Former British Prime Minister Theresa May will now take a seat in the House of Lords, the British government announced on the day of the general election, which ended in a bitter defeat for the Conservatives.
The King kindly expressed his intention to grant the following people noble titles for life, the statement said. Then came the names of various former government officials, members of parliament and employees.
It was not initially known what title May would bear. Her predecessor David Cameron was appointed to the House of Lords last year when Rishi Sunak appointed him as Foreign Secretary in his cabinet. Since then he has been able to call himself Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton.
Only the second woman to lead the government
May was only the second woman to lead the British government after Margaret Thatcher (ruled 1979-1990). May’s time in office was dominated by negotiations with Brussels over her country’s departure from the EU. She was forced to resign in 2019 after her Brexit deal failed several times in the House of Commons. May was succeeded by her party colleague Boris Johnson, who played a key role in her downfall. Politically, however, she ultimately outlived him as a member of the backbenches.
May was in Austria only at the end of June, where she stressed the importance of supporting democracy at the European Forum in Wachau. “Democracy is in trouble all over the world, and we must never ignore the threat to democracy from within,” May said. At the same time, she stressed that elected politicians must meet high standards.
House of Representatives of the British Parliament
The House of Lords is the second chamber of the British Parliament and plays a similar role in the legislative process to that of the Federal Council, which can only delay, but not block, decisions of the National Council. However, the current 783 members of the British House of Lords are appointed for life and ennobled. Historically, members of the British aristocracy have been represented there.
It was not until 1958 that the circle of members was extended beyond the aristocracy by creating the possibility of appointing ‘peers’ for life. In 1999, the government of Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair abolished most hereditary seats in the House of Lords, which has largely remained unrenewed. But because it is not always clear what merits are decisive for appointment to the Lords, there have been repeated allegations that the government uses the awarding of the prestigious positions to promote favourites or reward party donors.
Source: Krone
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