Browns resignation honours list makes Prescott, Howard and others peers

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...n-honours.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ome-peers.html

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was made a peer today as part of Gordon Brown's resignation honours list. The politician, who became a national laughing stock after his affair with a secretary, is one of a string of senior Labour figures to be handed a seat in the Lords. Former Cabinet ministers John Reid, John Hutton and Des Browne and one-time Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong are also heading to the Upper House. Ex-Defence Secretary Mr Hutton was widely named as the Cabinet minister who said Gordon Brown would be a ****ing disaster' as PM' and quit Government last June. Mr Brown's long-suffering former aide Sue Nye - who he blamed for the 'bigot' row because she introduced him to pensioner Gillian Duffy - is also being made a peer. Despite rumours the ex-PM would break with tradition and not honour former Met chief Sir Ian Blair, he too is on the honours list.

It had been thought Sir Ian would be snubbed because of his controversial reign at Scotland Yard which was blighted by the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. The Met Commissioner was effectively fired by Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson in October 2008 when he made clear he no longer had his support. He will serve as a crossbencher. Former first minister of Northern Ireland Ian Paisley, 84, is another moving to the Lords following his resignation two years ago. Tory peerages have handed to former leader Michael Howard to Next boss Simon Wolfson for services to business. Mr Wolfson, a former Conservative advisor who has donated £300,000 to the party since David Cameron became leader, was one of the most outspoken critics of Labour's National Insurance hike.

The widow of Gary Newlove, Helen and Michael Howard's former press secretary Guy Black are also being ennobled. Mrs Newlove became a vocal campaigner against Britain's gang culture after her husband was beaten to death three years ago. The Lib Dems have awarded a peerage to Children's television presenter Floella Benjamin, who appeared alongside Nick Clegg during the election campaign. Former director of public prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald will also serve as a Lib Dem peer. Other Labour honours go to the UK's first black Cabinet minister Paul Boateng, who later served as High Commissioner to South Africa. He will be joined on the Labour benches by Scotland Jack McConnell, ex-TUC general secretary John Monks and Mr Brown's one-time special adviser Wilf Stevenson.

All hail Lord Prescott who was so against the establishment and wanted to abolish the Lords - just like former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and his wife who are also enrolled on the EU gravy train and are also peers in the Lords that they so once hated and opposed. I guess this is the champagne socialism at work yet again - not to mention the shameful appointment of Paul Boateng who appears to have been appointed to the Lords because of the very fact he is black. A great shame on Michael Howard and others also for accepting this 'honour' from Gordon Brown - it really shows the Lords up as nothing now but a house for disgraced and corrupt ex-ministers (Peter Mandelson), champagne socialists (John Prescott) and the politically correct zealots (Ian Blair).

The sooner its abolished and replaced with a proportionally-elected second chamber - the better.

Thoughts on the appointments?