Pakistan-origin London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has been awarded a life peerage by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, securing a seat in the House of Lords as part of a list of 26 new political appointments announced on Thursday.
The appointment makes Sir Sadiq one of the latest life peers to join the UK’s upper chamber of Parliament. He will continue serving as Mayor of London while also taking his seat in the House of Lords.
Sir Sadiq, the son of Pakistani immigrants, made history in 2016 by becoming the first Muslim and first Pakistan-origin Mayor of London. Since then, he has won three consecutive mayoral elections and remains one of the UK’s most prominent political figures.
Reacting to the honour, Sir Sadiq termed the peerage as a great privilege and said he remained committed to serving Londoners. He thanked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for the recognition and pledged to continue working to make London a fairer, greener and more prosperous city.
The Prime Minister’s list includes 26 new life peers drawn from the Labour Party, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Crossbenchs. Among the other notable appointments are former Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald, former senior judge Sir Brian Leveson, broadcaster June Sarpong, and former UNISON General Secretary Christina McAnea.
The House of Lords is the upper chamber of the UK Parliament and is responsible for scrutinising legislation, revising bills and holding the government to account. As a life peer, Sir Sadiq Khan will be entitled to sit and vote in the House of Lords for the rest of his life.
The announcement has attracted political attention across Westminster, with supporters describing the appointments as recognition of public service, while critics have questioned the timing and composition of the latest peerage list.
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