Labour leader Keir Starmer has nominated over 25 new peers in a bid to strengthen the party’s presence in the House of Lords. Among the notable appointees are Richard Walker, the head of Iceland who switched allegiance from the Conservatives to Labour, former No10 communications chief Matthew Doyle, and Rachel Reeves’ former chief of staff, Katie Martin.
The list of new peers also includes long-time Labour aide Carol Linforth and Andy Roe, the chair of the national Building Safety Regulator. Since taking office, Starmer has appointed a total of 62 peerages, with 25 announced recently, 30 in December, and seven for ministerial roles. In comparison, David Cameron appointed 122 peers over a two-year period.
A Labour source emphasized the need to address the imbalance in the House of Lords created by the Tories, which has hindered Labour’s efforts to support working families. The party aims to continue its reform agenda, including the removal of hereditary peers’ voting rights in the Lords.
On the other side, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch put forward nominations for figures such as Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, historian Simon Heffer, and former Tory minister Sir John Redwood. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also made five nominations, including two Lib Dem hereditary peers.
Previously, in December, Keir Starmer appointed 30 new Labour peers, including Sue Gray and several former MPs. Notable figures like Thangam Debbonaire, Luciana Berger, and Carwyn Jones were among those granted peerages by Starmer.
Overall, the recent appointments aim to rebalance the House of Lords and advance the respective agendas of the Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat parties in the UK political landscape.