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Labour becomes largest party in Lords
The new list of working peers has made Labour the largest party in the upper house for the first time.
There are to be 27 new peers, according to the list announced on Friday.
Sixteen will take the Labour whip, six are Conservatives and five are Liberal Democrats.
That will mean Labour has 214 seats in the Lords while the Conservative have 211 and the Liberal Democrat take 74.
Among those taking peerages are former education secretary Estelle Morris and ex-Labour sports minister Tony Banks.
Other ex-Labour ministers moving to the upper house include Chris Smith, George Foulkes and Jack Cunningham.
For the Conservatives, former health secretary Virginia Bottomley enters the upper house, as does former education secretary Gillian Shephard.
Tory ex-chief whip Alastair Goodlad and former party chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney also enter the Lords, along with former attorney general Sir Nicholas Lyell.
Controversial former Liberal Democrat MP Jenny Tonge becomes a baroness, while Paul Tyler will also become a Lib Dem peer.
There had been some speculation that former Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble could also receive a peerage, but his name fails to appear on the new list.
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Published: Fri, 13 May 2005 12:48:00 GMT+01
New members of the Lords
Labour
Irene Adams
Donald Anderson
Tony Banks
Lynda Clark
Jean Corston
Jack Cunningham
Derek Foster
George Foulkes
Alan Howarth
Lewis Moonie
Estelle Morris
Martin O'Neill
Chris Smith
Clive Soley
Ann Taylor
Dennis Turner
Conservatives
Virginia Bottomley
Alastair Goodlad
Sir Archie Hamilton
Sir Nicholas Lyell
Sir Brian Mawhinney
Gillian Shephard
Lib Dems
David Chidgey
Nigel Jones
Sir Archie Kirkwood
Jenny Tongue
Paul Tyler
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