Labour appoints 30 new friends together with Sue Grey

The federal government has appointed 30 new Labour friends together with a string of ex-MPs and Sir Keir Starmer loyalists.

The prime minister’s former chief of employees Sue Grey has additionally been handed a seat within the Home of Lords, confirming studies earlier within the week.

It comes solely two months after she left her function because the prime minister’s chief of employees, amid inner rows over her affect.

The Conservatives appointed six new friends together with former deputy prime minister Therese Coffey and Toby Younger, the affiliate editor of The Spectator and son of former Labour peer Lord Michael Younger. The Lib Dems have appointed two friends.

The record of recent friends accommodates 18 males and 20 girls.

A collection of Labour MPs who misplaced their seats or stood down on the final election will now be a part of the Home of Lords – together with Thangam Debbonaire, Julie Elliot, Lyn Brown and Steve McCabe.

Luciana Berger and Phil Wilson, two Labour MPs who misplaced their seat on the 2019 election are to change into friends, as is Margaret Curran who misplaced her Glasgow East seat in 2015.

Berger left Labour in 2019 resulting from considerations about antisemitism underneath then chief Jeremy Corbyn and stood unsuccessfully as a Lib Dem candidate. She rejoined Labour in 2023 after being invited again by Sir Keir.

Mike Katz, the nationwide chairman of Jewish Labour Motion – appointed to the Lords as Labour peer, mentioned he would use his new place to proceed to combat the “poisonous racism” of antisemitism.

Katz mentioned: “I passionately imagine on this authorities’s dedication to making a fairer, extra affluent society, and its dedication to construct the houses and the infrastructure that our nation wants and our folks deserve.”

The friends will now be entitled to a tax-free £361 day by day allowance – plus journey bills – once they attend Parliament.

Final month, Grey had determined to not take up a submit because the prime minister’s envoy to the nations and areas that she was provided after departing as Sir Keir’s chief of employees.

Grey maintains it was her determination to depart the job, however her exit got here following weeks of damaging headlines and briefings in opposition to her, together with a row over her wage.

Her son, Liam Conlon, was elected as Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge in July.

In 2022, Labour mentioned it deliberate to abolish the 805-member Lords, changing it with a “new, reformed higher chamber”.

However this was watered down earlier than July’s election, with Labour committing to seek the advice of on plans for an alternate second chamber, while instantly axing the 92 locations for hereditary friends and introducing a retirement age of 80.

The celebration additionally vowed to introduce new guidelines on participation, and a brand new course of to make it simpler to take away “disgraced” friends.

To get their laws by way of parliament at velocity Labour will want to have the ability to win main votes within the Home of Lords.

The Conservatives have essentially the most friends, with 273, whereas Labour has 187 and the Liberal Democrats have 78.

There are additionally 184 “crossbench” friends who will not be aligned to any celebration.

A Labour supply mentioned that the Conservatives had “stuffed the Home of Lords, making a critical imbalance” that wanted to be “corrected”.

“We’re dedicated to an overdue programme of reform and have already laid laws to take away the precise of hereditary friends to sit down and vote within the Lords,” the supply added.

The Conservatives named Dame Therese, a veteran of three Tory cupboards and deputy prime minister underneath Liz Truss, to the Home of Lords.

She served as Tory MP for Suffolk Coastal from 2010 till she misplaced her seat on the July election.

Rachel Maclean, the previous housing minister who misplaced her Redditch seat in 2024, may also be a part of the Conservative benches on the Home of Lords.

The Conservatives nominated Younger, a college pal of former PM Boris Johnson who based the West London Free College in 2011.

Younger, the son of Labour supporting tutorial Lord Younger, mentioned he regarded ahead to working with Tory chief Kemi Badenoch “to revive free speech to satisfaction of place in our democracy and restore the injury Keir Starmer”.

Nigel Biggar, the emeritus professor of ethical theology on the College of Oxford who final 12 months wrote a defence of colonialism, may also be a part of the Home of Lords as a Conservative.

Coinciding with the announcement he would be a part of the Lords, Biggar printed an article in The Telegraph popping out as a Conservative supporter after a life-time working as a priest and tutorial.

The Lib Dems nominated Sheffield Metropolis Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed and long-serving campaigner Mark Pack – who’s presently the celebration’s president.