Sadiq Khan appointed to the House of Lords by Keir Starmer in a recent list of political peerages issued before Parliament’s summer recess. The Labour London Mayor will join the ranks of the red benches alongside former cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald and retired senior judge Sir Brian Leveson, both independent of party affiliations.
Sir Chris’s departure from his role was linked to a No10 overhaul following the Peter Mandelson scandal earlier this year. Notably, 16 new Labour peers were named, including Christina McAnea, former head of major union Unison, and Alison Garnham, CEO of the Child Poverty Action Group, appointed by the Prime Minister.
Other appointments included five nominations by Liberal Democrat Sir Ed Davey and three by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. The list was reportedly in progress before the Prime Minister’s resignation announcement, hinting at a possible separate resignation honours list.
In response to criticism, Keir Starmer hinted at the possibility of issuing resignation honours despite earlier pledges against it. The Labour party had previously accused the Conservatives of favoritism in appointing peers. Sadiq Khan’s peerage opens opportunities for him to become a minister, though his spokesperson clarified his intention to remain focused on his role as Mayor.
Further additions to the list included Barbara Mills KC, June Sarpong, and Alison Lowe. Notable figures like Kitty Ussher, Parvais Jabbar, Marcus Davey, and Martin McTague OBE were also granted peerages. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 marked the end of hereditary peer seats.
Concerns persist about the size of the House of Lords, totaling 774 members, exceeding the capped 650 MPs in the House of Commons. The Conservatives hold the most seats in the Lords with 246, followed by Labour with 216, crossbench peers at 156, and Liberal Democrats at 74.
