Reform push on Lords peers

Reform UK seeks peers in the House of Lords as it gains in local politics and votes.

Farage pushes PM to appoint Reform peers to the Lords

Reform UK has four MPs in the House of Commons and has grown its footprint in local councils, yet it currently has no peers in the House of Lords. Nigel Farage argues that the upper chamber should reflect recent political shifts and be more representative. The Lords is the counterweight to government, and peers scrutinise proposed laws. There are more than 800 members. The prime minister may appoint new peers, but there is no obligation to elevate members of any party. In December MPs backed plans to end hereditary peers, and last year Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers were named.

Farage says the request is modest and cites Reform UK's electoral gains, including more than 4.1 million votes at the July 2024 general election and gains in local government. He notes that Lib Dem peers total 76 despite Reform winning fewer votes in the previous election and argues the time has come to address the democratic disparity in the upper house. The PM is not constitutionally bound to elevate opposition peers, though it is common for opposition leaders to nominate peers for the Lords.

This move highlights how smaller parties seek to punch above their weight in a constitutional system built for major parties. It tests long standing norms about who should sit in the Lords and who gets to name peers. If carried out, the step could deepen political realignments and invite sharp scrutiny from opponents and the public about the purpose of the Lords. The debate will reveal how far parties are willing to reshape the balance of power and how much reform the public is prepared to accept.

Highlights

The Lords debate will test how far parties push to redraw power in a changing political landscape.