James Anderson knighted in Rishi Sunak’s honours list

England’s greatest wicket-taker James Anderson will be given a knighthood for services to cricket in former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list.

Anderson retired from international cricket in July last year as England’s leading Test and One-Day International wicket-taker and the most successful fast bowler in Test history, but will continue playing for Lancashire when he recovers from a calf injury next month.

When he takes the field he will do so as Sir James Anderson as he became the only sportsman honoured in Sunak’s resignation list. Sunak, an avid cricket fan, played in the nets with Anderson in the run-up to the general election.

The list of cricketing knights is short – but the majority of players to have been honoured are batsmen. Opening batsmen Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Geoffrey Boycott were all knighted in 2019, while the great all-rounder Ian Botham was knighted in 2007. Anderson is the 15th English cricketer to be knighted since the first, Sir Francis Eden Lacey, a first-class player and MCC administrator, in 1926. Only four of the 15 were bowlers.

“Congratulations Sir Jimmy Anderson,” said Richard Thompson, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s chairman. “This is a really well-deserved honour for an England legend who has given so much to our sport.

“Jimmy’s career has been marked by extraordinary achievements, not least in winning the Ashes four times and becoming England’s all-time leading wicket-taker. His skill, determination, and sportsmanship have inspired millions of cricketers and fans alike, in England and around the world. This is fitting recognition for a true world great who has given so much to the game on and off the field.”

David Lloyd, the former England and Lancashire player, said: ”It’s fabulous for him, it’s absolutely brilliant for Burnley as well. He’s got so many wickets for England and he’s still playing. A special moment for him and for Lancashire.

“I get a bit impatient with stuff like this and my first reaction was – about time! When you look at Jimmy, now at 42 years of age, you can see he looks after himself. When you get an accolade like this, Sir James Anderson, it’s not only about what he’s doing on a cricket field, but also about the person himself.

“Jimmy is a really good bloke, and he’s got great pride in what he does, which has been opening the bowling for England and for Lancashire. He’s also got a wonderful, fantastic respect of the game of cricket.”

Anderson now also works as a bowling coach with England, and has been part of an award-winning cricket podcast, the BBC’s Tailenders, with broadcaster Greg James and musician Felix White, since 2017.

Others to receive a knighthood include Jeremy Hunt, the former chancellor, James Cleverly, the former foreign secretary, Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary, and Andrew Mitchell, the former international development secretary.

Mel Stride, the former work and pensions secretary, has also been awarded a knighthood, along with Matthew Vaughn, the British filmmaker who created the 2004 hit Layer Cake.

Vaughn is also known for producing the famous 1990s film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Vaughn, who expressed his support for the Tories under Lord Hague’s leadership, is married to Claudia Schiffer, the German supermodel. He also previously served on the committee of the Tory fundraising ball, and dined with Lord Cameron at Chequers.

In 2001, he signed a letter to The Telegraph praising Tory policies for business and warning that a second Labour term would “pose a significant risk to Britain’s future prosperity”.

In 2008, the Tories used a short film he created as a Conservative Party political broadcast for the local elections.

Peerage for Michael Gove

Michael Gove will get a seat in the House of Lords after being heavily tipped for a peerage.

The former Tory Cabinet minister, who now edits The Spectator magazine, stepped down as an MP after nearly 20 years in Parliament last summer.

He is one of the most high-profile Tory figures of recent times, having held a string of top-level jobs under four prime ministers.

The 57-year-old is perhaps best known for his divisive stint as education secretary from 2010 to 2014, when he oversaw a major shake-up of the schools system.

He went on to serve in five other Cabinet roles, including as environment secretary, justice secretary and housing secretary. A prominent Brexit campaigner, he also famously fell out with Boris Johnson after kiboshing his first leadership campaign in 2016.

The list, released on Friday, also confirmed peerages for Mark Harper, the former transport secretary, Sir Alister Jack, the former Scottish secretary, and Simon Hart, the former Tory chief whip.

Others to be elevated to the House of Lords include Stephen Massey, the former chief executive of the Conservative Party, and Victoria Prentis, the former attorney general.

‘Rewards’ for a ‘dreadful’ government

The Electoral Reform Society said Mr Sunak’s resignation list means the Tories appointed a total of 149 new peers to the 800-strong House of Lords in just five years.

Boris Johnson sent 71 to the upper house, Liz Truss 32, despite only being prime minister for seven weeks, and Rishi Sunak 46, including the seven announced on Friday.

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to reduce the size of the Lords by ejecting the remaining 88 hereditary peers. But he has also appointed a number of peers himself as part of a bid to ensure he has a majority in the Upper House.

Darren Hughes, chief executive of the society, said: “Trust in our politics has slumped to record lows in recent years. Yet today the public is again witnessing the spectacle of a former prime minister stuffing even more friends and allies into the already ludicrously bloated House of Lords – handing each one a job for life in Parliament.”

Daisy Cooper, the deputy Liberal Democrat leader, said: “These political nominations look like an ID parade of political flunkies whose fingerprint of failure are still felt on family finances.

“They are rewards for the failure of a dreadful Conservative government that was rightly kicked out of office.

“Millions of hard working families were fed up after years of Conservative chaos culminating in a cost of living crisis, and public services on their knees.

“The fact that Rishi Sunak has dished out honours to his mates after all the damage they did is yet more proof of how out of touch the Conservatives still are.”

A number of Mr Sunak’s former aides have been awarded honours, including Elizabeth Perelman, his principal private secretary in No 10, and John Bew, his foreign policy adviser.

Nerissa Chesterfield, his former press secretary, has been made a CBE, along with Cassian Horowitz, a former special adviser.

Other former Sunak aides to be made CBEs include Will Tanner, the former head of operations at No 10, and Rupert Yorke, who was Mr Sunak’s deputy chief of staff.

Mr Sunak has also awarded OBEs to a number of his former staff, including Lucy Noakes, another former press secretary.