Our letter to the Prime Minister

The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP

10 Downing Street

London SW1A 2AA

14th August 2025

Dear Prime Minister,

Graham Edwards, who has donated over £5 million to the Conservative Party, is now being appointed to the House of Lords. He joins a long list of Conservative Party treasurers who have been awarded a peerage after donating millions.

Party donors being appointed to the House of Lords undermines our democracy and erodes the public's trust in our politics.

In opposition, your party described the practice of giving party treasurers peerages as corrupt, dodgy and sleazy.

Now you are in power, you have the opportunity to do something about this. 

Please can you intervene to stop the appointment of major party donors, and reform and strengthen the House of Lords Appointments Commission to ensure that peerages are only awarded based on merit and experience.

We also want the public consultation into the future of the House of Lords, as promised in the Labour Party manifesto, to begin as soon as possible.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Tom Brake

Director

Unlock Democracy