Gray (Conservative)

L. Herbert (Conservative)

L. Hindlip (Conservative)

L. HolmPatrick

V. Hood (Conservative)

E. Iveagh (Crossbench)

L. Kenilworth (Conservative)

L. Kennet

L. Killearn (Conservative)

E. Kimberley (Crossbench)

E. Kinnoull (Conservative)

E. Kintore (Crossbench)

E. Lauderdale (Conservative)

L. Lawrence (Crossbench)

V. Leathers (Crossbench)

L. Macpherson of Drumochter (Conservative)

V. Massereene and Ferrard (Crossbench)

V. Melville (Conservative)

L. Mereworth

L. Meston (Crossbench)

L. Milford (Crossbench)

L. Milverton (Conservative)

L. Monk Bretton (Conservative)

L. Monkswell (Labour)

V. Montgomery of Alamein (Crossbench)

L. Morris (Conservative)

L. Napier of Magdâla (Crossbench)

L. Newall (Conservative)

L. Norrie (Conservative)

L. Pender (Conservative)

L. Poole (Conservative)

L. Rathcavan (Crossbench)

L. Renwick (Conservative)

L. Rowallan (Conservative)

V. Samuel (Crossbench)

L. Sempill (Conservative)

E. Shannon (Crossbench)

D. Somerset (Crossbench)

E. Stockton (Conservative)

L. Strathcarron (Conservative)

L. Sudeley (Crossbench)

E. Swinton (Conservative)

L. Terrington (Conservative)

L. Teynham (Conservative)

V. Torrington (Conservative)

V. Trenchard (Conservative)

L. Tryon (Crossbench)

V. Ullswater (Conservative)

L. Vaux of Harrowden (Conservative)

V. Weir (Conservative)