Dozens of hereditary peers whose seats were abolished have had their lawmaking powers restored as Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to accelerate changes to the House of Lords. It is understood that 15 Conservative hereditary peers, two Labour, and nine crossbenchers have been granted life peerages, enabling their return to the red benches.
Concession to End Battle Over Lords Reform
The apparent concession was made to end a prolonged battle over Starmer’s plans to remove the right of the last remaining hereditary peers to sit in the Lords, a commitment made in Labour’s 2024 manifesto. A government source described the recent parliamentary session as “tortuous,” noting that every stage of the bill to abolish hereditary peers resulted in considerable disruption in the Lords, as well as demands in private meetings for compensation for removed peers.
Due Diligence and Tax Checks
The peers have already undergone a due diligence process run by the House of Lords appointment commission, which includes a check by HM Revenue and Customs. This move comes as 92 hereditary peers lost their seats in the House of Lords this week, forcing No 10 to strike a deal with opposition parties to get the legislation through.
Conservative Concessions
In return, the Conservative Party has agreed to speed up the retirement of about half a dozen of its existing life peers. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has criticized Starmer’s move, claiming the government is focused on “saving hereditary lords” rather than addressing the cost-of-living crisis.
Jenni Minto, the SNP candidate for Argyll and Bute, said: “It will be very telling if Anas Sarwar fails to condemn this move, with speculation growing that he is lining up a place in the Lords for himself after being projected to lead Labour to their worst ever result in Scotland.”
Future Reforms
The move is expected to be announced before the king’s speech, with the government expected to push through further updates to the Lords, including a participation requirement for members and a retirement age. A select committee will report on the changes later this year.
