CP
“Starmer is trying hard to eliminate all opposition in the Lords.”
The government has announced the creation of 25 new Labour life peers, a significant expansion of the party’s presence in the House of Lords that has prompted renewed accusations that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is attempting to reshape the upper chamber to minimise legislative resistance.
The appointments, include former senior Labour advisers, local government figures, policy specialists and academics. Among the most prominent nominees are Matthew Doyle, former Downing Street communications director; Katie Martin, former chief of staff to the Chancellor; and Richard Walker, the Iceland Foods executive chairman.
The move follows a string of government defeats in the Lords, particularly on the Employment Rights Bill, where cross-party resistance forced several concessions. Critics argue that the scale and timing of the new peerages indicate a strategic effort to shift the voting balance in Labour’s favour. Political news site Guido Fawkes wrote: “Starmer is trying hard to eliminate all opposition in the Lords.”
Sharp Increase in Labour Numbers
Since the 2024 general election, Labour’s representation in the Lords has already increased by more than 30 seats, and this week’s list continues that trend. Legislative experts note that, if current appointment levels continue, Labour will secure a working majority in the Lords by 2026 or 2027.
Former No. 10 Director of Legislative Affairs Nikki da Costa has previously warned that the pace of appointments, combined with the government’s Hereditary Peers Bill, which is expected to remove 88 hereditary peers (only four of them Labour) will substantially reduce the number of potential opposition votes.
Da Costa’s analysis suggests that the number of government defeats could fall by half within two years, and possibly disappear entirely by the end of the Parliament.
Opposition and Minor Parties Respond
The Liberal Democrats received five new peerages in the latest round, including former MP Sarah Teather and party CEO Mike Dixon. Observers note that the party has been a key source of opposition to Labour’s welfare and employment legislation in recent months. Critics question whether this allocation of seats may influence future voting behaviour.
The Reform Party, which received no peerages, described the exclusion as “predictable,” noting that party leader Nigel Farage had requested a small number of appointments to reflect his party’s vote share at the general election.
Downing Street Defends the List
A government spokesperson insisted the new appointments would “bring valuable expertise and public service experience to the House of Lords,” arguing that the chamber must remain “effective and representative” as it scrutinises major legislation.
However, constitutional analysts note that the scale of Labour’s appointments stands in contrast with the party’s long-standing criticism of patronage and unelected political influence.
Critics Warn of Diminishing Scrutiny
Government critics warn that the rapid increase in Labour-affiliated peers risks weakening the Lords’ traditional role as a check on executive power. They argue that the chamber’s ongoing defeats of government legislation indicate that it is functioning as intended, and that altering the political arithmetic, rather than the quality of legislation, raises concerns about democratic accountability.
Analysts also point to broader political context: rising public dissatisfaction with economic performance and public services, and declining confidence in political institutions. Against that backdrop, they argue, reducing institutional scrutiny could have long-term constitutional consequences.
Full List
Nominations from the Leader of the Labour Party:
- Andy (Andrew) Roe KSFM – Chair of the national Building Safety Regulator and former London Fire Commissioner
- Dame Ann Limb DBE DL – Former Further Education College Principal and former Chair, The Scouts. Pro Chancellor, University of Surrey, and Chair of City & Guilds Foundation, Lloyds Bank Foundation, and The King’s Foundation
- Brenda Dacres OBE – Mayor of Lewisham
- Carol Linforth OBE – Lately Labour Party Chief of Staff – Operations
- Catherine MacLeod – Former journalist and political adviser, Visiting Professor at King’s College London and Non-Executive Director at the Scotland Office
- David Isaac CBE – Provost of Worcester College, Oxford, Chair of the University of the Arts London, Chair of the Henry Moore Foundation, and a trustee of Cumberland Lodge
- David Pitt-Watson – Responsible Investment Expert. Co-founder and former CEO of the Equity Ownership Service and Focus Funds at Federated Hermes
- Farmida Bi CBE – Chair of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Vice-Chair of the Disasters Emergency Committee
- Professor Geeta Nargund – Founder and former Medical Director of Create Fertility. Founder and Trustee of Health Equality Foundation
- Katie Martin – Lately, Chief of Staff to the Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Joe Docherty – Chair of Northern Powergrid Foundation and Trustee, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, former Chair of Council, Durham University
- Len (Leonard) Duvall OBE – Chair of the London Assembly and Leader of the London Assembly Labour Group
- Matthew Doyle – Former Director of Communications to the Prime Minister and for the Labour Party
- Sir Michael Barber – Chancellor, University of Exeter and adviser to the Prime Minister on effective delivery
- Neena Gill CBE – Former Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands
- Nick (Nicholas) Forbes CBE – Chair, Breaking Down Barriers Commission and former Labour Leader, Newcastle City Council
- Peter Babudu – Executive Director of Impact on Urban Health, former councillor in Southwark
- Peter John OBE – Former Southwark Leader and former Chair of London Councils.
- Richard Walker OBE – Founder and Chairman, Bywater and Executive Chairman, Iceland Foods
- Russell Hobby CBE – CEO, The Kemnal Academies Trust, former CEO, Teach First and former General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers
- Cllr. Dr Sara Hyde – Fabian Society Chair and Islington council’s Executive Member for Health and Social Care
- Cllr. Shama Tatler – Brent Councillor and Vice-Chair of the London Labour Regional Executive, Patron of the Labour Housing Group and Head of the Labour Group Office at the Local Government Association
- Dr Sophy Antrobus MBE – Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King’s College London
- Tracey Paul – Chief Communications Officer at Pool Reinsurance and former policy advisor
- Uday Nagaraju – Technology Consultant, Politician and Founder of AI Policy Labs
Nominations from the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party:
- Mike Dixon – CEO of the Liberal Democrats
- Dominic Hubbard (Lord Addington) – Lately Liberal Democrat hereditary Peer, President of the British Dyslexic Association and Vice President, the UK Sports Association
- Rhiannon Leaman – Former Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats
- John Russell (Earl Russell) – Lately Liberal Democrat hereditary Peer, photographer
- Sarah Teather – Former MP, former minister and Charity CEO
Nominations from the Leader of the Conservatives:
- Sharron Davies MBE – Campaigner for Women’s Rights & Olympic Swimming Silver Medallist for Great Britain
- Simon Heffer – Professor of Modern British History at the University of Buckingham and a historian, journalist, author and political commentator
- The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood – Former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament for Wokingham
Nominations for Crossbench Peerages:
1. Charles Kinnoull (The Earl of Kinnoull) DL – Convenor of the Crossbench Peers, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, former Chair of the House of Lords European Union Committee
This article (Starmer Announces 25 New Labour Life Peers Amid Accusations of “Packing the Lords”) was created and published by Conservative Post and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author CP
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‘It is striking that Keir Starmer has produced a list of 25 people which basically come from inner London.’
Lord Hayward says Starmer’s ‘truly staggering’ 25 House of Lords Labour appointments are overwhelmingly London orientated and ‘not representative of the nation’. pic.twitter.com/zoolX8eCnp
— GB News (@GBNEWS) December 11, 2025
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