Three new Lib Dem peers have been announced today.
Party Chief Exec Mike Dixon, Ed Davey’s Chief of Staff Rhiannon Leaman and former MP and winner of an epic by-election in Brent East Sarah Teather will be joining our Group in the House of Lords in the very near future. Sarah was also Children’s Minister during the first couple of years of the Coalition Government.
In addition, two of our hereditary peers, who would otherwise have been kicked out, get to stay. Dominic Addington and John Russell, have also been granted life peerages so they can continue their important contributions to Parliament after the Hereditary Peers Bill passes.
John Russell is the Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change, Dominic Addington is the Liberal Democrat Disabilities Spokesperson; is a passionate campaigner on special educational needs and disability; and is reported to be the most active peer in the entire House of Lords.
But on to the newbies:
Sarah Teather won a stunning by-election victory to become MP for Brent East in 2003, before serving as Children’s Minister between 2010 and 2012 where she led the way in doubling the pupil premium targeted at children from deprived backgrounds.
Rhiannon Leaman has served as Jo Swinson’s and then Ed Davey’s Chief of Staff since 2019.
Mike Dixon has served as Chief Executive since 2019, overseeing the transformation of the party that helped deliver four by-election wins and a record number of MPs.
Both Mike Dixon and Rhiannon Leaman will continue in their current roles for the party.
You can find out more about them here.
Ed said of the new three peers:
I am delighted that Sarah, Mike and Rhiannon will be bringing their invaluable expertise and experience to the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords.
Sarah has a proud record of delivering extra funding for millions of children from deprived backgrounds, while Rhiannon and Mike were both central to our party’s incredible General Election result that saw a record 72 Liberal Democrat MPs elected to serve their communities.
All three are passionate campaigners and dedicated public servants who will continue fighting hard to deliver the change our country desperately needs, including reform of the House of Lords.
Congratulations to all five and we look forward to seeing the contributions that our new three will make.
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10 Comments
Once again more people get jobs for life as a reward for doing another job. It’s the parliamentary equivalent of honorary degrees. If we were serious about the principle of an elected second chamber we’d hold internal elections for our allocation of political honours and show that we are radical and different. Shame on us.
We did and the FE told our leader he could ignore it.
Delighted for Sarah Teather.
Why on earth people who have executive jobs in the party need to be “elevated” baffles me. In fact I find it both distasteful and demoralising.
@Jack – I like that idea! As a holding position until the Lords can be replaced with a fully elected second chamber. I dare you to bring a motion to conference….
Jack, Conference passed such a process some 30 years ago, leading to the “Interim Peers Panel” (or “.. List”) being elected in 1999. The process has never been formally abolished, but has fallen into disuse. The law doesn’t allow direct elections to the Lords, but we elected a short list from which our leader was expected to choose people. The list was to be re-elected every few years.
IIRR the only person from that short list to be made a peer was Tony Greaves, appointed by Paddy Ashdown. And there hasn’t been another internal election to that shortlist yet.
The system was reviewed in 2013 – see https://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-the-interim-peers-list-is-it-fit-for-purpose-35889.html and https://tech.libdems.org.uk/fileadmin/groups/2/Documents/Conference/Autumn_2013/Consultation_Paper_-_Peers_Panel.pdf
Not a slight on the life peerages for one moment. But there should be a test:
but for the fact someone was a hereditary peer, would we be offering them a life peerage.
I think Dominic and John are really good people and an asset to our party. There are also a large number of people who fit that description who haven’t been awarded a peerage. The only distinction is that an ancestor for each of them was awarded a hereditary peerage – we should not have offered life peerages to hereditary peers – it is the antithesis of who we are as a party.
Sorry but why are parties helping prop up the Lords despite good intentions the second chamber desperately needs reforming. It is totally undemocratic.
Delighted for Sarah Teather after the stand she made on opposing the welfare cuts during the Coalition.
Good to see that is not held against her by those in the party who supported them.
Despite the fact that the House of Lords is an anachronism in a democracy, I wish Norman Baker could be persuaded to be in it to shake it up a bit.
The House of Lords has become not only far too big but an expensive joke. In the 21st century it is stuffed full of party place men and women plus the embarrassment of clergy who are from one Christian denomination. The case for reform is overwhelming.