Former South Downs MP Nick Herbert awarded a peerage

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Prime minister Boris Johnson has handed a place in the House of Lords to former Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert.

He is among 36 new peers appointed to the Lords by the prime minister.

Mr Herbert said he plans to champion rural issues when he takes his new place in the House.

“I’m honoured to be made a Peer and look forward to participating actively in the House of Lords,” he said.

MP Nick Herbert at the launch of the public consultation of the Arundel Bypass SUS-190830-142757001

“I will continue to focus on the countryside and rural communities, reforming our system of government, fighting the TB pandemic and promoting equality.”

Nick Herbert was Conservative MP for the South Downs area for 14 years after first being elected in 2005. He announced in November last year that he would not stand for re-election in the December 2019 general election.

He was a former shadow secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs and led the ‘No’ campaign against Britain adopting the Euro.

He later served as minister of state for police and criminal justice from 2010-2012.

In October 2019, it was announced that Mr Herbert was rejoining the Countryside Alliance - of which he was a founder - as chairman.

Andrew Griffith, who took over from Nick Herbert as MP for Arundel and South Downs last year, put a message on social media congratulating him on his peerage.

He wrote: “Congratulations to my predecessor, the Rt Hon Nicholas Herbert CBE, on whom the Queen has today conferred a life peerage.”