No 10 announces 13 new political life peers during recess

Thirteen new life peers have been announced by the Government.

Downing Street published the list of political peerages on Friday as MPs were on holiday.

The Tories’ eight nominations include Paul Goodman, a former Conservative MP and editor of the influential ConservativeHome website.

Disability rights campaigner Rosa Monckton, serial entrepreneur and Tory donor Stuart Marks, former Morgan Stanley executive Franck Petitgas, and former Local Government Association chairman James Jamieson were also among those chosen by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Labour has four new peers, including journalist and political commentator Ayesha Hazarika and John Hannett, former leader of the shopworkers union Usdaw.

The list also includes one new Plaid Cymru peer.

The document says: “The King has been graciously pleased to signify his intention of conferring the following peerages of the United Kingdom for life.”

Separately, No 10 also announced the ennoblement of Scottish Tory MSP Donald Cameron.

He is quitting Holyrood to join the upper chamber and become a parliamentary under secretary of state in the Scotland Office.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross tweeted: “Donald has been an outstanding MSP since we were elected together in 2016.

“A hugely valued member of my shadow cabinet team, he has helped develop party policies across a range of portfolios with knowledge, wisdom and decency.

“He will be a great addition to the Scotland Office.”

The unelected House of Lords has about 800 members, compared with the 650 capped number of MPs in the House of Commons.

The appointments process recently faced fresh criticism as Boris Johnson’s exit honours were described as a “catalogue of cronies” by critics, and Liz Truss’s included 11 nominations of mainly political supporters and former aides, despite her brief 49 days in office.