Sir Keir Starmer, just days before leaving office as prime minister, nominated 26 new peers to the House of Lords, including London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. But what does it mean to get a peerage, and how does someone end up on the red benches? A peerage is the formal appointment of an individual to the House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. It is granted by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. In this case, Downing Street published a list of nominations and said the King "has been graciously pleased to signify his intention of conferring peerages". The 26 new peers include 16 Labour nominees – among them broadcaster June Sarpong and former Unison general secretary Christina McAnea – plus five Liberal Democrats, three Conservatives, and two cross-bench members (independents): former cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald and retired senior judge Sir Brian Leveson. Notably, Reform UK was not granted any peerages in this list.
The practice of handing out peerages is a long-standing political tradition. Outgoing prime ministers often submit a "resignation honours list" to reward key allies. However, Sir Keir had said in 2023 that he found such lists "very hard to justify", pointing out that Tony Blair did not have one. Nonetheless, this particular list was described as a set of "political peerages" that was being worked on before Sir Keir announced his resignation as Labour leader. A government source praised Sir Sadiq as "a brilliant mayor who has transformed London for the better" – citing cuts to violent crime, cleaner air, the Elizabeth Line, and new council homes – and said the peerage was "thoroughly deserved". The nominations come as Andy Burnham is due to become the next prime minister on Monday, with Sir Keir leaving office.
“Explains how peerages work, using Sadiq Khan's nomination as an example.”
For UK readers, peerages matter because they shape the composition of the House of Lords, which scrutinises and amends legislation passed by the House of Commons. Unlike MPs, peers are not elected; they are appointed. This system has been criticised for being unrepresentative. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK – which won a significant number of seats at the last general election – called the appointments "the uniparty writ large" and said they result in "an even more unrepresentative upper house". Understanding how peerages are awarded helps explain ongoing debates about reforming or abolishing the Lords.
Q: How do you become a peer? Peerages are formally granted by the King on the advice of the prime minister. Typically, the prime minister nominates individuals – often from their own party or from public life – and the list is published by Downing Street. The King then signifies his intention to confer the peerage title, and the person becomes a life peer (for life, not hereditary) entitled to sit in the House of Lords.
Q: What is a resignation honours list? A resignation honours list is a set of peerages and other awards given by an outgoing prime minister before they leave office. It is a well-established tradition. Sir Keir Starmer's list was described as a list of "political peerages" that was in the works before his resignation, rather than a traditional resignation list – though he has signalled he could still hand out resignation honours when he leaves Downing Street, despite earlier saying he wouldn't.
Q: Can you be a peer and an MP or mayor at the same time? Yes, you can hold a peerage and also be an elected mayor, but you cannot sit in the House of Commons. Sir Sadiq Khan will remain Mayor of London while taking his seat in the Lords. The BBC understands he is not seeking a ministerial role in the incoming government. The peerage allows him to potentially become a minister, but he has not decided whether to seek a fourth term as mayor in 2028.
What happens next? Sir Keir Starmer leaves office on Monday, when Andy Burnham becomes prime minister. The new peers will be formally introduced to the House of Lords in due course. Meanwhile, questions remain about whether Sir Keir will submit a separate resignation honours list, and about the future of the Lords itself – given continued criticism from parties like Reform UK that the chamber is unrepresentative.
