The National:

JUST on the off chance that anyone had forgotten how backward the UK is, the latest batch of life peers have been announced.

As ever, the select few have well and truly earned their place in the unelected House of Lords.

Ruth Davidson, for instance, has been rewarded by the Prime Minister for her outstanding leadership of the Scottish Tories – who, under her stewardship, went from having absolutely no chance of winning an election to having absolutely no chance of winning an election.

Then there’s Theresa May’s husband Philip, commended for his “political service”.

The PM even found it in his heart to give a peerage to his brother.

Former cricketer and staunch Brexiteer Ian Botham is also on the list because hey, why the hell not.

READ MORE: Ruth Davidson officially given Tory peerage in PM's honours list

Both lists of dissolution peers – nominated at the end of Parliament – and political peers –known as “working peers” – have been released.

First up are the dissolution peers.

Nominations from the Leader of the Conservative Party

1. Sir Henry Bellingham – lately Member of Parliament for North West Norfolk and former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

2. Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke CH QC – lately Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe and former Chancellor of the Exchequer.

3. Rt Hon Ruth Davidson MSP – Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Central and former Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party.

The National: Boris Johnson and Ruth Davidson after the Wembley Arena debate just before the EU referendum, at which she accused him of lying about the £350m figure

4. Rt Hon Philip Hammond – lately Member of Parliament for Runnymede and Weybridge and former Chancellor of the Exchequer.

5. Rt Hon Nicholas Herbert CBE – lately Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs and former Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice.

6. Rt Hon Joseph Johnson – lately Member of Parliament for Orpington and Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation.

7. Colonel Rt Hon John Mark Lancaster TD VR – lately Member of Parliament for North East Milton Keynes and Minister for the Armed Forces.

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8. Rt Hon Sir Patrick McLoughlin CH – lately Member of Parliament for Derbyshire Dales, former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chairman of the Conservative Party.

9. Aamer Sarfraz – Conservative Party Treasurer and Venture Partner at Draper Associates.

10. Rt Hon Edward Vaizey – lately Member of Parliament for Wantage and former Minister of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries. Nominations for the Leader of the Labour Party: 11. Kathryn Clark – former Member of Parliament for North Ayrshire and Arran.

12. Brinley Davies – Director of Union Pension Services Ltd.

Nominations for the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party

13. Rt Hon Nigel Dodds OBE – lately Member of Parliament for North Belfast and Deputy Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.

The National: Nigel Dodds

Nominations for non-affiliated Peerages

14. Rt Hon Frank Field – lately Member of Parliament for Birkenhead and Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

15. Catharine Hoey – lately Member of Parliament for Vauxhall and former Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee.

16. Ian Austin – lately Member of Parliament for Dudley North and former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

17. Rt Hon Gisela Stuart – Chair of Wilton Park and former Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston.

18. John Woodcock – UK Special Envoy for Countering Violent Extremism and former Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness.

Cllr Raymond Puddifoot MBE – For services to the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Philip May – For political service.

The National: Theresa and Philip May

Now for the political peers.

Nominations from the Leader of the Conservative Party

1. Lorraine Fullbrook – former Member of Parliament for South Ribble.

2. Sir Edward Udny-Lister – Chief Strategic Adviser to the Prime Minister and former Deputy Mayor of London.

3. Daniel Moylan – Chairman, Urban Design London and former member of Kensington and Chelsea Council.

4. Andrew Sharpe OBE – Chairman of the National Conservative Convention and ViceChair of Policy Forum.

5. Michael Spencer – Chairman of IPGL (Holdings) Ltd and Centre for Policy Studies.

6. Veronica Wadley CBE – Chair of the Expert Panel for Model Music Curriculum and former editor of the Evening Standard.

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7. James Wharton – former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development and Member of Parliament for Stockton South.

8. Dame Helena Morrissey – CEO of Newton Investment Management and founder of the 30 Per Cent Club.

9. Neil Mendoza – Provost of Oriel College and Non-Executive Board Member of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Nominations from the Leader of the Conservative Party 

1. Lorraine Fullbrook – former Member of Parliament for South Ribble.

2. Sir Edward Udny-Lister – Chief Strategic Adviser to the Prime Minister and former Deputy Mayor of London.

3. Daniel Moylan – Chairman, Urban Design London and former member of Kensington and Chelsea Council.

4. Andrew Sharpe OBE – Chairman of the National Conservative Convention and ViceChair of Policy Forum.

5. Michael Spencer – Chairman of IPGL (Holdings) Ltd and Centre for Policy Studies.

6. Veronica Wadley CBE – Chair of the Expert Panel for Model Music Curriculum and former editor of the Evening Standard.

7. James Wharton – former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development and Member of Parliament for Stockton South.

8. Dame Helena Morrissey – CEO of Newton Investment Management and founder of the 30 Per Cent Club.

9. Neil Mendoza – Provost of Oriel College and Non-Executive Board Member of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Nominations from the former Leader of the Labour Party

10. Susan Hayman – lately Member of Parliament for Workington.

11. Prem Sikka – Professor of Accounting at the University of Sheffield.

12. Anthony Woodley – formerly Joint-General Secretary of Unite.

Nominations for non-affiliated Peerages

13. Claire Fox – Director and founder of the Institute of Ideas.

14. Charles Moore – journalist and biographer.

Nominations for Crossbench Peerages

15. Sir Ian Botham – Cricket commentator and Chairman of Durham County Cricket Club.

The National: Sir Ian Botham says he had coronavirus in late December and early January (Fiona Hansen/PA).

16. Dame Louise Casey – Former Civil Servant, Visiting Professor King's College London and Cofounder and Chair, Institute of Global Homelessness.

17. Evgeny Lebedev – Owner of The Independent, The Evening Standard and London Live and patron of Space for Giants.

18. Dame Nemat (Minouche) Shafik, Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science