Baroness Harman has urged the prime minister to stick to his manifesto pledge to kick peers out of the House of Lords when they turn 80.
During the general election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer pledged to abolish the Lords entirely during his first parliament and replace it with an elected chamber.
But the first of his reforms will see the removal of the final 92 hereditary peers, who hold their seats due to inherited titles, and an imposed retirement age of 80.
Co-host of Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast Baroness Harman, who became a Labour peer herself just this month, said she was “delighted” to be on the red benches.
But she said she was “signed up” to her party’s plans for “people not going on beyond 80” in the chamber, adding: “I am really heading up to that fast so I’ll have to have a new reinvention.
“I’m, 73, so I will need a new reinvention because my mum lived to 100, so I have got three decades left virtually to be cracking on,” she said.
Tory peer and fellow podcast host Ruth Davidson said she understood questions from some older peers who were “very active in the House – perhaps more active than some of the younger peers who are at a different stage in their careers – about why make it an arbitrary cut off because there are some people who are bright as a button are 80.”
But Baroness Harman said it was either that, a cognitive test that was “a bit cruel”, or judging people on their appearances.
“There’s downsides of all of those,” she added. “But I think the age cut-off is the most humane and sensible one.”
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Speaking in May, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to abolish the House of Lords.
She also pointed at the seats reserved for bishops in the second chamber, which she described as “quite odd”.
“It might well be the bishops have got a role to play in the House of Lords, but how they get in there should be the same way as how everybody else gets in there, not by virtue of having… reserved places,” said Baroness Harman.
“For ages when there weren’t allowed to be women bishops, there was, by definition, no woman allowed to sit as part of the bishops.
“People say in the House of Lords that they make a great contribution, they make great speeches, they come from all around the country… routed through lots of communities.
“But there’s a legitimacy issue in a modern legislature – why you have one religion that is there to be able to be part of the legislature [and not others].”
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Don’t forget, you can see Electoral Dysfunction live during its tour this month.
You can get your tickets by clicking here. The dates for the remaining shows are:
• Salford – Monday 16 September, Lowry Quays
• Liverpool – Sunday 22 September, St George’s Hall
• Glasgow – Thursday 26 September, The Glee Club
