Starmer vows to scrap Lords after awards for ‘lackeys’

SIR KEIR STARMER has said he plans to abolish the House of Lords in the wake of rows over political appointments.

The Labour leader railed against plans to reward “lackeys and donors” in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list as he confirmed his support for an elected second chamber. Labour will consult on the size and nature of the chamber once the party has published a constitutional review led by Gordon Brown, the former prime minister.

Mr Brown is said to have recommended a new upper house of nations and regions with due weighting given to different parts of the UK. His commission will form the basis of a number of Labour policies at the next election.

Sir Keir is understood to strongly agree that a new chamber must be “absolutely” representative of the country as a whole. He addressed Labour peers last week to argue that House of Lords reform was critical to “promoting inclusive growth and restoring trust in politics”, The Observer first reported.

“We should be rebuilding trust in politics, but this can’t just be an article of faith,” Sir Keir said. “We need to show how we will do things differently. Reforming our second chamber has to be a part of that.”

There has been a strong backlash to a leak of Mr Johnson’s draft honours list. It included Charlotte Owen, 29, a former Downing Street aide who would become the youngest ever life peer.

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this month that the Johnson honours list had been passed to the House of Lords Appointment Commission (Holac) for vetting. While members of Holac are said to be deeply unimpressed with the nomination of Ms Owen, they are powerless to prevent it.

Lords reform edged closer last week after a Bill sponsored by Lord Norton of Louth, a Conservative peer, to improve the appointment process received an unopposed Second Reading.