In a move that’s set to reshape the balance of power in Britain’s upper chamber, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on December 10, 2025, the nomination of 25 new Labour peers to the House of Lords. This strategic decision, reported widely by outlets such as Sky News and The Independent, aims to counteract a longstanding Conservative dominance in the Lords—a dominance some in Labour argue has stymied the party’s legislative ambitions since the last general election.
The new cohort of Labour lords and ladies includes a diverse array of figures: from an Olympic swimmer to high-profile political advisers, and even the party staffer who famously came to Starmer’s rescue after he was glitter-bombed at the 2023 Labour conference. The appointments come with a notable £371-a-day attendance allowance, a detail that hasn’t escaped public or political scrutiny.
“The Tories stuffed the House of Lords, creating a serious imbalance that has allowed them to frustrate our plans to make working families better off. This needs to be corrected to deliver on our mandate from the British people,” a Labour source told The Independent, echoing the party’s rationale for the dramatic influx of new peers.
The nominations are not limited to Labour alone. The Conservatives have been granted three new peers, including Sharron Davies, the Olympic silver medallist and women’s rights campaigner. The Liberal Democrats received five nominations, among them former MP and coalition government minister Sarah Teather, as well as two hereditary peers who are being upgraded to life peerages—a move designed to circumvent impending legislation that will remove hereditary peers from the chamber.
Among the Labour appointments is Richard Walker, the chairman of supermarket giant Iceland Foods. Walker, once a would-be Conservative MP and party donor, defected to Labour in 2023, citing a shift in his political alignment. “The Tories had moved away from me, while Labour had moved towards the centrist pragmatic views that I’ve long held,” Walker remarked at the time, according to The Independent. Labour sources have praised him as “a committed champion for families dealing with the cost of living,” highlighting his work to make infant formula more affordable and his efforts to help customers avoid predatory lending.
Another headline-grabbing addition is Carol Linforth, the former Labour operations chief who gained national attention when she swiftly removed Starmer’s jacket after a protester doused him in glitter during his 2023 conference speech. Her appointment, along with those of other Labour aides such as Matthew Doyle (former director of communications) and Katie Martin (former chief of staff to the Chancellor), has drawn accusations of cronyism from Conservative critics. The Tories have been quick to label the latest wave of peerages as “more cronyism and more reward for failure,” pointing to the inclusion of political insiders and local government figures.
Yet, Labour counters that their appointments are a necessary corrective to what they see as years of Conservative overreach. According to Sky News, David Cameron appointed 122 peers in just two years, whereas Starmer’s tally stands at 62 so far. Even with these new additions, Labour points out, the Conservatives will “still be the largest party in the Lords by far.”
On the Conservative side, Sharron Davies’s nomination was put forward by party leader Kemi Badenoch, signaling strong support for Davies’s high-profile campaigning on trans and gender issues. Davies has been an outspoken advocate for the protection of women’s sports, arguing that those with a male sex advantage should not be able to compete in women’s events. “I’ve never been anti-trans in my life. I’m just pro-female,” Davies declared at a recent Conservative conference, as reported by Sky News. Her stance has been both lauded and criticized, reflecting the ongoing national debate around gender identity and fairness in sport.
The other new Conservative peers include Sir John Redwood, a veteran Eurosceptic and former MP for Wokingham, and Simon Heffer, a right-wing columnist for the Daily Mail and Sunday Telegraph. The Liberal Democrats’ new peers, apart from Teather, include Lord Addington and Earl Russell, both of whom are hereditary peers receiving life peerages to maintain their seats as the House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill is poised to become law. This bill, expected to pass before the end of the parliamentary session, would remove the remaining hereditary peers—many of whom are Conservative—from the chamber.
Despite the changes, the numbers game in the Lords remains complex. There are currently 822 peers in total, with the Conservatives holding 282 seats, Labour 209, crossbenchers 177, and the Liberal Democrats 75. With the new appointments, the figures will shift to Conservatives 285, Labour 234, crossbenchers 177, and Liberal Democrats 78. Once the hereditary peers are removed, projections suggest the Conservatives will have 241, Labour 230, crossbenchers 147, and the Liberal Democrats 76. Even then, the Conservatives are expected to remain the largest party, although without a clear majority—no party has held one in recent memory, due to the significant number of crossbenchers.
The timing of the appointments is particularly notable. On the same day as the announcement, the government suffered a defeat in the Lords on Labour’s flagship Employment Rights Bill, losing by 244 votes to 220. Had the 25 new Labour peers been able to vote, the outcome might have been reversed—a point not lost on Labour strategists. The nominations, however, must first be vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, a process typically considered a formality.
The overhaul has reignited debate over the future of the House of Lords itself. Critics from across the political spectrum have long questioned the chamber’s size, composition, and the system of political patronage that determines peerages. While Labour’s latest move is seen by supporters as a bid to restore balance and advance the party’s legislative agenda, opponents warn of a continuing cycle of political tit-for-tat and entrenched privilege.
Among the new Labour peers are not just political operatives but also figures from academia, local government, and public service. Names like Catherine MacLeod (former journalist and adviser), David Isaac (provost of Worcester College, Oxford), and Professor Geeta Nargund (medical director and health equality advocate) reflect an attempt to bring a broader range of experience into the chamber. Yet, the inclusion of multiple local London government figures and former party spin doctors has fueled the ongoing debate about cronyism versus meritocracy in the Lords.
Ultimately, the latest round of appointments underscores both the enduring influence of the House of Lords in shaping British legislation and the deep divisions over how, and by whom, that influence should be wielded. Whether this influx of new Labour peers will translate into smoother passage for the party’s legislative priorities remains to be seen. For now, the upper chamber remains a battleground—one where, as ever, all human life (and political intrigue) is indeed present.
