Lowest Attendance Rates Among Lords Peers
Data obtained by reveals that peers Evgeny Lebedev and Ian Botham each attended only 1.12% of House of Lords sessions over the past four years.
Both Lebedev and Botham, appointed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, attended just seven out of 625 sessions held in the upper chamber from the beginning of 2022 through the end of 2025.
Lebedev, a newspaper proprietor and son of a Russian billionaire oligarch, has been known for his minimal participation in the Lords. However, his record has recently been matched by Botham, the former cricketer and peer since September 2020.
Attendance Trends and Parliamentary Rules
Between November 2019 and the end of 2022, Lebedev’s attendance rate was slightly higher at 1.25%, attending four out of 318 sessions. Under House of Lords regulations, peers must attend at least one sitting during each annual parliamentary session to retain their seats. Both Lebedev and Botham have met this minimum requirement in recent years.
Lebedev’s attendance included one session in 2022 and two sessions in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Botham attended twice in 2022, once in 2023, and twice again in 2024 and 2025. Notably, Botham demonstrated greater initial engagement by attending 26 sessions in 2021.
Voting and Speaking Activity
Lebedev, who holds the title Baron Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia and sits as a cross-bench peer, appears to be increasing his participation. After not voting at all during his first six years in the Lords, he has voted twice already in 2025. Additionally, one of his six speeches occurred this month.
In contrast, Botham, known formally as Baron Botham of Ravensworth, North Yorkshire, has not spoken in the Lords since November 2020 and has not submitted any written questions since November 2024. He has voted 21 times but has not participated in votes since July 2021.
Context of Lords Participation
The House of Lords operates differently from the Commons, with many peers holding external jobs or specializations, resulting in occasional contributions rather than regular attendance. Attendance figures do not account for committee work, which can be time-consuming; however, neither Lebedev nor Botham has served on any Lords committees.
Peers may take leaves of absence or retire without losing their titles. Some senior members attend irregularly, but none have maintained as consistently low attendance as Lebedev and Botham.
Size and Composition of the House of Lords
The Lords currently comprises 868 members, with 842 considered active, making it the largest legislative chamber globally aside from China’s National People’s Congress.
Although a recently passed bill will reduce the size of the Lords, broader attempts to limit its membership have had limited success. Retirements are often offset by new appointments made by successive prime ministers.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has appointed 96 peers to date. Boris Johnson appointed 87 peers, including Lebedev and his brother Jo Johnson.
