Gove gets peerage in Sunak's resignation honours list

Michael Gove is among several ex-Conservative ministers to be given a seat in the House of Lords in Rishi Sunak's resignation honours list.

The former housing and education secretary served in the cabinets of four prime ministers but stood down as an MP before last July's general election.

Meanwhile, former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly have been awarded knighthoods.

Outside of politics, England fast bowler James Anderson and filmmaker Matthew Vaughn have also been given knighthoods.

Now editor of the Spectator magazine, Gove was MP for Surrey Heath for nearly 20 years.

A key ally of Sunak, Gove was appointed his secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities in October 2022, a role he also held under Boris Johnson.

Other cabinet roles he has held include environment secretary, justice secretary and education secretary.

A leading figure in the Brexit campaign alongside Johnson, the pair had a fraught relationship.

In 2016 Gove derailed his friend's leadership hopes by running against him. Later, in the dying days of Johnson's premiership he was sacked after urging the PM to resign.

Sir Jeremy was brought in by Liz Truss as chancellor after she sacked Kwasi Kwarteng following her disastrous mini-Budget.

His moves to scrap almost all the tax cuts his predecessor had promised helped to calm financial markets.

He continued the role under Sunak but returned to the backbenches when Kemi Badenoch took over as Conservative leader.

The MP for Godalming and Ash, who first joined the Commons in 2005, has also served as culture secretary in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics, foreign secretary and health secretary.

Cleverly held the role of foreign secretary under Truss and Sunak, before moving to home secretary.

He ruled out serving in the shadow cabinet of Sunak's successor, after he was unexpectedly knocked out of the leadership contest before the final round.

The other Conservative figures knighted are former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, who currently serves as Badenoch's shadow chancellor.

Former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, who was first elected in 1987, has been appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

Others to be honoured include former Northern Ireland Secretary and Brexit campaigner Theresa Villiers, who is made a dame.

Former Chief Whip Simon Hart and former Scottish Secretary Sir Alister Jack, who stepped down as MPs ahead of last summer's general election, are among those to get peerages.

Sir Alister served as Scottish secretary from 2019 until he stood down, later receiving a knighthood in Sunak's previous round of honours in July 2024.

During the election campaign, he was the most senior politician to be caught up in the row over government insiders gambling on the date of the poll.

The former MP for Dumfries and Galloway admitted placing three bets but has previously said he did not breach any rules and has not been investigated by the Gambling Commission.

Hart spent nearly two years as Sunak's chief whip, responsible for party discipline and ensuring MPs vote with the government.

The publication of his parliamentary diaries last month, which included stories of an MP being trapped in a brothel and politicians demanding knighthoods, caused a stir in Westminster and were criticised by some Tories for revealing the secrets of his time in government.

Also joining the House of Lords are former Transport Secretary Mark Harper, former Attorney General Victoria Prentis, former Conservative Party chief executive Stephen Massey and Eleanor Shawcross, who ran Sunak's policy unit in Downing Street.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed former Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has been given a peerage, after being nominated by Badenoch.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the honours were "rewards for the failure of a dreadful Conservative government that was rightly kicked out of office".

The resignation honours list is a tradition that gives outgoing prime ministers the opportunity to nominate people for honours – often key allies, donors and staff.

Members of the House of Lords are unelected and scrutinise the work of government.

They receive a daily tax-free allowance of £361 plus travel expenses.

Most are nominated by party leaders and are vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Legislation to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers from the House of Lords is currently making its way through Parliament.

When he was in opposition, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber.

However, this pledge was then watered down, with Labour's manifesto only promising to consult on proposals for an alternative second chamber.

In December, Sir Keir awarded 30 new peerages, including a string of ex-MPs and his former chief of staff Sue Gray.