The commission's guidance for would-be independent peers states: "You should be able to bring a perspective and contribution to the work of the House of Lords that is independent of party–political considerations.
Lord Kerslake, 64, who was appointed as a crossbencher by David Cameron after serving as head of the civil service from 2012 to 2014, has been helping to prepare Labour for government since 2017. (Take this Is it too much to ask that a supposedly apolitical crossbencher and an ostensibly impartial former mandarin might actually behave like it?Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. "In 2016 Lord Kerslake said of his time working as a "lowly accountant" alongside Mr McDonnell at the GLC: “I remember him then as being a guy you could work with, who was diligent and practical about the way he approached things. Lord Kerslake, second left, with key Labour figures including party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan
"The peer insisted he had advised councils led by all three major parties and "would be open to advising other political parties on preparing for government if they requested it.
They traditionally sit on the benches that cross the two sides of the Lords chamber occupied by the main political parties.He said: “They are serious about preparing for government and therefore how they might implement what they want to do. The Lord Kerslake.
Read our community guidelines in full "Crossbenchers are often appointed by the prime minister of the day by virtue of official roles they have recently relinquished, including senior civil servants and judges. In the context of UK politics, it is quite radical.“It is not unusual for some of the things they want to have run by the state being run by the state in other parts of Europe.
"Lord Kerslake insisted his activities were "entirely compatible with being a Crossbench Peer.”He said: "I am not a member of the Labour Party, nor an advisor on policy, nor campaign for them, nor have revealed publicly how I vote. "We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk.
"Party–political activity or membership of a political party is not a bar to nomination. Bearded Bob has been charged with transforming Labour into a more 'agile, cohesive and purposeful' organisation to ensure the party can 'fight and win the next general election in 2024', according to a And finally, to add insult to injury, Kerslake is often cited as a source with which to beat the government, but is then refered to as though he were merely a neutral 'former civil service chief' rather than a party hack. It should focus on its core economic and financial roles and work in a much more open and collaborative way.
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal; Incumbent. Find out more To make the most of its very capable staff, it needs to fundamentally change both what it does and how it does it. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. However, nominees will need to satisfy themselves and the Commission that they are comfortable operating outside a party–political framework whatever their past involvement. The comparison is quite illuminating. report for Labour.” Lord Kerslake, former head of the Civil Service, who headed up the review, said: “The Treasury is a small but very powerful department. "My views coincide with theirs on some issues - addressing the growing funding gap of local government for example - but not on others - I am a strong supporter of proportional representation for example. The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. The former head of the civil service has been appointed to lead a review into the Labour party's organisational structure. FAcSS. The former head of the civil service has been appointed to lead a review into the Labour party's organisational structure. Senior Lords figures said Lord Kerslake appeared to be a "committed" Labour supporter despite sitting as an independent member of the upper House.Baroness D'Souza, a former Lord Speaker, warned that crossbenchers, or non-party political peers, are expected to "remain politically unaffiliated".Lord Kerslake, 64, who was appointed as a crossbencher by David Cameron after serving as head of the civil service from 2012 to 2014, His register of interests lists an unpaid role as "adviser to Leader of the Labour Party (Jeremy Corbyn MP) on preparing for government".This month it emerged that Lord Kerslake was reviewing the "management structure" of Mr Corbyn's office and had informed Karie Murphy, the Labour leader's chief of staff, that she was to be seconded to the party's headquarters to help with preparations for a general election.Baroness D'Souza, who was Lord Speaker from 2011 to 2016, pointed out that advice for crossbenchers was set out by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, "which does indeed expect crossbenchers to remain politically unaffiliated. " Another Labour leader, another role for Lord Kerslake.
Another Labour leader, another role for Lord Kerslake.