Labour veteran Harriet Harman has told Sky News she wants to be made a peer, after spending more than 40 years in the House of Commons.
Ms Harman announced she would be standing down at the current election.
Speaking to the Electoral Dysfunction podcast with Beth Rigby and Ruth Davidson, they were joking about Ms Harman going into the upper chamber.
“I hope so,” she replied.
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Ms Harman has ended her career as an MP. Pic: House of Commons
Ms Davidson – who is herself in the Lords – said that Ms Harman would be “such an addition” to the upper chamber.
But Ms Harman said it’s important “not to count our chickens before they hatch”.
She would not be drawn on what title she would take – pointing out there was already a Lord of Peckham (where her parliamentary seat was).
And it was also akin to “measuring up the curtains for Downing Street when they haven’t won the election”.
“I’ve got to be, like, coyly, modestly waiting for that moment if it comes – the dissolution honours, as it’s called,” she said.
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Ms Harman was first elected in the 1982 Peckham by-election.
During the New Labour years, she held roles including social security secretary, solicitor general, justice minister and minister for women and equality.
Between 2007 and 2015 she was the deputy leader of the party – standing in twice as acting leader during contests to find a new permanent candidate.
She was briefly leader of the Labour Party in 2015 after Ed Miliband stood down and before Jeremy Corbyn was selected as his full-time replacement.
Ms Harman (in green) was in the New Labour cabinet. Pic: PA
Harman: ‘May like a sister’
While speaking with Beth and Ms Davidson, Ms Harman revealed how former prime minister Theresa May – who is also standing down from the Commons now an election has been called – has “turned into quite a sister”.
Ms Harman said: “She didn’t use to be at all.”
Ms Harman added that when she was pushing for all women shortlists in the Labour Party, Mrs May would be “sent out by the Tory party” to oppose it.
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Theresa May in her Maidenhead constituency in March. Pic: PA
Ms Harman added that the future prime minister would “say that what I was saying was terrible social engineering, and actually it should all be on merit”.
“She was always on the other side of the argument,” she said.
“But actually, you know, to give her credit, she really changed.
“And the work that she did on domestic violence and human trafficking has been really important.
“I’d say she’s an expert by experience of male oppression and she’s not pulling her punches now.”
Email Beth, Ruth, and Harriet at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.
