Keir Starmer faces Labour revolt over 'ageist' election manifesto plan for peers to be booted out of the House of Lords when they turn 80

Sir Keir Starmer is facing a revolt from Labour peers over his 'ageist' plan to force members of the House of Lords to quit after they turn 80. 

Under proposals set out in the party's election manifesto there would be a mandatory requirement to step down at the end of a parliament in which a peer hits their eighth decade. The current average age of peers is 71.

The party is also pledging to remove the last remaining hereditary peers as part of a longstanding commitment to reform the upper chamber in the first term of a Labour government.

 Lord Winston, 83, the pioneering fertility expert and Labour peer, told the Telegraph: 'There are a number of lords, particularly the judges who are producing formidable arguments on government legislation, well into their 80s. I don't think biology is as important as ability.'

 He added: 'It's rather like saying a member of the House of Lords has to be a certain height. I think what's important is that you appoint the right people to the House of Lords in the first place.'

Other peers who would be affected include former senior Tories Ken Clarke, 83, and Michael Howard, 82, plus Labour's human rights campaigner Alf Dubs, 91 and former cabinet minister Lord Foulkes, 82.

The ex-Scottish secretary lashed out at the plan, saying: 'As a former Director of Age Scotland I am unhappy about this proposal and will seek to amend it as it is ageist.'

'We need a provision, however, to enable peers to retire with dignity when they are not capable of performing the role, irrespective of age.' 

The House of Lords faces 'immediate modernisation' under Labour, although the party put no timeframe on Sir Keir Starmer's long-held ambition to abolish the unelected chamber.

In December 2022, Sir Keir said he would abolish the 'indefensible' House of Lords 'as quickly as possible', ideally within the first term of government, and replace it with an elected chamber.

The manifesto states Labour is 'committed' to replacing the Lords with an 'alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations', adding it will consult the public on this.

There are 92 hereditary places reserved in the Lords, following reforms under the previous Labour administration in 1999.

But the system has faced widespread criticism given the exclusive, male-dominated list of eligible candidates and the usually limited number of people able to vote in the contests.

Labour's Lord Grocott, 83, has led a long campaign to end 'idiotic' by-elections used to replace hereditaries who have died or resigned.

In total, there are 785 peers in the Lords and a mechanism does exist to allow them to voluntarily retire although there is no formal retirement age.

Labour's manifesto states: 'Although Labour recognises the good work of many peers who scrutinise the government and improve the quality of legislation passed in Parliament, reform is long overdue and essential.

'Too many peers do not play a proper role in our democracy. Hereditary peers remain indefensible. And because appointments are for life, the second chamber of Parliament has become too big.

'The next Labour government will therefore bring about an immediate modernisation, by introducing legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.

'Labour will also introduce a mandatory retirement age. At the end of the Parliament in which a member reaches 80 years of age, they will be required to retire from the House of Lords.'

The manifesto adds: 'Labour will ensure all peers meet the high standards the public expect of them, and we will introduce a new participation requirement as well as strengthening the circumstances in which disgraced members can be removed.

'We will reform the appointments process to ensure the quality of new appointments and will seek to improve the national and regional balance of the second chamber.

'Whilst this action to modernise the House of Lords will be an improvement, Labour is committed to replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations.

'Labour will consult on proposals, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them.'

Lord Bethell, who won a seat in the upper chamber after securing 26 of the 43 votes cast by fellow Conservatives with inherited titles, said throwing out existing hereditary peers would be 'harsh'. 

The former health minister told Sky News: 'Getting rid of the principle of new hereditary peers, so for my poor old son Jacob, the chance he may have to run for election one day, that has been a longstanding commitment by Labour and if that was in the manifesto that wouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone.

'But throwing out the people who have committed a lot to the House of Lords, and who by the way contribute an enormous amount (to), despite what anyone says, a very successful second chamber, would be harsh and would be I think quite political and a bit of a blame game.

'If the Labour Party want to reform the House of Lords top to bottom then good luck to them, they should embark on that project.

'But to single out one group of peers for special treatment on the basis of some kind of class prejudice would be a shame, and would mean that some good people, not necessarily myself, but some really good people from the hereditary benches would lose out.'