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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Aletha Adu Political correspondent

Dame Priti and Sir Jacob: the allies and aides in Johnson’s honours list

Priti Patel, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Shaun Bailey, Ben Houchen composite.
(Clockwise from top left) Priti Patel, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Ben Houchen and Shaun Bailey are recognised in Boris Johnson’s honours list. Composite: AP/Getty images/PA/Rex

Priti Patel, who was home secretary in Johnson’s cabinet and widely seen as a fierce ally of the former prime minister, has been made a dame commander.

Keen Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg has received a knighthood alongside Michael Fabricant who often went on the airwaves to defend Johnson during Partygate.

Shaun Bailey, who unsuccessfully ran for London mayor in 2021, has been awarded a peerage. Bailey was pictured breaking lockdown rules in 2020 with a Christmas party at Conservative headquarters in London.

Ben Mallett, who was also pictured at the lockdown-breaking Christmas party in 2020 alongside Bailey, has received an OBE. Mallett is understood to be a close friend of Carrie Johnson and also ran Zac Goldmith’s mayoral campaign.

Ben Houchen, the mayor for Tees Valley who has been accused in parliament of “cronyism and backroom deals” has received a peerage.

Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s principal private secretary, who earned the nickname “party Marty” for various messages he sent about the parties at the time, has been knighted with the Order of the Bath for his public service. Reynolds invited more than 100 officials to drinks in the Downing Street garden. He told officials to “bring your own booze”, later adding: “We seem to have got away with it.”

Shelley Williams-Walker, Johnson’s former head of operations at No 10, has received a damehood. She now runs his office. At the lockdown-breaking No 10 party the night before Prince Philip’s funeral she was nicknamed “DJ SWW” for the playlist.

Charlotte Owen, a former adviser to Johnson, has become one of the youngest peers.

Kulveer Singh Ranger, a former director of transport while Johnson was London mayor, has been elevated to the Lords.

Ross Kempsell is to become one of the country’s youngest-ever peers. He formerly worked as the Conservative party’s political director and has worked for Rupert Murdoch’s TalkRadio station, where he interviewed Johnson before he became prime minister. The bizarre interview consisted of Johnson claiming that he made model buses in his spare time. He has also worked for Murdoch station Times Radio.

Guto Harri, Johnson’s former director of communications at Downing Street, has been knighted with an Order of the Bath for his political and public service.

Ben Elliot, the former co-chair of the Conservative party, is in line to become a knight bachelor.

Dan Rosenfield, Johnson’s chief of staff who quit amid the fallout of the Partygate scandal, has been awarded a peerage.

Kelly Jo Dodge, the long-serving manager of parliament’s in-house hair salon, has been awarded an OBE.

The staunch Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries and Alok Sharma, president of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, were notably absent from the list. Reports suggested that officials had ordered that their mooted peerages were removed from the list to avoid byelections in their seats, but on Friday Dorries announced she was quitting anyway.

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