Jeremy Corbyn to nominate new Labour peers despite previous pledge to boycott process
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn is to appoint a number of new Labour peers - despite previously stating that he would not do so.
The Labour leader is expected to nominate a handful of supporters for seats in the House of Lords within days.
But during his first leadership campaign in 2015, Mr Corbyn told Channel 4 News he saw "no case" for appointing new peers.
He first u-turned on that position in 2016 when he controversially elevated Shami Chakrabarti to the Lords just weeks after she carried out an inquiry into anti-Semitism in the Labour party.
Theresa May is expected to nominate a raft of new Conservative peers in a bid to boost her party's representation in the upper chamber before it considers the EU Withdrawal Bill.
Sources close to Mr Corbyn confirmed he would be "engaging with the process", but it is understood he will appoint only a small number of new peers.
According to Channel Four's Michael Crick, among those the Labour leader has nominated is Martha Osamor, mother of Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said: "So much for the 'straight-talking, honest politics' Jeremy Corbyn promised. Many of his supporters will be left feeling very disappointed - and not for the first time, after his fudge on Brexit.
"The House of Lords is completely archaic and has no place in a modern democracy. It's deeply unfortunate that Jeremy Corbyn isn't willing to stand by his principles."
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
