Filling the red benches
The Coalition is promising a smaller House of Commons, but, perhaps because they need to maintain the balance of the universe, they are pre-emptively compensating for the cut in the numbers of MPs by creating lots of new lords...
This week with all due ceremony, a phalanx of new peers are taking their seats. I thought it was worth glancing who our new legislators are.
On Monday two peers took their seats:
Roger Liddle (Lab) now Lord Liddle, can be categorised as an ecumenical politician of the centre-left. In the 1970s he was special adviser to William Rodgers, Secretary of State for Transport, in the Labour government of James Callaghan.
He was then a key figure in the creation of the SDP in the early 1980s, when he was a close advisor to its first leader, Roy Jenkins. In the 1990s he returned to Labour and served as special adviser on European matters to Tony Blair, developing a new UK policy of "positive engagement" in the EU. He then became a member of the cabinet of the European Union Trade Commissioner, Lord Mandelson, and was also adviser to the president of the European Commission. He currently serves as chair of Policy Network, a think-tank promoting progressive policies and the renewal of social democracy.
John Selwyn Gummer (Con), now Lord Deben, was a stalwart of the Thatcher-Major cabinets - serving as Environment Secretary, minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and chairman of the Conservative Party. In Opposition he became one of the Conservatives strongest environmentalist thinkers. He is now chairman of Sancroft International, an environmental consultancy company.
Today's new arrivals are:
Dr Diane Hayter (Lab), an important backroom Labour figure - she was chair of Labour's National Executive Committee, played an important role during the final year of the Labour government, as the NEC reviewed the party's objectives and its work. She has served as chair of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2008, and also as chief executive of the European Parliamentary Labour Party from 1990-1996. She serves as a board member in several organisations including the Determinations Panel of the Pensions Regulator. She has written extensively on the Labour Party's history and its inner-workings.
Tommy McAvoy (Lab) built an awesome reputation as the former government deputy chief whip in the Commons. The late lamented Gwyneth Dunwoody used to speak fondly of her robust exchanges of views with him - other less ironclad Labour MPs were said to tremble and cross themselves at the very mention of his name.
It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the gentler ways of their lordships' House - and somehow the idea of him dressed in ermine produces titters from Labour MPs.
Wednesday's new arrival is:
Jim Knight (Lab) a long-serving mid-ranking minister under both Blair and Brown. He defied political gravity to serve three terms as MP for hyper-marginal Dorset South before succumbing at the last election. He was a minister in the departments for Employment and Welfare Reform, Work and Pensions, Regional Affairs, Children, Schools and Families, Education and Skills, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Health, experience which will make him a handy all-rounder in Labour's Lords team. Conceding defeat at his election count in May, he remarked that the "minister for employment is now unemployed".
On Thursday:
John Gardiner (Con) the deputy chief executive of Countryside Alliance (whose boss, chief executive Simon Hart, became a Conservative MP at the last election).
John Maples (Con) - an astute Tory high flier, who served as shadow health secretary, shadow defence secretary and shadow foreign secretary. He also served as deputy chairman for the Conservative Party, and was the author of a leaked memo warning of the threat Tony Blair posed to Conservative fortunes when he was elected as Labour leader. As a senior Conservative MP, in 2008 he called on leading bankers who were responsible for the financial crisis to resign.
There will be more new peers next week - and I'll try to offer similar thumbnail sketches then.
My thanks to Doyeun Kim for the research behind this post.
I'm Mark D'Arcy and I'll be writing about what goes on in the chambers and committee rooms at Westminster.
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