Starmer plans to take control of Lords after filling chamber with 'allies'

Sir Keir Starmer is on track to take control of the House of Lords, potentially neutralizing opposition from other peers almost entirely by 2027, according to recent analysis. Since the last general election, Labour has appointed 46 new peers, resulting in a net increase of 38 after accounting for retirements, and a further 25 appointments are expected during the Christmas period.

Experts note that this rapid pace of appointments, combined with the planned removal of hereditary peerswhich will affect 45 Conservative memberscould allow Labour to significantly reduce legislative defeats within the next few years.

Nikki da Costa, director of legislative affairs at Fix Britain, told The Telegraph: If Labour continues on this path, they could effectively minimize defeats and dominate the legislative process in both Houses.

Analysis from Fix Britain suggests that removing 88 hereditary peers, only four of whom are Labour, could reduce Labours risk of losing votes in the House of Lords by 15% by June 2026. Adding 25 more Labour peers is projected to cut the chances of defeat by a third in 2026, while an additional 36 appointments could reduce it by up to 90%.

Lord True, Conservative leader in the Lords, criticized the strategy, calling the simultaneous expulsion of members and appointments of Labour peers wrong.

Potential new appointees include Rachel Reevess chief of staff and outgoing union leaders. Labour has also stated its long-term goal of abolishing the House of Lords entirely and replacing it with a more regionally and nationally representative chamber.

In the interim, Labour intends to modernize the chamber by removing hereditary peers and adjusting party representation. Baroness Smith of Basildon, Labours Lords leader, emphasized the aim of achieving roughly equal numbers of Labour and Conservative peers, while rejecting the idea of creating hundreds of new Labour seats.

Hereditary peers are expected to be removed by spring, and a committee of peers will consider introducing a retirement age and participation rules in the new year. Labour peers tend to be older than their Conservative counterparts, so retirement reforms could disproportionately affect them.

Da Costa noted that these changes would not only favor the government but also benefit left-leaning policies. Lord True reiterated that expelling active members while appointing new ones is unprecedented in other democracies and criticized any party seeking an automatic majority in the Lords.

Author: Connor Blake