Former city mayor takes seat in House of Lords

A former city mayor, whose previous job was abolished in a 2022 referendum, has taken his seat for life in the House of Lords.

Marvin Rees was handed a life peerage by the Prime Minister and will now become Lord Rees of Easton.

Lord Rees was elected mayor of Bristol in 2016 and held the post until May last year when his term ended, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The former Bristol West MP and shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire was also awarded a peerage and will be known as Baroness Debbonaire of De Beauvoir Town in the London Borough of Hackney.

Both will now sit in the House of Lords as Labour peers.

Lord Rees wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony - where he pledged allegiance to the king.

He lived in both Easton and Lawrence Weston whilst growing up.

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