Tory veteran Michael Gove is set to be made a peer when Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list is released today.
The former leadership contender will be elevated to the House of Lords in a move likely to reignite his spat with Boris Johnson. An ally of the shamed former PM described Mr Gove as “one of the most treacherous people in politics”.
Also set to be given a peerage is former Tory chief whip Simon Hart. He famously released a book filled with eye-opening stories about chaos under Mr Sunak, including an MP who rang him from a brothel claiming he’d been compromised by the KGB.
Former Transport Secretary Mark Harper, a close ally of Mr Sunak, is also understood to be on the list, which will include around eight names. And Alister Jack, who was Scottish Secretary in the last Government, is also expected to be included. Resignation honours are issued by outgoing Prime Ministers in a tradition ressurected by David Cameron in 2016.
Mr Gove, now editor of the Spectator, was a controversial figure during his 19 years in Parliament. As reports of his peerage emerged, an ally of Boris Johnson told The Times: “He’s been in frontline politics for a long time and is a more worthy recipient than many, but if you went on trustworthiness, values or consistency he’s one of the most treacherous people in politics. On Brexit, Cameron felt completely betrayed by him. He completely betrayed Boris more than once.”
Nevertheless Mr Johnson will probably send him a congratulatory text, the ally said. Mr Gove served as Education Secretary, Environment Secretary and Housing Secretary during his time in Parliament, which ended when he stepped down last year.
He ran for the Tory leadership in 2016, a move credited with scuppering Mr Johnson’s hopes and paving the way for Theresa May to become PM.
Mr Hart’s inclusion will raise eyebrows after he published an explosive tell-all diary about his time as chief whip. During his time upholding party discipline, he claimed he got a chilling chilling phone call from a brothel, while an advisor allegedly defecating on someone at an orgy.
He also said Mr Sunak had described an unnamed minister as “f**ing useless”, and alleged that Mr Johnson had pleaded for help to “kill off” a damning Partygate report.
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