New Politics, Old Peerages

Why is it that in the dawn of the era of new politics, we continue with the sad old business of rewarding the big party loyalists with peerages.

Even more bizarre, the new government seems to have allowed Gordon to write most of it, there are more new Labour peers than the other parties, so to redress the balance, the ConDems will surely be adding lots of their own soon.

Topping the list of the ridiculous is John Prescott. For those who dont remember, just look him up.

Peers List

Conservative Party
* Guy Vaughan Black – former Director Press Complaints Commission, Executive Director Telegraph Media Group
* Dame Margaret Eaton OBE – Chairman of Local Government Association
* Edward Peter Lawless Faulks QC – barrister, leading practitioner, crime and personal injuries practice
* John Gardiner – Deputy Chief Executive of Countryside Alliance
* Helen Margaret Newlove – campaigner against anti-social behaviour
* Dolar Amarshi Popat – businessman, Chief Executive of TLC Group, specialising in healthcare and hospitality
* Shireen Olive Ritchie – Local Government Councillor, specialises in areas of adult and children’s social care
* Deborah Stedman-Scott OBE, DL, FRSA – Chief Executive of Tomorrow’s People, national employment charity working in deprived areas of UK
* Nat Wei – founder of Teach First and also a founder of Future Leaders
* Hon Simon Adam Wolfson – Chief Executive of NEXT plc

Liberal Democrat Party
* Floella Benjamin OBE DL – actor, presenter and campaigner for children’s issues
* Mike German OBE AM – former Deputy First Minister (Wales)
* Meral Hussein Ece OBE – Local Government Councillor in Islington, advocate of equality issues
* Sir Kenneth (Ken) Macdonald QC – former Director of Public Prosecutions
* Kathryn (Kate) Jane Parminter – former Chief Executive of Campaign to Protect Rural England
* John Shipley OBE – leading Local Government Councillor in Newcastle upon Tyne

Labour Party
* Sir Jeremy Hugh Beecham DL – senior figure in English local government and first Chairman of the Local Government Association
* Rt Hon Paul Boateng – former Government Minister and MP for Brent South
* Rita Margaret Donaghy CBE – former Chair Conciliation and Arbitration Service
* Jeannie Drake – former Deputy General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union
* Dr Dianne Hayter – Chair of Legal Services Consumer Panel
* Anna Healy – former Government and political adviser, serving in numerous government departments
* Roy Kennedy – Labour Party’s Director of Finance and Compliance, long serving member of the Labour Party
* Rt Hon Helen Lawrie Liddell – former Secretary State of Scotland
* Roger John Liddle – former Special Adviser on Europe
* Rt Hon Dr Jack Wilson McConnell – former First Minister of Scotland
* John Stephen Monks – General Secretary, European Trades Union Confederation
* Sue Nye – former Director of Government Relations, Prime Minister’s Office
* Maeve Sherlock OBE – former Chief Executive of the Refugee Council and Former Special Advisor to Chancellor
* Robert Wilfrid (Wilf) Stevenson – former Director of the Smith Institute and Special Adviser to the PM
* Margaret Wheeler MBE – Director of Organisation and Staff Development for the public service union UNISON
* Michael Williams – former Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs

Dissolution List (Ex MPs)

Conservative party
* Timothy Eric Boswell – former Whip and Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
* Angela Frances Browning – former Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
* Rt Hon John Selwyn Gummer – former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and held other senior posts in government and opposition
* Rt Hon Michael Howard QC – former Home Secretary, and held other senior posts in government and opposition
* John Craddock Maples – former Economic Secretary, and held other senior posts in government and opposition
* Sir Michael Spicer – former Government Minister for Housing and Chairman of Parliamentary and Scientific Committee

Liberal Democrat Party
* Richard Allan – former MP for Sheffield Hallam and Chair of the Information Select Committee
* Matthew Owen John Taylor – former MP for Truro and St Austell, Chair of National Housing Federation
* George Philip (Phil) Willis – former MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Former Chair of Science and Technology Select Committee

Labour Party
* Rt Hon Hillary Jane Armstrong – former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Social Exclusion, and held other senior posts in government
* Rt Hon Desmond (Des) Henry Browne – former Secretary of State for Defence and held other senior posts in government
* Quentin Davies – former Government Minister, Defence
* Rt Hon Beverley Hughes – former Minister of State, Children, Schools and Families
* Rt Hon John Hutton – former Secretary of State for Business,
* Rt Hon James (Jim) Philip Knight, Former Minister of State
* Rt Hon Tommy McAvoy – former Government Deputy Chief Whip
* Rt Hon John McFall – former Chair of Treasury Select Committee and MP for West Dunbartonshire
* John Prescott – former Deputy Prime Minister
* Rt Hon Dr John Reid – former Home Secretary
* Rt Hon Angela Evans Smith – former Minister of State, Cabinet Office
* Rt Hon James Donnelly (Don) Touhig – former Parliamentary under Secretary of State (Minister for Veterans), Ministry of Defence
* Rt Hon Michael David Wills – former Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

Democratic Unionist Party
* Rt Hon Ian R K Paisley – former First Minister and DUP Leader


Note their are no peerages going to the SNP, Plaid or the Green Party.
Only old parties need apply.