How to Apply

The Commission wishes to make further appointments to the independent crossbenches that will add to the breadth of experience and expertise that already exists within the House of Lords, and also help ensure the House is more representative of the diversity within our country. The Prime Minister sets the number of, and timing of offer for, crossbench appointments made available to the Commission.  We encourage nominations from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.

The Commission receives a large volume of applications for a very limited number of places. Competition is very strong and it might take a considerable period of time to process your nomination.  Please do rest assured that all applications are considered and that a lack of response does not indicate that any final decision has been made.

Before applying, nominees are asked to consider carefully how their experience matches the published criteria used by the Commission for assessment and to ensure their nomination form provides sufficient information in relation to those points.

For more information about the role of a peer and the House of Lords, an illustrated brief guide and briefing papers are available  [External website].

There is no formal time commitment associated with the role, however it is expected that successful candidates would intend to be actively involved in debates and subcommittees, specifically those in their area of expertise. The House sits 4 times a week,  and whilst you are not expected to attend all sessions, you must consider whether you have the capacity to attend regularly.

Members of the House of Lords, who are not paid a salary, may claim a daily allowance of £332 (or may elect to claim a reduced daily allowance of £166) per sitting day – but only if they attend a sitting of the House and/or committee proceedings. This flat fee replaces the former system of members’ expenses, and is designed to cover members’ costs. You can download a guide to the members’ allowance scheme from the Parliament website [External website].

The Code of Conduct provides guidance for members of the House of Lords on the standards of conduct expected of them in the discharge of their parliamentary and public duties, and provides the openness and accountability necessary to reinforce public confidence in the way in which members of the House of Lords perform their parliamentary and public duties. In particular it reinforces the requirement on members to register relevant interests. A copy can be found at www.parliament.uk/hl-code.

Anyone wishing to be considered as a Non-Party Political Life Peer in the House of Lords must submit a nomination form.  You cannot submit an application on behalf of anyone else. 

The Commission does not endorse the use of any fee-charging agency (such as Awards Intelligence) to support the completion of nomination forms. We do not consider this a necessary or appropriate route to seeking appointment, nor do we believe it provides any discernible advantage to applicants.

Please note: the nomination form for Non-Party Political peerage changed in April 2023. We are no longer accepting applications received using the previous form.

Before completing the form, please ensure you have read the Commission’s published criteria, eligibility requirements and guidance page.

Download the nomination form (Microsoft word document, 34KB, 10 pages) for Non-Party Political peerage

Please send your completed nomination form electronically to enquiry@lordsappointments.gov.uk. If you would prefer to send a hard copy, please send it to the House of Lords Appointments Secretariat, Room G/38, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ.

You are also asked to complete an equal opportunities form. The form is anonymised and does not form a part of the application process.  It is used for statistical purposes only.

Applicants should provide a CV to support their nomination form. This should be a succinct summary of the nominee’s achievements, focusing on their experience that relates to the Commission’s criteria for assessing nominations.

There is no closing date for nominations. The nomination and assessment process is continuous.

All nominations are acknowledged within 15 working days of receipt. Please note, however, that it may be some time before you hear about the outcome of your nomination. You are welcome to update or withdraw your nomination at any time.

If you wish to withdraw your nomination from consideration, please email enquiry@lordsappointments.gov.uk.

The Commission treats all nominations and supporting information in confidence. The Commission is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. We will ensure that we treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.

The House of Lords Appointments Commission is covered by its sponsor department for the purposes of data control.  The Cabinet Office’s personal information charter  gives more detail on this subject. The House of Lords Appointments Commission privacy notice sets out how we will use your data, and your rights under the Act.

You should be able to bring a perspective and contribution to the work of the House of Lords that is independent of party–political considerations. Party–political activity or membership of a political party is not a bar to nomination. However, nominees will need to satisfy themselves and the Commission that they are comfortable operating outside a party–political framework whatever their past involvement. The nomination form includes questions on current and past political activities that are similar to those used for most public appointments. The Commission’s guidelines on this can be found on the Party Political Activity page.

You must declare any donation – either of money or in kind – loan or credit arrangement made with a political party whether or not the donation, loan or credit arrangement was declarable to the Electoral Commission. This requirement covers all donations, loans or credit arrangements – regardless of when they were made – whether given directly by yourself or indirectly, for example, by a business or trust over which you exercise significant direction, or by a trade union of which you are or were an holder or major supporter. You must also declare any personal financial relationship between you and a senior member of a political party.

Donations, loans and credit agreements made to or with a political party by close family members, such as your spouse or partner, should also be declared, as should any close personal financial relationship between them and a senior member of a political party.