London ? Members of the House of Lords voted Wednesday to choose their first Lord Speaker, an innovation to replace the centuries-old office of Lord Chancellor. The winner will be announced July 4.

The new Lord Speaker’s post is one aspect of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s unfinished project to remodel the House of Lords – making it more democratic and ejecting many of those who had simply inherited their seats. The government expelled some 600 hereditary members in 1999, allowing 92 others to remain, but still hasn’t decided how members should be chosen in the future.

The Lord Chancellor’s role was changed amid concern that a single position had so many responsibilities in separate branches of power. Besides the role in the House of Lords, the job also came with a seat in the Cabinet and the post of head of the judiciary.

Those responsibilities will now be split. The Lord Speaker will still preside over the House, but will be independent of the government. The newly restyled Lord Chancellor, who is appointed by the prime minister, will take the judicial role as well as the title of secretary of state for constitutional affairs.

Nine candidates sought the Lord Speaker’s office.