The appointment of 26 new peers to the House of Lords has sparked both praise and criticism, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan among those set to take a seat. The list, published by Downing Street, includes prominent figures from various sectors, with Sir Sadiq's nomination drawing particular attention given his ongoing role as the capital's mayor.
The Labour peerages, which make up 15 of the new appointments, include broadcaster June Sarpong and former union general secretary Christina McAnea. The Liberal Democrats have also been bolstered with five new peers, while three Conservative nominees and two cross-bench members complete the list. Notably, former Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald and retired senior judge Sir Brian Leveson will join the upper house.
The nominations come as outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to hand over power to Andy Burnham on Monday. A government source has commended Sir Sadiq's leadership, describing him as a "brilliant mayor who has transformed London for the better" and stating his peerage is "thoroughly deserved." The Mayor himself has expressed his commitment to continue advocating for London, despite being made a Labour peer.
The appointments are set against a backdrop of promises to reform the House of Lords. The Labour government had previously committed to abolishing the 92 hereditary peerages and implementing other changes. Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also spoken out about the need for reform, stating that an unelected national legislature is "difficult to justify in modern democracy." However, some critics argue that these appointments will only serve to perpetuate the problem.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has described the appointments as "the uniparty writ large," lamenting that his party received no peerages and arguing it would lead to an even more unrepresentative upper house. Conversely, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey expressed his delight at his party's new peers, highlighting their skills and experience in holding the government to account.