Sadiq Khan has been appointed to the House of Lords by Keir Starmer as part of a recent list of political peerages released before Parliament’s summer recess. The Labour London Mayor will join the ranks of former cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald and Sir Brian Leveson, a retired senior judge without party affiliation.

Sir Chris was compelled to leave his position following a No10 shake-up related to the Peter Mandelson scandal in February. In this latest round of peerages, the Prime Minister granted seats to 16 new Labour members, including Christina McAnea, the former head of major union Unison, and Alison Garnham, CEO of the Child Poverty Action Group.

Additionally, Liberal Democrat Sir Ed Davey nominated five individuals, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch put forward three. The cross-party list was in motion before the PM’s announcement of resignation, with a potential separate honours list in development.

Regarding potential resignation honours, Keir Starmer hinted at a shift from his prior stance, leaving the door open for such recognitions. Labour has criticized the Tories in the past for filling the House of Lords with allies during their time in power.

Sadiq Khan’s elevation to the Lords could pave the way for a ministerial role, although a spokesperson clarified that he has no current intention of becoming a minister. The government praised Khan for his contributions to London, citing achievements in reducing crime, improving air quality, infrastructure development, and social housing initiatives.

Keir Starmer’s list of new peers includes notable figures such as Bar Council chair Barbara Mills KC, broadcaster June Sarpong, and West Yorkshire’s Alison Lowe. Labour MP Kitty Ussher and Parvais Jabbar of The Death Penalty Project were also among those granted peerages.

Efforts have been made to reform the House of Lords, including the 2026 act ending seats for hereditary peers. Concerns persist over the chamber’s size, with calls for membership reduction as it currently exceeds the number of MPs. The Conservatives hold the largest number of peers, followed by Labour and crossbench members.

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