Five of seven new Tory peers were donors

10 Downing Street has announced the names of 23 new members of the House of Lords.  Top names include David Trimble as an Ulster Unionist peer and Bill Morris, former T&GWU leader, for Labour.

None of the Labour peers gave money to the party, Radio 4 is reporting.  Labour's big donors who were nominated either had their applications blocked or withdrew from the approval process (see the FT).

The new Tory life peers are:

1. Sandip Verma, former Tory parliamentary candidate.
2. David James, who oversaw Michael Howard's cost-cutting review of government spending.
3. Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, Chairman of the Local Government Association and the author of the poverty-fighting Supporting Independence project when he was leader of Kent County Council.
4. Jonathan Marland, Tory Treasurer.
5. Mohamed Sheikh, chairman, Conservative Muslim Forum.
6. John Taylor, former President of the Party's National Union.
7. Rodney Leach, a leading supporter of the No Campaign.

A full list of peers for each party has been published by ePolitix.com.

Related ConservativeHome link: Options for Lords reform.

Comments

[Rick]

"Business as usual"

[Mark Fulford]

If only it had been 7 of 9 we could have had one of your gratuitous photos.

Looking at the credentials of our peers, it seems that any donations were secondary qualifications. Does anyone know the size of the donations?

[Donal Blaney]

John Taylor is a good addition to the House of Lords. He was a very hard-working head of the voluntary party and - more importantly for those of us who are suspicious of the patrician Tory establishment - he was receptive to ideas from "outsiders". If he can translate his geniality and open-mindedness into being a working peer, it will have been one of the Party's better appointments in recent years.

[Annabel Herriott]

They seem reasonable appointments to me. Lets face it, we are ALL donors arnt we? I certainly donate every month, as I am a patron. does that make me, or the hundreds of patrons, and members of the 2000 club,etc, objects of suspician?

[Nicholas Slide]

We've been stiched up! All the news headlines are saying is that Labour have elevated no donors, and the Tories once again have donors getting Peerages.

[Editor]

I agree, Annabel. They're pretty good appointments.

[Nicholas Slide]

and stitched up too...

[Selsdon Man]

What has Sandip Verma done (apart from lose Wolverhampton SW) to deserve a peerage? A lot of former Ministers will be asking that question.

[James Maskell]

Great news about Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart. I couldnt help but laugh to myself when the name Marland appeared, considering all the fuss he was involved in recently over the names behind Conservative loans. Im not a fan of the idea that those in high positions in political parties should become peers in the HoL.

[Mark Fulford]

The "stitch up" is accidental. It is Tony's silver-lining to the monumental self-inflicted cock-up of losing his majority in the Lords. The Guardian's piece leads "Blair loses battle over peerages for donors". It goes on to say:

The Guardian understands that an attempt to include at least two replacement Labour nominees - one a senior industrialist and the other a former retired union general secretary - were abandoned when Downing Street realised that it would have delayed the announcement of a new list. The list is five short of the original submitted by the prime minister, leaving him without a working majority in the Lords.

The Tory donations are modest and this angle will soon die as a non-story.

[Gareth]

In fairness, he never had a majority in the Lords. He had more seats than any other party (just) but was well short of an overall majority.

Labour do have a 'donor' on their list anyway. Bill Morris contributed more than any millionaire business man when he was GS of the TGWU. Not that the BBC seems to appreciate that of course.

[Guido Fawkes]

Bill Morris arranged for Labour during his tenure as TGWU boss...

[Gareth]

You're quite right Guido. But you get the point.

[Jack Stone]

As a Conservative I oppose most of what Bill Morris believes but I must say that I have always thought that he is a man of principle and authority and I do believe that the House of Lords will be a better place for having him in it.

[Gareth]

I agree Jack, but it is wrong for the lefties to claim that, somehow, the Labour list is not tainted with party contributions when Bill Morris' union contributed tens of millions of pounds to Labour when he was GS.

[Henry Whitmarsh]

The fact that we're even having this kind of conversation is proof that the Lords needs major reform. I never ever want to agree with anything Tony Benn says ever again, but he's right about Lords reform. If they're such good appointees, why not put them to a public vote? Never appoint legislators who only have a constituency of one.

[Paul Kennedy]

"agree Jack, but it is wrong for the lefties to claim that, somehow, the Labour list is not tainted with party contributions when Bill Morris' union contributed tens of millions of pounds to Labour when he was GS. " Gareth

But not only that, the Labour Government are now giving £millions of taxpayers money to the Unions by way of the Union Modernisation Fund.

[Rick]

I must say that I have always thought that he is a man of principle and authority and I do believe that the House of Lords will be a better place for having him in it.

Posted by: Jack Stone | April 11, 2006 at 10:08

Really ? Maybe he can broaden his repertoire given a new stage. His idee fixe becomes tedious

[Selsdon Man]

Treasurer gets a Peerage. I wonder how the 1926 Act would deal with that.

[Patsy Sergeant]

It always amuses me that 'lefties' and trade unionists, who usually waste little time on Tory - traditional Tory principals - and indeed quite frequently espouse republican aspirations, can't wait to grab the top accolade of a monarchist society and join that 'elite' as soon as it is offered to them one way or another!! If that isn't a weasely hypocrisy I don't know what is!

[Patsy Sergeant]

And I am definitely in favour of an elected HoL, with a limited term of office. I would love to have the opportunity to choose some 'worthy' to vote for, but I don't suppose that it would happen like that.

[Yet Another Anon]

I was surprised that Bill Morris had been made a Labour Peer because from things he had said and wrote I had been lead to believe that he had switched support a few years back to the Liberal Democrats.

[verulamgal]

Delighted by the news of John Taylor's peerage.I have known him for years,and served with his wife on the County Council.He has worked hard for the Party at national and local level...and I was pleased on moving to the Far East that to find that he was involved in Conservatives Abroad... this is a fully deserved honour.

I'm sure John will bring good no nonsense Lincolnshire common sense to his dealings in parliament!