Shadow Leader of the House of Lords

Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
Incumbent Nicholas True, Baron True since 8 July 2024
Appointer	Leader of the Opposition
Formation	1807
First holder	Lord Grenville Leader of the Opposition in the Lords The Marquess of Crewe Shadow Leader of the Lords
Website	The Labour Party

The Shadow Leader of the House of Lords, also referred as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords, and casually as the Shadow Lords Leader, is the person who leads the Official Opposition in the House of Lords. Their job is to work with the Leader, Lord Speaker and other senior Lords to organise business. They also work with the opposition Chief Whip and other party spokespeople to organise the party. The holder of this office would normally become Leader of the House of Lords if the party wins an election and forms the government. This position has been held by Lord True since 8 July 2024. In the nineteenth century, party affiliations were generally less fixed and the leaders in the two Houses were often of equal status. A single and clear Leader of the Opposition was only definitively settled if the opposition leader in the House of Commons or House of Lords was the outgoing prime minister. However, since the Parliament Act 1911, there has been no dispute that the leader in the House of Commons is pre-eminent and has always held the primary title.

Shadow Leaders of the House of Lords (1911-present)

This only lists leaders from the Parliament Act 1911, as that's when the Common's Leader of the Opposition was put as pre-eminent over the Lords. Previous Leaders are here

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	The Marquess of Lansdowne		13 November 1911	25 May 1915	Conservative
	Vacant[A]		25 May 1915	6 December 1916
	The Marquess of Crewe		6 December 1916	21 November 1922	Liberal
	Vacant[B]		21 November 1922	22 January 1924	Labour
	The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston		22 January 1924	4 November 1924	Conservative
	The Viscount Haldane		4 November 1924	19 August 1928	Labour
	The Lord Parmoor		19 August 1928	5 June 1929	Labour
	The Marquess of Salisbury		5 June 1929	~1930	Conservative
	The Viscount Hailsham		~1930	24 August 1931	Conservative
	The Lord Parmoor		24 August 1931	7 October 1931	Labour
	The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede		7 October 1931	25 October 1935	Labour
	The Lord Snell		25 October 1935	22 May 1940	Labour
	The Viscount Addison		22 May 1940	23 May 1945	Labour
	Viscount Cranborne[C]		23 May 1945	26 October 1951	Conservative
	The Lord Addison		26 October 1951	~1952	Labour
	The Earl Jowitt		~1952	14 December 1955	Labour
	The Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough[D]		14 December 1955	16 October 1964	Labour
	The Lord Carrington		16 October 1964	19 June 1970	Conservative
	The Lord Shackleton		19 June 1970	4 March 1974	Labour
	The Lord Carrington		4 March 1974	4 May 1979	Conservative
	The Lord Peart		4 May 1979	4 November 1982	Labour
	The Lord Cledwyn of Penrhost		4 November 1982	18 July 1992	Labour
	The Lord Richard		18 July 1992	2 May 1997	Labour
	The Marquess of Salisbury		2 May 1997	3 December 1998	Conservative
	The Lord Strathclyde		3 December 1998	11 May 2010	Conservative
	The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon		11 May 2010	27 May 2015	Labour
	The Baroness Smith of Basildon		27 May 2015	5 July 2024	Labour
	The Lord True		8 July 2024	Incumbent	Conservative

Notes

^A During Asquith's coalition government of 1915–1916, there was no formal opposition in either the Commons or the Lords.

^B The Labour Party did not appoint a leader in the Lords until it formed its first government in 1924.

^C The Marquess of Salisbury from 1947

^D The Earl Alexander of Hillsborough from 1963

See also

• Official Opposition frontbench
• Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer
• Shadow Leader of the House of Commons