Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has nominated 25 new members to the House of Lords. This move is seen as an attempt to address what a Labour source described as a "serious imbalance" in the chamber, allegedly caused by the Conservatives "stuffing" the House of Lords to obstruct Labour's legislative agenda. The nominations aim to deliver on Labour's mandate from the British people.
Among the notable nominees are Olympic swimming silver medallist Sharron Davies and Richard Walker, the boss of the supermarket chain Iceland. Davies, a women's rights activist, was nominated by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, alongside former Tory cabinet minister John Redwood and journalist Simon Heffer. Walker, who previously supported the Conservatives but switched to Labour before the last election, has been praised for his commitment to families struggling with the cost of living. He had stated that the Tories had "moved away" from his pragmatic views.
Other nominations include Matthew Doyle, former director of communications for the prime minister, and Katie Martin, ex-chief of staff to Rachel Reeves. Carol Linforth, a Labour aide who assisted Sir Keir Starmer during an incident at the 2023 Labour conference, and Sir Michael Barber, an advisor to Sir Keir on his "missions," are also on the list. The Liberal Democrats put forward five nominations, including former MP Sarah Teather. All new peers have been granted a life appointment in the House of Lords. Sharron Davies has previously faced accusations of "fuelling hate" for her comments regarding transgender women competing in female sports, which she denied, stating her belief in a difference between biological sex and gender identity to protect women's sports.
