This year’s Christmas peerages have been announced, including four former MEPs, four former MPs, and the former Archbishop of York. There are 16 new lords a leaping this Christmas…

Former Tory co-treasurer and donor Peter Cruddas finally makes the list, after Boris personally forced his appointment through, along with former MEPs Daniel Hannan, Syed Kamall, and Dame Jacqueline Foster.

On the Labour side, Jenny Chapman, who lost her Darlington seat in the 2019 election and went on to run Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign, is amongst the nominations, as is veteran former MP Vernon Coaker, and Board of Deputies of British Jews Chief Executive Gillian Merron.

See the list in full:

Nominations from the Leader of the Conservative Party:

1. Rt Hon Sir Richard Benyon – former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and MP for Newbury.
2. Peter Cruddas – businessman and philanthropist.
3. Dame Jacqueline Foster – formerly Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party in the European Parliament and Member of the European Parliament for North West England.
4. Stephanie Fraser – Chief Executive of Cerebral Palsy Scotland.
5. Dean Godson – Director of Policy Exchange.
6. Daniel Hannan – formerly Member of the European Parliament for South East England.
7. Syed Kamall – formerly Leader of the Conservative Party in the European Parliament and Member of the European Parliament for London.

Nominations from the Leader of the Labour Party:

1. Cllr Judith Blake CBE – Leader of Leeds City Council.
2. Jennifer Chapman – formerly Member of Parliament for Darlington.
3. Vernon Coaker – formerly Minister of State for Schools and Member of Parliament for Gedling.
4. Wajid Khan – formerly Member of the European Parliament for North West England.
5. Gillian Merron – Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, former Minister of State for Public Health and Member of Parliament for Lincoln.

Nominations for Crossbench Peerages:

1. Sir Terence Etherton PC QC – lately Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice.
2. Sir Simon McDonald KCMG KCVO – lately Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service.
3. Sir Andrew Parker KCB – lately Director General of MI5, the Security Service.
4. The Rt Revd. And Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu – lately Archbishop of York.