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.

Election latest:
Reaction to PM’s ‘significant mistake’

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.

👉 Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

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.

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.

Read more about the general election:
The MPs standing down
What happens after an election is called?
Find your new constituency and how it’s changed
How boundary changes make Starmer’s job harder

The Battle for Number 10 Leaders Special Event, Wednesday 12th June 7pm-10pm on Sky News – free wherever you get your news.

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.”

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Email Beth, Ruth, and Harriet at [email protected], post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

Related posts:

Sharon Graham becomes first female general secretary of Unite union Motorists told to ‘carry on as normal’ when buying fuel after BP shut some petrol stations Trade deal ‘not the be-all and end-all’, says top US diplomat in UK Tory MP says he would run to replace Boris Johnson – as partygate report looms Counting underway in Northern Ireland election with Sinn Fein braced for historic victory Sir Robert Buckland becomes first cabinet minister to swap sides as he backs Truss in Tory leadership race GPs to face penalties for poor service under Labour – Streeting Expanded ULEZ set to come into force – and will now cover every London borough Government sparks anger and ridicule with multi-million pound ‘Network North’ road project… for London A setback for PM’s Rwanda plan – and he can’t blame ‘leftie lawyers’ Health secretary unable to guarantee no further maternity care scandals following birth trauma report Commons approves plans to exclude from parliament MPs arrested on suspicion of serious offence