Labour leader Keir Starmer has named over twenty new peers in an effort to strengthen the party’s presence in the House of Lords. Among the appointees are Iceland chief Richard Walker, former No10 communications chief Matthew Doyle, and Rachel Reeves’ former chief of staff, Katie Martin. Also included in the list are experienced Labour aide Carol Linforth and Andy Roe, the chair of the national Building Safety Regulator.
In addition to these appointments, Starmer has put forward names like Joe Docherty, chair of the Northern Powergrid Foundation, Nick Forbes, chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission, and Cllr. Dr Sara Hyde, chair of the Fabian Society. The list also features Sir Michael Barber, who previously served in No10 during Tony Blair’s government.
Despite these recent additions, the Conservative Party remains the largest group in the House of Lords. Starmer has appointed a total of 62 peers since taking office, with 25 named recently, 30 in December, and seven for ministerial roles. This contrasts with the 122 peers appointed by David Cameron over a two-year span.
A Labour insider commented on the situation, stating that the Tories had heavily populated the House of Lords, causing an imbalance that hindered Labour’s efforts to support working families. The party aims to rectify this situation and fulfill its mandate from the public by pushing forward with reforms, including the removal of voting rights for hereditary peers in the Lords.
On the other side, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has nominated individuals like Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, historian Simon Heffer, and former minister Sir John Redwood. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has also made nominations, including two Lib Dem hereditary peers.
In a previous round of appointments, Starmer had selected 30 new Labour peers, including former aide Sue Gray and several ex-MPs. Notably, former Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones was among those granted seats in the Lords.
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