Can Sadiq Khan Be Mayor and a Lord? Here's What His Surprise House of Lords Appointment Means

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has been nominated for a life peerage in the House of Lords, in a move confirmed on Thursday that means he could sit in Parliament while still serving at City Hall.

The appointment, part of Sir Keir Starmer's latest batch of honours, raises the prospect of Khan holding both the mayoralty and a Labour seat in the upper chamber.

Legally, there is little stopping him from holding both roles. Members of the House of Lords are appointed by the King on the advice of the prime minister, and there is no rule preventing a peer from also holding an elected office.

Khan would not be the first metro mayor to manage the combination: Ben Houchen was made a Conservative peer in 2023 while serving his second term as Tees Valley mayor, and has since won a third.

Khan Rules Out Government Job For Now

Joining the Lords would in theory allow Khan to serve as a minister in Andy Burnham's incoming government, since ministers can be drawn from either chamber.

However, sources close to Khan say he has made clear he wants to focus on the remaining two years of his mayoral term and is not seeking a government role. He has not yet decided whether to seek a fourth term in 2028.

Khan's office said he was 'honoured to be given a peerage' and said his main focus remained City Hall, with a spokesperson saying he would devote his time to 'standing up for our city and building a fairer, safer and greener London for everyone.'

A government source called him 'a brilliant mayor who has transformed London for the better', citing record lows in violent crime, cleaner air, the delivery of the Elizabeth line and a return to large-scale council house building.

Those claims are contested by opponents but show why Starmer's team backed his elevation.

Part Of A Wider List Of New Peers

The peerage comes just days before Starmer steps down as prime minister and Burnham moves into Downing Street on Monday.

Downing Street published a list of 26 new peers, describing them as cross-party 'political peerages' that had been in train before Starmer announced his resignation.

Khan is one of 16 new Labour appointments, alongside broadcaster June Sarpong and former Unison general secretary Christina McAnea, with five Liberal Democrat peers, three Conservatives and two crossbenchers also named.

Lords Appointment Rekindles Reform Debate

The appointment comes amid a long-running argument about the future of the Lords itself.

Labour had pledged in 2022 to abolish the chamber and replace it with a reformed alternative, a plan since narrowed to ending hereditary peerages, which the party did push through this year.

Burnham has been critical of the current set-up, telling The House magazine last month that 'I do not think we can justify half of our national legislature being unelected,' and suggesting a 'senate of regions and nations' that could include seats for metro mayors.

The Electoral Reform Society's chief executive, Darren Hughes, said Labour supporters would be 'baffled' to see another wave of appointments while the party talks about reform, arguing the next prime minister needs to deliver a 'smaller, democratic chamber.'

Reform UK was granted no peerages at all, with leader Nigel Farage branding the Lords 'the uniparty writ large.'

Starmer's Use Of Patronage Under Fresh Scrutiny

Thursday's list brings the total number of peers Starmer has appointed to 66 in two years, despite previously criticising Boris Johnson's honours lists as 'very hard to justify.'

He has signalled he may still issue resignation honours of his own. Supporters say he has been rebalancing a chamber long dominated by Conservatives; critics say a departing prime minister is rewarding allies as he leaves office.