A senior Conservative peer has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to give Reform UK a voice in the House of Lords. Lord True, the Conservative leader in the upper chamber, argued that the party's success in winning Commons seats means its “view should be heard in the upper chamber as well”.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Lord True emphasised the freedom of the Lords, stating that any member can table amendments. He said it is a “sensible principle” to have a representative from a party with Commons seats involved in scrutiny. The Tory leader noted he had also called for more Labour peers under previous Conservative prime ministers, adding that every party needs a “refresh” in a chamber where the average age is 70.
The appeal follows a letter from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to Sir Keir in August, requesting lifetime peerages for his party. Farage highlighted that Reform received over 4.1 million votes at the July general election, has won many local government seats, led in opinion polls, and secured the only by-election of this parliament.
Former Conservative life peer Lord Offord defected to Reform UK in December and announced he would give up his Lords seat to stand in the Scottish parliament election in May. While the prime minister has full discretion over Lords appointments and is not legally required to grant seats to opposition figures, it is common for leaders to invite nominations from other parties.
In December, Sir Keir created 25 new Labour peers, alongside five for the Liberal Democrats and three for the Conservatives. Other minor parties already represented in the Lords include the DUP (six seats), the UUP (three), and the Green Party and Plaid Cymru (two each).
