Top Conservative peer Lord True urges Starmer to give Reform seats in House of Lords
A senior Conservative peer has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to give Reform England a say in the House of Lords.
The call came after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote to Sir Keir in August demanding a lifetime precedent for his party.
Lord True, Conservative leader in the House of Lords told Daily Telegraph Reformation’s success in winning Commons seats means their “views must also be heard in the upper house”.
“The beauty of this house is its complete freedom, so if anyone here wants to propose an amendment, that amendment must be heard,” he said.
“I think it is a sensible principle for someone from a party represented in the House of Commons to be involved in detail in the review and put forward that party’s point of view.”
The Tory leader said he was also calling for more Labor members in the House of Lords under Conservative prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.
“Every party needs renewal in the parliament, especially in the parliament whose average age is 70,” he said.
“New people must be coming.”
In his first letter to the Prime Minister Times In August, Mr Farage said his party wanted to see life peers appointed to the upper house “at the earliest possible opportunity”.
“My party received over 4.1 million votes in the general elections in July 2024. Since then, we have won many seats in local governments, led national opinion polls for months and won this parliament’s only by-election,” he said.
Former Conservative colleague Malcolm Offord announced his departure from Reform UK in December.
Lord Offord confirmed in his speech that he will give up his position in the House of Lords as he prepares to stand in the Scottish Parliament elections in May.
Although the prime minister has full discretion over appointments to the Lords and is not required by law to give seats to opposition figures, it is not unusual for leaders to invite candidates from other parties.
In December, Sir Keir created 25 new Labor members, while the Liberal Democrats took in five and the Conservatives three.
Other smaller parties in the upper house include the DUP with six seats, the UUP with three seats, and the Green Party and Plaid Cymru with two seats each.
