Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has formally requested that the Prime Minister grant him the authority to appoint peers to the House of Lords.
In a letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, Farage articulated his desire to rectify what he perceives as a “democratic disparity” within the upper chamber, arguing that the current representation is disproportionately skewed against parties with fewer Members of Parliament.
Reform UK currently holds four seats in the House of Commons and controls ten local councils in England, yet the party lacks representation in the House of Lords.
It is within the Prime Minister’s prerogative to approve political appointments to the Lords.
While there is no constitutional obligation for the Prime Minister to elevate members of opposition parties, it is customary to invite opposition leaders to nominate individuals for peerage.
A Downing Street spokesperson stated, “The process for appointments to the House of Lords adheres to established conventions and is informed by guidance from the House of Lords Appointments Commission and other relevant bodies.”
“Although political parties may submit suggestions regarding peerage nominations, final decisions are made in accordance with long-standing procedures.”
Sources familiar with the appointment process have indicated to the BBC that, while the main opposition party is traditionally afforded the opportunity to nominate peers, there are no fixed rules, and the ultimate decision rests with the incumbent Prime Minister.
The House of Lords Appointments Commission is responsible for vetting potential nominees but does not advise on which parties should be granted nomination rights.
In response to Farage’s letter, Defence Secretary John Healey remarked to LBC that “the same Nigel Farage that called for the abolition of the House of Lords” now seeks to populate it with “his cronies”.
The House of Lords, an integral component of Parliament, serves to scrutinise the work of the government and operates independently from the House of Commons, where MPs convene.
Members of the Lords, known as peers, share the responsibility of scrutinising government activities and proposing amendments to legislation. The House currently comprises over 800 members.
Once appointed, peers are permitted to change their political affiliation.
For example, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, who initially served as a Conservative peer from 1990 to 2004, later transitioned to the UK Independence Party.
In his letter, Farage asserted: “My party garnered over 4.1 million votes in the July 2024 general election. Since then, we have secured numerous seats in local government, consistently led national opinion polls for several months, and won the only by-election of this Parliament.”
Farage further stated his support for Lords reform, but emphasised that “the time has come to address the democratic disparity that exists in the upper house”.
He highlighted that the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) collectively hold 13 peerages.
He also noted that the Liberal Democrats, despite receiving fewer votes than Reform UK in the previous election, currently have 76 peers. The Liberal Democrats presently hold 72 seats in the Commons, positioning them as the third largest party after Labour and the Conservatives.
“None of this holds water any longer given the seismic shifts that have taken place in British politics,” Farage contended.
Farage characterised his request to appoint peers as “modest” but refrained from specifying potential nominees.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey commented: “The fact he’s focusing on how he can get his mates into the House of Lords says all you need to know about Nigel Farage.”
In May, Reform UK achieved significant gains in local elections and narrowly won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election by a margin of six votes.
This success prompted Farage to declare that Reform UK had become the main opposition party.
In December, Sir Keir appointed 30 new Labour peers, including his former chief of staff, Sue Gray. The Conservatives appointed six new peers, while the Liberal Democrats appointed two.
Last year, MPs endorsed plans to eliminate hereditary peers from the House of Lords.
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