Sunak gives peerages to Theresa May and Graham Brady

Rishi Sunak has handed peerages to Theresa May, Sir Graham Brady and his chief of staff in a dissolution honours list announced less than an hour before polls close at the General Election.

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden, ex-chief whip Julian Smith, former defence secretary Ben Wallace and Scottish secretary Alister Jack have been given knighthoods while ex-Cabinet minister Therese Coffey is made a dame.

The Prime Minister rewarded his right-hand man in No 10, Liam Booth-Smith, with a peerage along with former 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham, and former Cabinet ministers Chris Grayling and Sir Alok Sharma.

Ex-MP Craig Mackinlay, whose battle with sepsis recently cost him his hands and feet, and former deputy Commons speaker Dame Eleanor Laing will also take seats in the Lords.

Mr Mackinlay said he was “overwhelmed” by the news of his elevation to the Lords.

“My heartfelt thanks to (Mr Sunak) for my inclusion on the dissolution Honours List,” he posted to X.

“This gives me a platform to campaign for #sepsis #limbloss and for appropriate #prosthetics (as well as sensible #NetZero).

“The Bionic MP changes into the Bionic Lord.”

Among Sir Keir Starmer’s nominations for peerages are Blair-era foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, and veteran Labour MPs Harriet Harman and Dame Margaret Hodge.

Kevan Jones, who has played a prominent role in campaigning for justice for subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal, former deputy speaker Dame Rosie Winterton and veteran ex-whip John Spellar are also on his list.

Dr Hilary Cass, whose landmark review into NHS gender services for children was published earlier this year, was nominated for a crossbench peerage.