Tom Watson and Arlene Foster among new peers with seat in House of Lords - see full list

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, ex-DUP leader Arlene Foster and retired Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames were today appointed to the House of Lords.

The list, which was released on a day the government descended further into chaos, also includes TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady, who was nominated by Keir Starmer.

Former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre had been expected to be included, but was reportedly removed at the last minute., while Nadine Dorries was also absent having been mooted for a place.

A total of 26 figures were made members of the House of Lords as part of the latest honours list.

The peerages were conferred by the King on recommendation from Liz Truss, further to advice from former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Nadine Dorries was absent from the list despite speculation she would be given a peerage (Getty Images)

Included in the list are Sir Winston Churchill's grandson Sir Nicholas, who was expelled from the Conservatives by Mr Johnson for rebelling on Brexit.

Dame Arlene, who was forced out as leader of the DUP last year and is a former Northern Ireland first minister, was also included in the list and will sit as a non-affiliated peer.

Mr Watson, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, was among those nominated by Sir Keir Starmer.

Others nominated by Mr Johnson include former minister Sir Hugo Swire, as well as ex-MP Angie Bray.

Graham Evans, who lost his Commons seat in 2017 in Weaver Vale, will also enter the House of Lords, alongside businessman and National Gallery trustee Sir Michael Hintze.

Stewart Jackson, another former MP and a special adviser at the Department for Exiting the European Union, also gets a peerage.

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady was among those named today (PA)

Peter Weir, a former education minister in Northern Ireland, will enter the Lords after being nominated by the DUP, while chairman of Network Rail Sir Peter Hendy has also been nominated as a crossbench peer.

It comes just a day after the head of an influential commission which vets appointments to the House of Lords said he is becoming "increasingly uncomfortable" - calling on party bosses not to push unsuitable candidates through.

Lord Bew, who chairs the House of Lords Appointments Commission, has called for a meeting with Ms Truss saying his team is being unfairly blamed for controversial peerages.

He has written to the PM and Labour leader Keir Starmer reminding them of the qualities required for new appointments - including honesty, integrity and openness.

It comes ahead of Boris Johnson's resignation honours being announced, with a number of allies including Nadine Dorries tipped to be included.

Lord Bew's letter follows the award of peerages which caused a huge backlash, including that of Russian-born oligarch Evgeny Lebedev and Tory donor Peter Cruddas.

In a scathing letter Lord Bew said that it is for party leaders to consider if an individual is "in good standing" or if their past conduct might bring the House into disrepute.

Nominations from the former Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party

1. Angie Bray – Formerly Member of Parliament for Ealing Central and Acton, and leader of the Conservative Group in the London Assembly.
2. Graham Evans – Formerly Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale.
3. Sir Michael Hintze – Businessman, founder of the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation; Trustee of the National Gallery.
4. Stewart Jackson – Formerly Member of Parliament for Peterborough, and Special Adviser at the Department for Exiting the European Union.
5. Kate Lampard CBE – Chair of GambleAware; Lead Non-Executive Director of the Department for Health and Social Care.
6. Dr Sheila Lawlor – Founder and Director of Research at Politeia.
7. Dr Ruth Lea CBE - Economist, former civil servant and think tank director.
8. Dr Dambisa Moyo – economist and author; formerly Commissioner for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.
9. Teresa O’Neill OBE - Leader of the Council in the London Borough of Bexley; Vice Chair on London Councils; Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association.
10. Professor Andrew Roberts – historian and journalist; Founder-President of the Cliveden Literary Festival.
11. Dr Cleveland Anthony Sewell CBE – formerly Chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities; Chair of Generating Genius.
12. Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames – formerly Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, and Minister of State for the Armed Forces.
13. Sir Hugo Swire – formerly Member of Parliament for East Devon, and Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Nominations from the Leader of the Labour Party

1. Sonny Leong CBE – Co-Founder and Co-Chair of SME4Labour.
2. Frances O’Grady – General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress of the UK.
3. David Prentis – President of Public Services International and formerly Secretary General of Unison.
4. Kuldip Singh Sahota – Labour Councillor for Malinslee & Dawley Bank.
5. Ruth Smeeth – Formerly Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent North.
6. Sharon Taylor OBE – Labour Leader of Stevenage Borough Council.
7. Dr Fiona Twycross – Deputy Mayor of London for Fire and Resilience.
8. Thomas Watson – formerly Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Nominations from the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party

1. Peter Weir – formerly Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Nominations for non-affiliated Peerages

1. Dame Arlene Foster – formerly First Minister of Northern Ireland.
2. Professor Guglielmo Verdirame QC - barrister and Professor of International Law at King’s College London.

Nominations for Crossbench Peerages

1. Sir Peter Hendy – Chair of Network Rail.
2. Air Chief Marshall Sir Stuart Peach – Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Western Balkans and formerly Chief of Defence Staff.