David Cameron’s controversial Resignation Honours List has seen serious questions raised about political patronage.
Questions have been raised about Honours going to those who have given political donations, the validity of giving honours to those working for the former Prime Minister, and the impact these Peers are having on public life.
The former Prime Minister made his former Chancellor George Osborne a Companion of Honour, whilst knighthoods were also handed out to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, former Cabinet Minister Oliver Letwin, and former Downing Street Communications Director Craig Oliver.
Life Peerages were also given to several Party Donors, including Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of the Conservative Party, and Jitesh Gadhia, the British Indian businessman and a member of the Leader’s Club.
Despite it being his privilege to select a resignation Honours list as a former Prime Minister, the list has proved highly controversial. Nearly all of those given Honours were supporters of the ‘Remain’ campaign during the recent referendum, the result of which led to Cameron’s resignation.
Other Tory Donors were rumoured to have been included on the list, including former Party Treasurer Michael Spencer, whose nomination was supposedly vetoed by the committee which reviews appointments.
Oil Executive Ian Taylor, also a Party Donor, was also on a leaked list of names, but asked for his name not to be put forward for consideration.
How effective are the new Peers?
However perhaps more concerning have been reports in the Guardian and The Times this week about how effective the new Peers have been.
A report in the Guardian on the 2nd August stated that, out of the dozen Conservative Peers who had all given significant donations to the Party since 2010, “Six of the donor peers have contributed just a handful of times to debate in the chamber since entering the House of Lords, and one has already retired.”
Similarly an investigation by The Times concluded that half the Tory peers ennobled by David Cameron at the last election have spoken fewer than five times each in the House of Lords.
Lord Dolar Popat praised
However the Guardian report wasn’t critical of all of David Cameron’s Life Peers. It pointed out that a “minority of peers who are also major Tory donors have made significant contributions to the House of Lords” and singled-out British Indian Dolar Popat for his hard work in the Chamber.
It pointed out that Popat, made a Peers in 2010, and who has given the party more than £200,000, has made more than 340 speeches in the Lords since 2010.
Popat gave up his career as a businessman when becoming a Peer, and has subsequently been a Government Minister with responsibilities for Business and Transport. During his time in the Lords, he has also been a Conservative Party Whip, established a Select Committee on Exports and been the Founding Chairman of the Conservative Friends of India.
Earlier this year he was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda, a non-salaried post. It is anticipated that his attendance in the Lords will be reduced whilst he continues to undertake trade delegations to both nations.
While criticisms are in plenty, many capable Peers from the ethnic minority background and their contributions do not receive their due credit. Lord Navnit Dholakia is an unsung hero and deserves much praises for contributing to the community as well as participating in innumerable debates at the House of Lords. Similarly Baroness Shreela Flather, Lord Bhikhu Parekh and Lord Raj Loomba also deserve salutes for their contributions.
Shami Chakrabarti's honour under scrutiny
Among others to get a place in House of Lords is Human Rights activist Shami Chakrabarti, a British Bengali, who has been nominated by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to become a Baroness. She is the chancellor of the University of Essex and former director of Liberty, an independent human rights organisation which works to defend and extend rights and freedoms in England and Wales. She said, “I am honoured to accept Jeremy Corbyn’s challenge and opportunity to help hold the Government to account. This is a dangerous moment for our country and we share vital human rights values that need defending more than ever before in my lifetime.”
However Chakrabarti's peerage has ran into controversy after she has been criticised by MPs and Jewish groups after it emerged that she had allegedly suppressed an interview with Labour leader Jerey Corbyn in her report into anti-semitism allegations in the Labour party.
Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP (longest serving Indian MP in the UK), Chairman of a Commons Committee which is investigating anti-Semitism allegations in Labour party, wrote to Chakrabarti asking if she was offered this peerage before she published her report.
In an interview to a tv on July 14th, Chakrabarti said he had interviewed the Labour leader regarding his comment on Hamas 'as his friends', to which he said that he 'regretted having used that language', and 'described it as an attempt to be inclusive during a different meeting'. When asked why she had ommitted this in her report, Chakrabarti clarified saying, “I was not adjudicating on Mr Corbyn, his leadership or any other individual in the party.”
A spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn said Ms Chakrabarti was not told she would be nominated for a peerage before the report was published, and only recommended after its publication.
Chakrabarti was born to Bengali parents in the suburb of Kenton. After graduating with a Bachelor of Laws from London School of Economics, Chakrabarti was called to the Bar by the Middle Templein 1994. In 1996, she started working as a barrister for the Home Office. On 10 September 2001, she joined the human rights organisation Liberty.
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Who is Jitesh Gadhia?
Jitesh Gadhia was educated at Cambridge University (MA Economics) and the London Business School (Sloan Fellow, MSc in Management with Distinction). He lives in Northwood, Middlesex, with his wife Angeli and two children, Priyana and Dev.
In a statement Jitesh told Asian Voice, "It's a huge privilege and responsibility to be nominated by David Cameron to join the House of Lords. A peerage is a job - not an honour.
“I will be joining Parliament at a defining moment in British history as we grapple with the new realities post-Brexit. We stand at a crossroads for the UK and its future relationship with the rest of the world.
“My priorities will, therefore, be threefold:
“Firstly, to help secure the best possible future for UK financial services which represents over 2 million jobs, underpins business investment and generates substantial tax revenues that pay for essential public services;
“Secondly, to help strengthen our international economic links, notably between UK and India;
“And finally, and certainly not least, to connect Parliament and key decision makers with 1.5 British Indians - particularly the next generation.
“On a personal note, I want to acknowledge my long and close association with CB Patel and his various publications. During my University summer holidays I worked at the Gujarat Samachar offices which also published New Life (the predecessor title to Asian Voice). It was this formative experience under CB's mentorship that helped shape many of my insights and connections with the British Indian community - for which I am truly indebted to him."
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