In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
The Peerage Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permits women peeresses and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be disclaimed.
The New Zealand royal honours system, a system of orders, decorations and medals, recognises achievements of, or service by, New Zealanders or others in connection with New Zealand. Until 1975, New Zealand used the British honours system. Since then the country has introduced a number of uniquely New Zealand honours, and as of 2021, only the dynastic British honours continue in active use in New Zealand, with the exception of the Order of the Companions of Honour.
Antony Harold Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree, OBE, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet member. He was the member of Parliament for Braintree from 1974 to 1997, and was later a member of the House of Lords.
Robert Andrew Stunell, Baron Stunell, was a British Liberal Democrat politician who served as Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove from 1997 until he stood down in 2015, and then a member of the House of Lords from 2015.
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the Dukedom of Edinburgh awarded for life to Prince Edward in 2023, all life peerages conferred since 2009 have been created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 with the rank of baron and entitle their holders to sit and vote in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as age and citizenship. The legitimate children of a life peer appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958 are entitled to style themselves with the prefix "The Honourable", although they cannot inherit the peerage itself. Prior to 2009, life peers of baronial rank could also be so created under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 for senior judges.
General John Nicholas Reynolds Houghton, Baron Houghton of Richmond, is a retired senior British Army officer and former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the British Armed Forces. He was appointed CDS in July 2013, following the retirement of General Sir David Richards. He served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, the Green Howards in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and later became Commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland. He deployed as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq during the Iraq War. Later, he became Chief of Joint Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters and served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff until assuming the position of CDS. Houghton retired from the British Army in July 2016, and was succeeded as CDS by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach.
Indarjit Singh, Baron Singh of Wimbledon,, sometimes transliterated Inderjit Singh, is a British journalist and broadcaster, a prominent British Indian active in Sikh and interfaith activities, and a member of the House of Lords.
Robert Walter Kerslake, Baron Kerslake, was a British senior civil servant. He was the head of the Home Civil Service from 2011 to 2014, succeeding Sir Gus O'Donnell.
Edward David Gerard Llewellyn, Baron Llewellyn of Steep, is a British diplomat and former political adviser serving as the British Ambassador to Italy since 2022. He previously served as the British Ambassador to France from 2016 to 2021 and as the Downing Street Chief of Staff under then prime minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2016.
Nicholas Edward True, Baron True, is a British Conservative politician who served as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal between September 2022 and July 2024. He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2011 and Shadow Leader of the House of Lords since July 2024.
David Lauchlan Urquhart, Baron Tayside OBE was a Scottish business man and life peer.
The 2015 Dissolution Honours List was issued on 27 August 2015 upon the advice of the Prime Minister, David Cameron. The Life Peerages were announced separately from the other appointments, while it was gazetted as a single list on 22 September 2015.
John Hannett, Baron Hannett of Everton, is a British trade unionist and formerly General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW). He was appointed a member of the House of Lords in 2024.
The 2016 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours are honours awarded following the July 2016 resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron. The life peerages and other honours were issued as two separate lists by the Cabinet Office on 4 August 2016 and all honours were gazetted as one list on 16 August 2016. This was the first Prime Minister's Resignation Honours since 1997.
Harold Mark Carter, Baron Carter of Haslemere, is a British lawyer, life peer and crossbench member of the House of Lords.
Andrew Michael Gordon Sharpe, Baron Sharpe of Epsom, is an investment banker and British Conservative politician based in Surrey, who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office from September 2022 to July 2024.
As part of the British honours system, Special Honours are issued at the Monarch's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer to the awards made within royal prerogative, operational honours, political honours and other honours awarded outside the New Years Honours and Birthday Honours.
Benjamin Alexander Gascoigne, Baron Gascoigne is a British political adviser and life peer. He served as Political Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2020 and the deputy chief of staff to Prime Minister Boris Johnson from 2021 to 2022. Gascoigne had also been his private secretary when Johnson was Mayor of London, and also served as an adviser when Johnson was Foreign Secretary.
