Boris Johnson resignation honours list: Ben Houchen and Priti Patel receive gongs

The under-fire Conservative Mayor for Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, has been elevated to the House of Lords, while former cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke and Priti Patel will receive knighthoods and a damehood respectively in Boris Johnson’s long-awaited resignation honours list, published by the Government.

By Kit Sandeman

Published 9th Jun 2023, 17:02 GMT

Updated 9th Jun 2023, 17:54 GMT

There are 50 names on the list, including a life peerage for Shaun Bailey, the runner-up Conservative candidate for London Mayor, who was investigated by the Metropolitan Police – and eventually cleared – over a photo of what appeared to be a festive party during lockdown.

There are also five other life peerages appointed by Mr Johnson, including special advisors while he was Prime Minister and the Mayor of London.

Included on the list of honours put forward to the King are five damehoods: Andrea Jenkyns MP; Amanda Milling MP; Priti Patel MP; Ann Sindall, his personal assistant while PM; and Michelle Williams-Walker, a former special advisor.

There are also six knighthoods, including for the MPs Conor Burns and Michael Fabricant.

The elevation for Ben Houchen comes just days after the Government announced an inquiry into corruption allegations over the handling of the Teeside Freeport contracts.

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries and Sir Alok Sharma, president of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, were absent from the list, following reports the Government cut them at the 11th hour to swerve potentially damaging by-elections in their seats.

News of the long-awaited list comes after Labour repeated calls for Rishi Sunak to stop Boris Johnson honouring what they called a “carousel of cronies”.

Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock said the Prime Minister had “caved in” to appease warring factions within the Conservative Party by accepting the recommendations.

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