Starmer Expected to Propose Sue Gray for House of Lords Appointment

Sir Keir Starmer is anticipated to propose his former senior adviser, Sue Gray, for a position in the House of Lords. Ms. Gray, a former civil servant who gained prominence for her 2022 report on the Partygate scandal, is expected to be among several new Labour peerage appointments slated for announcement on Thursday. This development follows just two months after her departure in October from her post as the prime minister’s chief of staff, amidst internal disagreements regarding her influence. She was subsequently appointed to a newly-created nations and regions role within No 10, but confirmation arrived last month that she would not be assuming that particular position. Several Conservative members are also expected to be appointed to the upper chamber as part of the announcements scheduled for Thursday. In 2022, Labour had declared its intention to abolish the 805-member Lords, proposing to replace it with a “new, reformed upper chamber.” However, this plan was subsequently modified before July’s election, with Labour committing to hold consultations on proposals for an alternative second chamber, while simultaneously eliminating the 92 positions designated for hereditary peers and instituting a retirement age of 80. The party further pledged to implement new regulations regarding participation and a revised process to facilitate the removal of “disgraced” peers. As reported by The Sun newspaper, Ms. Gray is expected to be among 30 new Labour peers put forward by the prime minister this week. Sir Keir is reportedly set to justify these additional appointments on the grounds that Labour maintains a smaller presence in the upper chamber compared to the House of Commons. The Conservative party currently holds the largest number of peers, with 273, while Labour has 187 and the Liberal Democrats have 78. Additionally, 184 “crossbench” peers are present who are not affiliated with any political party.