What are the chances of being appointed to the House of Lords following a public nomination?
Unfortunately, extremely low.
We never cold call people to encourage them to apply for the House of Lords, because the chances of success are exceptionally low. Consider the following facts…
- In the last 10 years, 13 cross bench appointments to the House of Lords have been made by HOLAC – an average of less than 2 per year. (Source)
- Those successful applications are less than 1.5% of the total received in the same period. (Source)
This is an incredibly competitive nomination process and should only be undertaken by candidates who understand that only the very highest quality applicants will be considered.
However, this is not a process like applying for a prize or an award. HOLAC are responsible for finding high quality and qualified candidates to bring expertise and experience to the House – so even if you are not successful immediately, your details will be held on file and you may be contacted in future.
The vast majority of appointees are already recipients of a Royal Honour – if this is something which you haven’t yet received, a nomination for an MBE or other Honour might be worth considering. Not sure if you are eligible? You can try our Honours self-assessment here.
Armed with these facts, if you still feel that this process is something you would like to undertake, we would be delighted to help.
Mike McKie is the founder of Bayleaf and a specialist in UK Honours and recognition. He has advised on national honours submissions for community leaders, professionals and high‑profile figures, and is a published commentator on the UK Honours system in The Independent and Royal Central.
