New working peers announced

Here is the list of new working peers. It features a number of donors and cronies, which is not remotely surprisingly. And yesterday’s party hacks get gifted a tomorrow – Annabel Goldie being the most conspicuous example. There are one or two interesting names, though – Doreen Lawrence and Daniel Finkelstein, for instance. No UKIP peerages, you’ll note.  

Conservative party

• Richard Balfe – former MEP and Conservative Party Envoy to the Trade Unions and Cooperative movement
• Sir Anthony Bamford DL – Chairman and Managing Director of JCB
• Nicholas Bourne – former Leader of the Conservative Group in the National Assembly for Wales
• Matthew Carrington – former Conservative MP
• Daniel Finkelstein OBE – Associate Editor of The Times and former Head of Policy for the Conservative party
• Annabel Goldie DL MSP – Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament; former Leader of the Scottish Conservatives
• Lady (Fiona) Hodgson CBE – campaigner on women’s issues; senior member of the Conservative voluntary Party; former Chairman of the Conservative Women’s Organisation
• Christopher (Chris) Holmes MBE – former Paralympic swimmer; Director of Paralympic Integration at London 2012; Non-Executive Director of the Equality and Human Rights Commission; and a former Non-Executive Director of the Disability Rights Commission
• John Horam – former MP; Conservative representative on the Electoral Commission
• Howard Leigh – senior corporate finance professional; Conservative Party Treasurer; former Chairman and current President of Westminster Synagogue; former Trustee of Jewish Care and current Chairman of Jewish Care’s Business Group; Trustee of the Jerusalem Foundation in the UK
• Dame Lucy Neville-Rolfe CMG – former senior civil servant, including Number 10 Policy Unit; former leading Executive at Tesco Plc
• Sir Stephen Sherbourne – longstanding political career in Westminster and public affairs, including former Political Secretary to the then Prime Minister (Margaret Thatcher), and former Chief of Staff to the then Leader of the Opposition (Michael Howard)
• Michael (Mike) Whitby – Conservative Councillor in Birmingham; former Leader of Birmingham City Council
• Susan Williams – former Councillor and Leader of Trafford...