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Theresa May and 'bionic' MP awarded peerages

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Former prime minister Theresa May will sit in the House of Lords having been nominated for a peerage alongside the former justice secretary, Chris Grayling, and the chair of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady.

Conservative Craig Mackinley, who said he wanted to be known as the bionic MP after losing his hands and feet to sepsis, has also been nominated for a peerage.

Labour has picked its former deputy leader Harriet Harman, former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett and Dame Margaret Hodge to sit in the House of Lords.

Dr Hilary Cass, who conducted a review into gender identity services, has been nominated as a crossbench peer.

The nominations were announced less than an hour before polls closed in the general election.

In what could be one of his final acts as prime minister, Rishi Sunak has also given honours to five of his Conservative colleagues.

Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister and close ally of Mr Sunak, will be knighted, as will the former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith, the former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and the Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.

Therese Coffey, who was an ally of Liz Truss but also served under Mr Sunak as environment secretary, will be made a dame.

Mr Mackinlay said he was "overwhelmed at being elevated" to the Lords, saying it would give him "a platform to campaign for sepsis, limb loss and for appropriate prosthetics (as well as sensible net zero)".

"The Bionic MP changes into the Bionic Lord."

UK Parliament/PA Craig Mackinlay received a rare standing ovation when he returned to the Commons after a life-threatening episode of sepsisUK Parliament/PA
Craig Mackinlay received a rare standing ovation when he returned to the Commons after a life-threatening episode of sepsis

The Conservatives have also awarded peerages to:

  • Liam Booth-Smith, Mr Sunak's chief of staff
  • Sir Alok Sharma, who was president of the climate COP 26 conference
  • Dame Eleanor Laing who served as deputy speaker of the House of Commons for over a decade

A Conservative source told the BBC: “There is widespread disgust at the reward for abject failure in Rishi’s dissolution list.

"Sunak’s pledge to bring integrity back to politics when he entered Downing Street has proven to be a total lie - this an utter disgrace.”

Dame Margaret Hodge said she was "humbled, honoured and delighted to be asked to go into the House of Lords.

"Having immigrated here as a young girl, neither I nor my parents would have ever dreamt that I would become a peer of the realm."

In addition to Harriet Harman, Dame Margaret Beckett and Dame Margaret Hodge the other Labour politicians to receive peerages are:

  • John Cryer, a senior Labour MP until recently representing Leyton and Wanstead
  • Kevan Jones, formerly the MP for North Durham and a champion of the workers caught up in the Post Office scandal.
  • Barbara Keeley - a former MP for Worsley and Eccles South and a former shadow tourism minister
  • John Spellar, a former MP for Warley, who served in several ministerial positions in the last Labour government
  • Dame Rosie Winterton, former MP for Doncaster Central and former House of Commons deputy speaker

Liberal Democrat Caroline Pidgeon, who led the party in the London Assembly, joins the upper chamber, along with former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Thomas Elliott.

Minette Batters, former president of the National Farmers' Union, will be a crossbench peer.