Saturday, February 10, 2024
Bring on the donors
Another day, another list of new peers, as if the bloated carcass that is the House of Lords could get any bigger. Well apparently it can. And, surprise, surprise, it is the usual suspects being sent to the world's most powerful retirement home for past-it politicians, chums of the great and the good and of course party political donors.
The Guardian reports that a major donor to the Conservative party, who reportedly featured on Boris Johnson’s original resignation honours list, is among 13 new peers announced by the government on Friday evening, eight of them Conservatives.
The paper says that Stuart Marks, a technology entrepreneur who has served as a senior treasurer for the Conservatives, has been given a life peerage, an official announcement said. They add that he has personally donated £119,500 to the party and another £56,500 through his company:
A series of reports named Marks as among those nominated for peerages in Johnson’s resignation honours list, along with MPs including Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams.
However, Marks, Dorries and Adams were among several names reportedly removed from the list.
Another donor handed a peerage on Friday night – as the Commons began a week of recess – was Franck Petitgas, who has worked for Rishi Sunak as a special adviser on business and investment. He has previously given £35,000 to the Conservatives.
Other new Tory peers include Paul Goodman, the former MP who edits the ConservativeHome website; the businesswoman and disability campaigner Rosa Monckton; and two senior councillors – John Fuller, leader of South Norfolk council, and James Jamieson, formerly chair of the Local Government Association.
These new nominations push the size of the Lords to only a few peers away from 800 – there were 784 peers still active before the latest crop. It is the biggest legislative chamber in the world apart from China’s National People’s Congress and slightly less democratic.
Will a Labour government change all this, possibly by bringing in a second elected chamber to replace the Lords? Of course not.
The Guardian reports that a major donor to the Conservative party, who reportedly featured on Boris Johnson’s original resignation honours list, is among 13 new peers announced by the government on Friday evening, eight of them Conservatives.
The paper says that Stuart Marks, a technology entrepreneur who has served as a senior treasurer for the Conservatives, has been given a life peerage, an official announcement said. They add that he has personally donated £119,500 to the party and another £56,500 through his company:
A series of reports named Marks as among those nominated for peerages in Johnson’s resignation honours list, along with MPs including Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams.
However, Marks, Dorries and Adams were among several names reportedly removed from the list.
Another donor handed a peerage on Friday night – as the Commons began a week of recess – was Franck Petitgas, who has worked for Rishi Sunak as a special adviser on business and investment. He has previously given £35,000 to the Conservatives.
Other new Tory peers include Paul Goodman, the former MP who edits the ConservativeHome website; the businesswoman and disability campaigner Rosa Monckton; and two senior councillors – John Fuller, leader of South Norfolk council, and James Jamieson, formerly chair of the Local Government Association.
These new nominations push the size of the Lords to only a few peers away from 800 – there were 784 peers still active before the latest crop. It is the biggest legislative chamber in the world apart from China’s National People’s Congress and slightly less democratic.
Will a Labour government change all this, possibly by bringing in a second elected chamber to replace the Lords? Of course not.
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Labour just want to tinker around at the edges. Argue it will be a long job?Not get rid of it but let it whither on the vine. However as they 'leave ,reduce its size BUT PUT TRIED AND TESTED NON POLITICAL EXPERTS IN IT. They can be from all parts of life. They will have to be vetted.
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