Top Tory peer urges Starmer to give Reform House of Lords seats
A top Conservative peer has pressed Sir Keir Starmer to give Reform UK a voice in the House of Lords.
In August, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote to Sir Keir, calling for his party to be granted lifetime peerages.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Conservative House of Lords leader Lord True said Reform winning seats in the House of Commons meant their view should be heard in the upper chamber as well.
“The beauty of this house is its complete freedom, so any person here wants to put down an amendment, that amendment must be heard,” he said.
“Having someone from a party that is represented in the House of Commons, to take a detailed part in examination and to put forward that party’s point of view, I think, is a sensible principle.”
The Tory leader said he had also called for more Labour peers in the House of Lords under Conservative prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.
“Every party needs a refresh in the chamber, particularly a chamber where the average age is 70,” he said.
“You must have new people coming in.”
In his letter to the Prime Minister, first reported by The Times in August, Mr Farage said his party was keen to see life peers appointed to the upper house “at the earliest possible opportunity”.
“My party received over 4.1 million votes at the general election in July 2024. We have since won a large number of seats in local government, led in the national opinion polls for many months and won the only by-election of this parliament,” he said.
Former Conservative life peer Malcolm Offord announced his defection to Reform UK in December.
During a speech, Lord Offord confirmed he would give up his place in the House of Lords as he prepares to stand at the Scottish Parliament election in May.
While the Prime Minister has full discretion over appointments to the Lords and is not required by law to grant seats to opposition figures, it is not uncommon for leaders to invite nominations from other parties.
In December, Sir Keir created 25 new Labour peers, while the Liberal Democrats received five and the Conservatives three.
Other minor parties in the upper house include the DUP with six seats, the UUP with three, and the Green Party and Plaid Cymru with two each.
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You just couldn’t write it could you? Someone called Lord TRUE wants the organisation of absolute alternative truth to have representation in the Lords and it’s not even April the 1st.
I am sure that whoever Farage selected for any peerages to be given to his privately owned company Reform Ltd would fit in perfectly with the crooks and grifters already there selling their services to the highest bidder.
What we need is an elected second chamber, as repeatedly promised by Labour, but never delivered.
Funny that Reform hasn’t announced any plans to Reform the outdated abd very expensive House of Lords, and would no doubt love to have some cushy well paid seats there for saying very little.
Getting ready to defect is he. Anyone serious about how that place should be more democratic would be discussing reforms not Reform.
Why ? What have any of them done , other than create division .