Mr S can’t help but notice that there is no Ukip peer among the list of the newly ennobled. This is surprising. Nigel Farage has survived attacks, smears and a helicopter crash. Surely ermine is the only way to stop him?
Back in the heady days of 2010, the coalition pledged to introduce a principle whereby peers were appointed according to vote share. One can only assume that they reached this agreement in expectation of receiving more votes.
Needless to say, there are plenty of jobs for the boys and girls. Party stooges Andrew Cooper, Arminka Helic and Chris Lennie will sit in the Upper House, together with a gaggle of Liberal Democrat councillors. And, of course, there are several donors among the list. The mother of parliaments, eh? It’s absurd.
Here is the list of party appointments
Conservative
Karren Brady CBE – Vice-Chairman of West Ham FC; Senior Non-Executive Director of the Syco and Arcadia Brands; Small Business Ambassador for the Conservative Party; and member of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Women in Sport Advisory Board
Martin Callanan – former Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the North East of England; former Leader of the Conservative MEPs and of the European Conservatives and Reformists group
Carlyn Chisholm – senior volunteer in the Conservative Party; Co-Chairman of the Conservative Candidates Committee; former nurse
Andrew Cooper – former Director of Political Operations to the Conservative Party; founder and Board Director of Populus
Natalie Evans – Director of New Schools Network, an independent educational charity established to provide free advice and support for groups wanting to set up free schools
Michael Farmer – Founding Partner of RK Mine Finance Group; Trustee of the Kingham Hill Trust; Treasurer of the Conservative Party
Dido Harding – Chief Executive of TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC
Arminka Helic – government special adviser; leading adviser to government on preventing sexual violence in conflict
Nosheena Mobarik CBE – businesswoman; former Chairman of CBI Scotland; founder and convener of the Scotland Pakistan Network; Chairman of the Pakistan Britain Trade and Investment Forum
Sir Stuart Rose – former Chief Executive and Chairman of Marks and Spencer PLC
Joanna Shields OBE – leading technology industry executive and entrepreneur; the Prime Minister’s Digital Adviser; Chair of Tech City UK; and Non-Executive Director of the London Stock Exchange
Ranbir Suri – businessman; former General Secretary of the Board of British Sikhs
Labour Party
Michael Cashman CBE – Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency; equality rights campaigner; former actor
Chris Lennie – political strategist; former Deputy Secretary General of the Labour Party
Dame Gail Rebuck – businesswoman, publisher, chairman of Penguin Random House UK
Liberal Democrat Party
Chris Fox – Director of Group Communications for GKN; former Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats
Cllr David Goddard – elected Member of Stockport Metropolitan Council; former Leader of Stockport Council; former Member of the Greater Manchester Police Authority; former Non-Executive Director of Manchester International Airport
Cllr Barbara Janke – elected Member and former Leader of Bristol City Council; former teacher
Cllr Kath Pinnock – elected Member and former Leader of Kirklees Council
Paul Scriven – managing partner for Scriven Consulting; former elected Member and Leader of Sheffield City Council; former senior NHS manager
Cllr Dr Julie Smith – elected Member of Newnham City Council; Senior Lecturer in International Relations in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at Cambridge University; Fellow of Robinson College
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