Several prominent Conservative figures, including David Cameron, Michael Heseltine, and Philip Hammond, are among a group of over 100 peers facing potential removal from the House of Lords if new attendance regulations are sanctioned.
The latest House of Lords records show that former Prime Minister Cameron, ex-Deputy Prime Minister Heseltine, and former Chancellor Hammond have each attended less than one-fifth of the sitting days in the last two parliamentary sessions. This puts them at risk of being ousted under the proposed rule, which mandates a minimum attendance of 20% of sitting days.
An investigation by the Sunday Mirror also identified other well-known peers, such as Alan Sugar, Ian Botham, and Evgeny Lebedev, who have attendance rates below the 20% threshold. The data revealed that some peers were present for only 1% of recorded sittings between November 2023 and February 2026.
In response to these findings, former minister Lord George Foulkes expressed strong support for the new attendance requirements, emphasizing the importance of peers fulfilling their duties and contributing to the legislative process.
Attendance data from the House of Lords was analyzed to determine the number of days each of the 772 eligible peers had attended during the previous two parliamentary sessions. The records showed that Lord Cameron, Lord Heseltine, and Lord Hammond had attendance rates of 15.1%, 3.7%, and 4.5%, respectively.
Proposals to increase the attendance threshold to 20% of sitting days, as recommended by the House of Lords Retirement and Participation Committee, aim to ensure a more active and effective functioning of the legislative chamber. The committee also suggested implementing a retirement age of 80 for all existing members gradually over the next few years.
The government, in line with its manifesto commitment, is reviewing the committee’s recommendations and is expected to provide a response later this year regarding the proposed reforms in the House of Lords.
If you want to read more news from Daily Mirror, set it as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for convenient access to your preferred content.
At Reach and our affiliated entities, we use cookies and other identifiers to enhance your site experience, analyze usage patterns, and personalize advertising. You can opt out of data sharing by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Your continued use of our services signifies acceptance of our cookie usage, Privacy Notice, and Terms and Conditions.