Working Peers announced by the New PM

[LoopyCrown3]

1. Mr Richard Hermer KC has been appointed Attorney General.
2. Sir Patrick Vallance KCB has been appointed Minister of State (Minister for Science) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
3. Mr James Timpson OBE has been appointed Minister of State (Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation) in the Ministry of Justice.

[colinp]

The new Prime Minister has quickly seen the value of the present constitution of the House of Lords so that he can make outside ministerial appointments to make up for a limited pool of talent in the Commons

[dpth...@gmail.com]

Perhaps, though I see it more as the Prime Minister seeing three people whom he really thought extremely qualified for the new posts, experts in their fields, but who were not in the Commons and never had a desire to be. Some of these jobs deserve to be filled by experts, non-politicians.

Hermer is a former associate in his chambers with a strong reputation in the law.

Vallance is a noted scientist who was active in the Covid crisis.

Timpson has long been an advocate and pioneer in the  rehabilitation of prisoners, and prison overcrowding is going to be a prime problem to solve.


I am impressed with how the Prime Minister has begun.

[LoopyCrown3]

4.  The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith as a Minister of State in the Department for Education

[colinp]

1. Mr Richard Simon Hermer KC b Sep 1968 has been appointed Attorney General.
2. Sir Patrick John Thompson Vallance KCB b 17 Mar 1960 m has been appointed Minister of State (Minister for Science) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
3. Mr (William) James Timpson OBE DL b 17 Sep 1971  has been appointed Minister of State (Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation) in the Ministry of Justice.
4. The Rt Hon Jacqui [Jacqueline] Jill Smith b 3 Nov 1962 div? as a Minister of State in the Department for Education

[David Beamish]

The latest round of ministerial appointments (9 July) includes another minister to be created a life peer: Rt Hon Sir David George Hanson (born 5 July 1957, an MP from 1992 to 2019 and a Minister of State from 2005 to 2010) is now a Minister of State in the Home Office.

[David Beamish]

The first of the five new peers appointed as government ministers has today had his letters patent sealed, according to the House of Lords website: Lord Vallance of Balham (Sir Patrick Vallance KCB) - https://members.parliament.uk/member/5363/career.

All five are to speak in the debate on the King's Speech, starting with Jacqui Smith on Friday, followed by Lord Vallance of Balham on Monday, Richard Hermer KC on Tuesday, and finally James Timpson and Sir David Hanson on Wednesday, so we can expect a little flurry of letters patent and introductions. Two Crossbench peers nominated by the House of Lords Appointments Commission, Baroness Freeman of Steventon and Lord Tarassenko, are also awaiting introduction. The 19 peerages in the dissolution list announced on polling day can wait a little longer!

[David Beamish]

Lord Vallance of Balham has been swiftly followed by Baroness Smith of Malvern (https://members.parliament.uk/member/269/career) - presumably the former's letters patent sealed "in the forenoon" and the latter "in the afternoon".

[S. S.]

As of the date 10 June 2024, I counted a total of 1,586 peerages created under the Life Peerages Act 1958. Interestingly, 715 out of 1,586 included the word “of” as part of the title, or about 45%. It rather a sizeable batch we have upcoming of new life peers.

S.S.

[David Beamish]

Both Lord Vallance of Balham and Baroness Smith of Malvern were introduced in the House of Lords this morning. Details are as follows (taken from the webcast and the Hansard web page https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2024-07-18):

Sir Patrick John Thompson Vallance KCB (born 17 March 1960) was created Lord Vallance of Balham, of Balham in Our London Borough of Wandsworth, in the forenoon of 17 July.

Rt Hon Jacqueline Jill Smith (born 3 November 1962) was created Baroness Smith of Malvern, of Malvern in Our County of Worcestershire, in the afternoon of 17 July.

The House of Lords website is showing that Lord Timpson's letters patent were sealed today (18 July).

As yet no further introductions are listed on the order paper.

[colinp]

From the London Gazette 23 July 2024:-

Crown Office

THE KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 18 July 2024 to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom for life upon the following:

In the forenoon

William James Timpson, O.B.E., by the name, style and title of BARON TIMPSON, of Manley in the County of Cheshire.

In the afternoon

The Right Honourable Richard Simon Hermer, K.C., by the name, style and title of BARON HERMER, of Penylan in the City of Cardiff.

From the Edinburgh Gazette 23 July 2024:-

Crown Office

THE KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 19 July 2024 to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom for life upon The Right Honourable Sir David George Hanson, Knight, by the name, style and title of BARON HANSON OF FLINT, of Flint in the County of Flintshire.