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The Guardian view on Labour’s new peerages: another boost for the ermine arms race | Editorial
In opposition, Sir Keir Starmer called the unelected House of Lords “indefensible,” a powerful campaign line that resonated with voters tired of political stagnation. Yet, barely 18 months into his prime ministership, he has just added 34 new life peers to the red benches, taking his total appointments since July 2024 to a staggering 96.This isn't just a minor tactical retreat; it's a full-scale strategic reversal that puts his appointment rate above those of his four most recent Conservative predecessors. You have to go back to David Cameron's era to find a prime minister who stuffed the Lords with more fervor.This move is a masterclass in political messaging versus political reality, a classic campaign promise colliding with the hard brick wall of governing necessity. The manifesto was clear: remove hereditary peers, reform appointments, impose a retirement age, and consult on replacing the chamber entirely.It declared the Lords “too big. ” Now, Starmer’s own actions are actively making it bigger, fueling what can only be called an ermine arms race where each party, once in power, uses peerages to reward loyalty, secure legislative passage, and neutralize opponents.The context here is critical. The Lords, while unelected, holds significant power to delay and amend legislation.For a government with a large Commons majority but a packed legislative agenda, a cooperative upper house is not a luxury—it’s a operational necessity. These new peers, predominantly Labour supporters, are essentially political infantry deployed to ensure government bills don’t get bogged down in lengthy trench warfare.It’s a cynical but calculated move. Look at the history: Tony Blair’s massive creation of peers to secure the abolition of hereditary peers set a modern precedent.Cameron then used the coalition years and his resignation honors to load the chamber. This isn't a Labour problem or a Conservative problem; it's a systemic flaw in the UK's constitutional settlement.Every prime minister bemoans the size of the Lords until they need a lever to pull. The consequences are multifaceted.First, it erodes public trust. When a leader campaigns on a platform of cleaning up politics and then engages in the very practice they condemned, it feeds the narrative that all politicians are the same once they get a taste of power.Second, it postpones meaningful reform indefinitely. By adding nearly 100 new voices, Starmer complicates any future attempt to reshape or replace the chamber, as he now has a cohort of loyalists with a vested interest in the status quo.
#House of Lords
#Keir Starmer
#peerages
#political appointments
#Lords reform
#UK politics
#Labour Party
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