Kemi Badenoch has appointed a set of political allies to the House of Lords, including former deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey.
Coffey served as Liz Truss’ number two during the latter’s short stay in Downing Street. She also served as health secretary under Truss and then as environment secretary during Rishi Sunak’s tenure as prime minister.
Coffey endorsed Badenoch during the recent Conservative leadership election, labelling the former business and trade secretary an “authentic Conservative”.
In a column for ConservativeHome, Coffey said Badenoch understood the “challenges facing modern Britain”.
She wrote: “As leader I believe [Badenoch] can inspire our members, and win back the voters who were so disillusioned with us in the summer.
“She will do this not by promising enticing ideas that people want to hear now, but by renewing our entire platform, to control immigration and restore our economy to growth.”
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Badenoch has also appointed Rachel Maclean, another ally and a former housing minister, to the House of Lords. The former Conservative MP for Redditch currently serves as Badenoch’s Director of Strategy.
Commenting on her appointment as the Tory leader’s Director of Strategy earlier this month, Maclean said: “Our job is to renew our party, unite the right, and save our country from socialism.”
Toby Young is another to receive a life peerage at Badenoch’s behest. Young is the founder and director of the Free Speech Union, and associate editor of The Spectator.
A full list of Kemi Badenoch’s nominations to the House of Lords can be found below:
- Nigel Biggar CBE – Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at the University of Oxford and Anglican priest.
- Joanne Cash – Co-founder of Parent Gym and barrister serving as the Southeastern Circuit Junior and a member of the Bar Human Rights Committee.
- Rt Hon Dame Thérèse Coffey PhD – former Deputy Prime Minister and former Member of Parliament for Suffolk Coastal.
- Roger Evans – former Deputy Mayor of London and former member of the London Assembly for Havering and Redbridge.
- Rachel Maclean – former Member of Parliament for Redditch and former Minister of State for Housing and Planning.
- Toby Young – founder and director of the Free Speech Union, and an associate editor of The Spectator.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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