Keir Starmer's Team is Set to Get Richer: 25 New Labour Peers on the Horizon
Labour leader Keir Starmer is finalizing a long list of new peerages aimed at bolstering his party's presence in the House of Lords. Approximately 25 new peers are expected to be appointed, with some key figures from the outgoing chief of staff Rachel Reeves' team already in contention.
Rachel Reeves' Chief of Staff Katie Martin, who has been described as her "most trusted adviser," is likely to receive a peerage despite controversy surrounding her tenure as chief of staff. The role has taken on new responsibilities focused on strengthening government ties with business.
Another former Downing Street director of communications, Matthew Doyle, is also expected to be offered a peerage, with one insider terming him a "dead cert." However, neither Martin nor Doyle have publicly confirmed their acceptance.
Labour's move comes as part of a broader effort to redress the party's imbalance in the House of Lords. The current 283 Conservative peers still outnumber Labour's 210 despite the latter's efforts to fill vacancies and expand its membership.
Sources indicate that No 10 aims to appoint enough new Labour peers by the end of this parliament to rebalance numbers, aiming for parity with the Conservative party. The move is part of a broader legislative push to strengthen Labour's influence and address opposition from Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and cross-bench peers.
The issue has gained attention after opposition from some peers resulted in the government abandoning its plan to offer workers protection against unfair dismissal from their first day on the job. Proponents of the assisted dying bill have also accused peers of pushing amendments that may filibuster the legislation.
As part of broader reform plans, leader of the Lords Angela Smith will introduce a new phase of reform next year, including measures to remove underperforming peers and establish mandatory age limits for those in office. The move is designed to strengthen accountability within the House of Lords and ensure that peers are actively contributing to legislative processes.
Labour's manifesto included commitments to overhaul the appointments process, improve regional balance, and increase participation requirements for peers. The Guardian has learned that the House of Lords Appointments Commission has already met to discuss proposed lists, paving the way for a significant shake-up in the upper chamber.
Labour leader Keir Starmer is finalizing a long list of new peerages aimed at bolstering his party's presence in the House of Lords. Approximately 25 new peers are expected to be appointed, with some key figures from the outgoing chief of staff Rachel Reeves' team already in contention.
Rachel Reeves' Chief of Staff Katie Martin, who has been described as her "most trusted adviser," is likely to receive a peerage despite controversy surrounding her tenure as chief of staff. The role has taken on new responsibilities focused on strengthening government ties with business.
Another former Downing Street director of communications, Matthew Doyle, is also expected to be offered a peerage, with one insider terming him a "dead cert." However, neither Martin nor Doyle have publicly confirmed their acceptance.
Labour's move comes as part of a broader effort to redress the party's imbalance in the House of Lords. The current 283 Conservative peers still outnumber Labour's 210 despite the latter's efforts to fill vacancies and expand its membership.
Sources indicate that No 10 aims to appoint enough new Labour peers by the end of this parliament to rebalance numbers, aiming for parity with the Conservative party. The move is part of a broader legislative push to strengthen Labour's influence and address opposition from Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and cross-bench peers.
The issue has gained attention after opposition from some peers resulted in the government abandoning its plan to offer workers protection against unfair dismissal from their first day on the job. Proponents of the assisted dying bill have also accused peers of pushing amendments that may filibuster the legislation.
As part of broader reform plans, leader of the Lords Angela Smith will introduce a new phase of reform next year, including measures to remove underperforming peers and establish mandatory age limits for those in office. The move is designed to strengthen accountability within the House of Lords and ensure that peers are actively contributing to legislative processes.
Labour's manifesto included commitments to overhaul the appointments process, improve regional balance, and increase participation requirements for peers. The Guardian has learned that the House of Lords Appointments Commission has already met to discuss proposed lists, paving the way for a significant shake-up in the upper chamber.
those 25 new peerages are gonna be a game-changer for Labour in the House of Lords...but what about all the controversy surrounding Rachel Reeves' chief of staff Katie Martin? it's like, don't get me wrong, she's gotta have skills or something, but all this drama is kinda worrying 
. and poor Matthew Doyle, sounds like he's a shoo-in for a peerage, but still...what about all the opposition from those peers? it's like, doesn't anyone want to work together to pass some good legislation? 
... kinda cool that they're pushing for more representation and accountability, but 25 new peerages seems like a pretty pricey move 
... I mean, can't they just focus on making some real changes instead of just padding their own ranks? 
Also, interesting to see No10 trying to one-up Labour by implementing reforms, hope it's not just a case of them playing catch-up 
it's just thinking out loud, but seriously though, it'd be cool to see some visualizations or something to break down how this could play out 
like he's literally gonna be raking it in soon 
but seriously idk if its a good idea or not. on one hand its cool that they're trying to rebalance the house of lords and give labour more reps 
but on the other hand i feel bad for those who might get left behind 
and what about all the controversy surrounding katie martin??
hope she gets a clear conscience lol anyway gotta keep an eye on this one, sounds like it's gonna be a wild ride 
. If some peers are pushing amendments that might filibuster the legislation, it's a bit suspicious. I'd love to see more accountability in our upper chamber. Maybe we need to take a step back and reevaluate how we're selecting these new peers...
Let's just say they're getting some pretty interesting info that might just blow this whole thing wide open. Stay tuned! 
. But hey, if it means getting some balance in the House of Lords, I'm all for it... just hope they don't end up as just another bunch of elites 
! Rachel Reeves' team is getting all these perks and power, it's like they're basically the inner circle now 
. Matthew Doyle is a "dead cert" for a peerage 
. The government is trying to balance things out in the House of Lords, but let's be real, Labour is gonna own that chamber 
! Starmer's manifesto was all about shaking things up and making changes, and now it looks like they're really going through with it 
. Like, who gets appointed to the House of Lords just because they've got some experience in a certain role? It's all about who's got the right connections and can smooth talk their way into getting a title 
. And don't even get me started on how it's gonna fix the imbalance between Labour and Tories - it's just a way for Starmer to pad his war chest with more cash 
?