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Thursday, Jul 17, 2025

Conservative donors and 27-year-old among new life peers

The UK government has appointed 13 new lifetime members to the House of Lords, including young entrepreneur and Plaid Cymru nominee Carmen Smith, aged 27, now the youngest ever peer.
The list also names several Conservative Party donors, such as Stuart Marks, who has contributed £119,500 since 2013, and editor of Conservative Home, Paul Goodman.

The announcement, made during a parliamentary break, includes notable figures like Franck Petitgas, financier and adviser to Rishi Sunak, and Charles Banner KC, a prominent lawyer seen with Sunak at a cricket match.

Other Conservative appointees are Rosa Monckton, a disability advocate and former executive at Tiffany & Co in the UK, and Peter Booth, a design and retail entrepreneur also serving as the Conservative National Convention's national chairman.

Labour has nominated ex-union leader John Hannett, broadcaster and past Gordon Brown adviser, journalist Ayesha Hazarika, solicitor Gerald Shamash, and ethics adviser Jane Ramsey.

Life peers are appointed to the House of Lords, a body separate from the elected House of Commons, to scrutinize government activity and legislation, without being subject to elections. With diverse backgrounds, from politics to science and the arts, life peers usually serve until retirement, although some may retire earlier.
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