Andrew Lloyd Webber quits House of Lords

Andrew Lloyd Webber has quit the House of Lords, where he was a Conservative peer, because of his theatre commitments.

The composer was made a peer in 1997 by John Major, but has voted just 42 times in the past 20 years.

In a letter to the clerk of the parliament, which was published by the Mirror, Lloyd Webber said he was resigning with a “heavy heart”, but that the commitment expected from a member of the House of Lords to day is different from when he joined.

“I have a work schedule stretching ahead of me that is the busiest of my career to date. This means it would be impossible for me to regularly vote or properly consider the vitally important issues that the House of Lords will face as a consequence of Brexit.”

He added that he felt his place should be taken by someone who could devote more time to current politics.

Lloyd Webber currently has two shows running in the West End – School of Rock and The Phantom of the Opera – and three on Broadway. Last year, he became the first composer to have four shows running concurrently on Broadway since Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1953.

He is also writing an autobiography, which will be published next year in celebration of his 70th birthday.

In 2015, he faced criticism after flying back to London from New York to back the Conservatives’ tax credit cuts.