Keir Starmer was hit by fresh cronyism accusations last night as he prepared to put more Labour advisers and staffers in the House of Lords.
The Prime Minister is said to be ready to hand peerages to dozens of allies in order to strengthen his party’s presence in the upper chamber of Parliament, where it does not have a majority.
According to the Guardian he wants to create 25 new peers, just a year after he gave out 30 titles to ex-MPs and senior figures in his party including his former chief of staff Sue Gray.
Among those said to be line for elevation to the Lords is former Downing Street director of communications Matthew Doyle, with one source claiming he was a ‘dead cert’.
The former Tony Blair spin doctor resigned in March after just nine months at No 10.
Also believed to be offered a peerage is Rachel Reeves ‘ outgoing chief of staff Katie Martin, despite the controversy over last week’s Budget .
It emerged last month that she was being replaced by one of Sir Keir’s closest allies, Ben Nunn, after almost five years as the Chancellor’s ‘most trusted adviser’.
A former general secretary of the trade union Usdaw, Paddy Lillis, has also been tipped for a peerage along with Carol Linforth, a veteran Labour aide who removed Sir Keir’s jacket when he was ‘glitter-bombed’ during his party conference speech two years ago.
The Prime Minister is said to be ready to hand peerages to dozens of allies in order to strengthen his party’s presence in the upper chamber of Parliament
Among those said to be line for elevation to the Lords is former Downing Street director of communications Matthew Doyle (pictured)
Last night a Conservative party source told the Daily Mail: ‘Union paymasters, Labour apparatchiks and those responsible for this Government’s disasters all being handed rewards tells you everything you need to know about Keir Starmer.
‘While the British public is suffering from the dire impacts of his and Rachel Reeves economic mismanagement, it’s more cronyism and more reward for failure from this government. Shameful.’
It is thought that the Tories will appoint a handful of new peers but Reform UK, which does not have anyone in the Lords, is not expected to get any despite Nigel Farage writing to the PM in August requesting the opportunity ‘at the earliest possible opportunity’.
Sir Keir’s move would help shift the balance in the Lords where Labour currently has 210 peers to the Tories’ 283.
Last week the Government was forced to abandon a key part of its workers’ rights bonanza in order to get it through the Lords, while it will also face fierce opposition to its new proposal to curtail jury trials.
Downing Street declined to comment last night.
It is thought that the House of Lords Appointments Commission has not yet signed off on the list.
