Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers
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House of LordsAdd to myFTGet instant alerts for this topicManage your delivery channels hereRemove from myFTIceland boss included in 25 new Labour peersKeir Starmer has become increasingly frustrated by House of Lords attempts to curb government billsRichard Walker switched his support to Labour in 2023 having tried to become a Tory candidate © Charlie Bibby/FTIceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on x (opens in a new window)Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on facebook (opens in a new window)Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on linkedin (opens in a new window)Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on x (opens in a new window)Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on facebook (opens in a new window)Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on linkedin (opens in a new window)Iceland boss included in 25 new Labour peers on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Jim Pickard, Deputy Political Editor PublishedDecember 10 2025Jump to comments sectionPrint this pageUnlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Richard Walker, executive chair of food retailer Iceland, has been elevated to the House of Lords as one of 25 new Labour peers appointed by Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday. The prime minister has become increasingly frustrated by the upper chamber’s repeated attempts to curb Labour bills — such as planning reforms and employment rights legislation — that were in the party’s general election manifesto. Even with the new peerages, Labour has fewer seats in the Lords than the Conservatives, despite its landslide victory in last year’s general election. Walker is the son of Malcolm Walker, Iceland’s founder. He switched his support to Labour in 2023 having tried unsuccessfully to become a Tory parliamentary candidate.In a Financial Times interview earlier this year he gave the Labour party an underwhelming “six out of 10” for its performance in government so far, criticising the rise in employer national insurance contributions. Walker has launched several social initiatives, such as hiring nearly 1,000 ex-offenders and introducing microloans for struggling customers. Starmer’s other new peers include Katie Martin, who was until recently chief of staff to Rachel Reeves. Martin has since moved to a new job as head of business outreach for the chancellor. David Pitt-Watson, a pioneer in the field of responsible investing and shareholder activism © Charlie Bibby/FTDavid Pitt-Watson also becomes a peer in recognition of his work as a pioneer in the field of responsible investing and shareholder activism. He was co-founder and former chief executive of the Equity Ownership Service and Focus Funds at Federated Hermes and is a fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School. He also served as assistant general secretary for the Labour party when Sir Tony Blair was prime minister. Meanwhile, there were five new Liberal Democrat peerages and another three for the Conservatives. Reform UK was not given any new seats in the Lords despite being ahead in the national opinion polls. One Labour aide defended the announcement on the basis that the Tories still have far more peers in the chamber. “The Tories stuffed the House of Lords, creating a serious imbalance that has allowed them to frustrate our plans to make working families better off,” they said. “This needs to be corrected to deliver on our mandate from the British people.”Lord David Cameron created 122 peers in the first two years of his premiership, Labour said. Starmer has appointed 62, including the new peers.The aide said Labour would continue with its plans to remove the right of hereditary peers, many of whom are Tory, to sit and vote in the Lords. Farmida Bi, chair of law firm Norton Rose Fulbright © Norton Rose FulbrightOther Labour peers on the list include Andy Roe, chair of the national Building Safety Regulator and former London fire commissioner, mayor of Lewisham Brenda Dacres and Farmida Bi, chair of law firm Norton Rose Fulbright. Several other Labour party stalwarts have received peerages, including Starmer’s former director of communications Matthew Doyle, chair of the London Assembly Len Duvall, and Michael Barber, chancellor of Exeter university who has been advising the prime minister on policy delivery.
The Liberal Democrat new peers include Sarah Teather, a former minister during the Tory-Lib Dem coalition, and the party’s chief executive Mike Dixon, as well as Dominic Hubbard, a former hereditary peer who is president of the British Dyslexic Association. The Conservatives have elevated former cabinet minister John Redwood, swimming champion Sharron Davies and journalist and academic Simon Heffer to the Lords. Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments sectionPromoted Content Follow the topics in this article UK politics Add to myFT Labour party UK Add to myFT House of Lords Add to myFT Richard Walker Add to myFT Jim Pickard Add to myFT Comments