Lib Dem peers not happy with their newbies

The internal machinations of the Liberal Democrats group in the House of Lords rarely make headlines – but Rats in a Sack hears there are more than a few grumblings among the peers at their most recent new recruits.

The Lib Dems have just risen from 75 to 78 on the red benches after Ed Davey was given three new peerages to hand out. The existing members were initially delighted to get some fresh blood to relieve the workload of their current frontbenchers, some of whom are well into their 80s. But the worry is the newbies might not be willing or able.

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Davey’s three new peers are Mike Dixon, the party’s chief executive, Rhiannon Leaman, who serves as the leader’s chief of staff, and Sarah Teather, who was briefly a junior minister in the coalition years but hasn’t been involved in politics since stepping down from the Commons 11 years ago.

Dixon has a fairly consuming job as chief executive (albeit one he is said to often do from home, something he cannot do in his new Lords role). Likewise, Leaman’s job is full-time. Some peers also scratch their heads over how someone who potential newbies were told to register their interest with in the first place got the job herself. Lib Dem MPs, meanwhile, complain she is a key part of the “Daveybunker” which keeps them out of the loop on the leadership’s decisions.

Tether was a well-liked member of the parliamentary party under Nick Clegg, but has been largely absent from Lib Dem politics for over a decade and long-time members of the Lords wonder what expertise she will bring to an already thinly-spread group. Meanwhile, a new chief whip will be needed soon – and as that job isn’t in Davey’s gift, but is voted for by peers, they might be minded to give their leader a bloody nose and not select his man, thought to be former party chief exec Chris Fox.