Nigel Farage has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to appoint Reform UK supporters to the House of Lords, arguing that the party's electoral performance warrants representation in the upper chamber. In a letter to Starmer, the Reform leader described the request as a 'modest' step to address a 'democratic disparity', noting that smaller parties such as the Greens, DUP, Plaid Cymru, and UUP have a combined 13 peers, while Reform UK has none.
Defence Secretary John Healey dismissed the demand, suggesting that Farage wanted to fill the Lords with 'his cronies' and 'more Putin apologists'. Healey pointed to Farage's past comments on Russia and President Vladimir Putin as justification for the criticism. Downing Street has yet to respond formally to Farage's letter, which was first reported by The Times.
Farage's letter highlighted that Reform UK received over 4.1 million votes in the July 2024 general election and has since performed strongly in local elections and opinion polls. He contrasted this with the Liberal Democrats, who have 76 peers despite receiving 600,000 fewer votes than Reform UK. 'None of this holds water any longer, given the seismic shifts that have taken place in British politics,' Farage wrote.
The demand has reignited debate over the future of the House of Lords. Labour's manifesto promised 'immediate reforms' and a longer-term ambition to replace the Lords with an alternative second chamber, though Starmer has distanced himself from a previous proposal by Gordon Brown for an elected assembly of nations and regions. Natalie Bennett, a former Green Party leader and life peer, suggested Starmer could respond by pursuing a fully elected upper house.
