This morning, Downing Street announced the appointment of 22 new working peers – twelve Conservative, six Lib Dem, three Labour and one DUP.
The full list of new Tory peers is enclosed below, but here are a few to watch:
There are certainly some good people on the list, but none of this changes the existing problems with the House of Lords and the system for appointments. Even if you think each of today’s appointments is a wise choice, we still have too many peers, chosen through a system which is unaccountable at best.
Here’s the full list of Conservative appointees:
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 Candidate’s 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 – Businesswomen; 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.