Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Howard Flight gets a peerage at last, and just in the nick of time.

You may recall he was the Conservative MP who was ruthlessly sacked by Michael Howard just before the 2005 election for making some unhelpful comments about the prospects for spending cuts.

He was sacked by Howard not just from the Tory front-bench, but also as a Conservative candidate. Many in politics thought the move was hugely unjust.

Flight thought of standing as an independent for his Arundel seat, but feared that might ensure a Liberal Democrat victory.

He consoled himself with assurances from the Conservative whips that they would be put things right. And he also consoled himself with the knowledge that Howard, as a resident of Pimlico, would have to vote for his wife, Christabel Flight, who is one of the Tory councillors for Pimlico.

So how come my observation that Flight got his peerage in the nick of time?

Little noticed today is that Michael Howard, now Lord Howard, has just been appointed to the Lords Appointments Commission.