The long-awaited resignation honors list from Boris Johnson has been made public, and the former prime minister has nominated close friends for peerages and other honors.
Shaun Bailey, a past contender for mayor of London, and Ben Houchen, the mayor of Tees Valley, received peerages from Mr. Johnson. Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel, two ardent supporters, received knighthoods and damehoods, respectively.
Along with Ross Kempsell, a former political director for the Conservative Party, Benjamin Gascoigne, a former deputy chief of staff to the former prime minister, will enter the House of Lords.
As one of the newest peers, Charlotte Owen, a former advisor to Mr. Johnson, will join Kulveer Singh Ranger, a former director of transportation under Mr. Johnson’s mayorship of London.
Dan Rosenfield, a former chief of staff for No. 10, will also enter the upper chamber.
Former business secretary Mr. Rees-Mogg, former housing secretary Simon Clarke, and MPs Conor Burns and Michael Fabricant are among those nominated for knighthood.
Ben Elliot, a former co-chairman of the Conservative Party, and William Lewis, Mr. Johnson’s political advisor, are both in line to receive the honorary title of knight bachelor.
Along with former ministers Andrea Jenkyns and Amanda Milling, Ms. Patel has been nominated for a damehood.
Along with Ann Sindall, once Mr. Johnson’s personal assistant, Shelley Williams-Walker, the former head of operations at No. 10 will both be given a damehood.
Former cultural secretaries Nadine Dorries and Sir Alok Sharma, president of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, were noticeably absent from the list, according to rumors that the Government removed them at the last minute to avoid potentially damaging by-elections in their seats.
However, Downing Street made an effort to remove Rishi Sunak from the list.
“He had no involvement or input into the approved list,” the Prime Minister’s press secretary said
Earlier this year, Ms. Dorries made the “with immediate effect” announcement that she would be resigning as an MP, setting off a campaign for an early election in her Mid Bedfordshire seat.
Lord Newby, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, referred to the Prime Minister’s “clear failure of leadership” in the wake of Mr. Johnson’s resignation honors list.
“Boris Johnson caused crisis after crisis in this country. His lack of honour means he didn’t deserve an honours list in the first place.
“Yet Sunak has caved in, rewarding Johnson for his reckless behaviour as prime minister. The British public will be outraged at this out of touch decision.
“Rishi Sunak needs to come before Parliament immediately to justify his cowardly failure to block Boris Johnson’s Honours list.”
