BORIS Johnson made more than 80 nominations to the House of Lords in just under three years as Prime Minister. Here, we look at some of the most controversial.
Peter Cruddas
One of Johnson’s most criticised appointments was of billionaire party donor Cruddas, which was made in defiance of advice from the independent watchdog for appointments to the Lords.
The House of Lords Appointments Commission raised concerns over his nomination in December 2020, over allegations of a cash-for-access scandal in 2012, which prompted the then Tory party co-treasurer to resign. But Downing Street took the highly unusual move of going ahead with the appointment, and publishing a letter from Johnson explaining his decision.
Electoral Commission records later revealed Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch, who has donated millions of pounds to the Tories, gave the party a £500,000 donation days after taking his seat. He said there was no link between the donation and his life peerage, adding: “That would be corruption and that’s definitely not the case.”
Evgeny Lebedev
THE Russian-born billionaire owner of the Evening Standard newspaper was among a raft of nominations announced by Johnson in 2020. He is a friend of the Prime Minister and regularly invites him to parties.
Earlier this year it emerged Lebedev’s nomination was paused after MI5 raised security concerns, which were reportedly around his father Alexander being a former KGB agent.
The chair of the House of Lords appointments commission Lord Bew told an inquiry by the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee said there had been a “protracted period” of review.
Lebedev, whose title is Baron Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia, has said he has nothing to hide and has backed the publication of the security advice linked to his appointment.
Zac Goldsmith
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park was awarded a life peerage in 2019 by Johnson after losing his seat to the LibDems, enabling him to keep a ministerial role.
He accepted the seat in the Lords despite previously describing the system as one that promoted “party apparatchiks” and also voted against proposals for reforms of the upper chamber in 2012.
The appointment also sparked criticism from the Muslim Council of Britain, which had raised concerns over the smearing of Sadiq Khan during Goldsmith’s campaign for London mayor in 2016.
The organisation said awarding him a peerage meant “Serious questions must be asked about how the Conservative party can say one thing and do the complete opposite when it comes to Islamophobia”.
Goldsmith’s campaign for mayor had been branded racist and divisive, which he denied.
Jo Johnson
BORIS Johnson sparked a cronyism row when he appointed his younger brother as a Lord in 2020.
Jo Johnson resigned as minister in 2019, citing an “unresolvable tension” between his family loyalty and the national interest, which were triggered by Brexit.
He also quit as an MP, but now sits in the upper house as Lord Johnson of Marylebone.
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