Dozens of hereditary peers whose seats were abolished have had their lawmaking powers restored, as 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 handed life peerages, enabling their return to the red benches.
The apparent concession was made to end a long battle over Starmer's plans to remove the right of the last remaining hereditary peers to sit in the Lords, a commitment in Labour's 2024 manifesto. A government source described the parliamentary session as “tortuous,” given that every stage of the bill to abolish hereditary peers resulted in considerable disruption and demands for compensation.
The peers have already undergone a due diligence process by the House of Lords appointment commission, including a check by HM Revenue and Customs. This comes as 92 hereditary peers lost their seats this week, forcing No 10 to strike a deal with opposition parties. 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 criticised the move, claiming the government is focused on “saving hereditary lords” rather than 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.”
The move is expected to be announced before the king's speech, with further updates to the Lords including a participation requirement and a retirement age. A select committee will report on the changes later this year.
