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 NamePortrait Entered office Left officePolitical party The Marquess of Lansdowne 13 November 1911 25 May 1915Conservative Vacant 25 May 1915 6 December 1916 The Marquess of Crewe 6 December 1916 21 November 1922Liberal Vacant 21 November 1922 22 January 1924Labour The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston 22 January 1924 4 November 1924Conservative The Viscount Haldane 4 November 1924 19 August 1928Labour The Lord Parmoor 19 August 1928 5 June 1929Labour The Marquess of Salisbury 5 June 1929 ~1930Conservative The Viscount Hailsham ~1930 24 August 1931Conservative The Lord Parmoor 24 August 1931 7 October 1931Labour The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede 7 October 1931 25 October 1935Labour The Lord Snell 25 October 1935 22 May 1940Labour The Viscount Addison 22 May 1940 23 May 1945Labour Viscount Cranborne 23 May 1945 26 October 1951Conservative The Lord Addison 26 October 1951 ~1952Labour The Earl Jowitt ~1952 14 December 1955Labour The Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough 14 December 1955 16 October 1964Labour The Lord Carrington 16 October 1964 19 June 1970Conservative The Lord Shackleton 19 June 1970 4 March 1974Labour The Lord Carrington 4 March 1974 4 May 1979Conservative The Lord Peart 4 May 1979 4 November 1982Labour The Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos 4 November 1982 18 July 1992Labour The Lord Richard 18 July 1992 2 May 1997Labour Viscount Cranborne 2 May 1997 3 December 1998Conservative The Lord Strathclyde 3 December 1998 11 May 2010Conservative The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon 11 May 2010 27 May 2015Labour The Baroness Smith of Basildon 27 May 2015 5 July 2024LabourThe Lord True8 July 2024IncumbentConservative
Deputy Shadow Leaders of the House of Lords
Name Entered office Left officePolitical party The Viscount Dilhorne 1964 1966 Conservative The Lord Harlech 1966 27 June 1967 Conservative The Earl Jellicoe 27 June 1967 19 June 1970 Conservative The Earl Ferrers 1976 1979 Conservative The Earl Ferrers 1979 1983 Conservative The Earl Ferrers 1988 1997 Conservative The Baroness Blatch 2000 31 May 2005 ConservativeThe Lord Howell of Guildford 8 June 2005 6 May 2010 ConservativeThe Lord Hunt of Kings Heath 8 October 2010 27 June 2017 LabourThe Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town 27 June 2017 13 October 2021 LabourThe Lord Collins of Highbury 20 October 2021 5 July 2024 LabourThe Earl Howe 1 September 2024 29 April 2026 ConservativeThe Earl Howe 10 June 2026 Incumbent Conservative Notes During Asquith's coalition government of 1915–1916, there was no formal opposition in either the Commons or the Lords. The Labour Party did not appoint a leader in the Lords until it formed its first government in 1924. The Marquess of Salisbury from 1947 The Earl Alexander of Hillsborough from 1963 The Marquess of Salisbury from 200
See also Official Opposition frontbench Shadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
References