Boris Johnson’s former colleague joins Lords as youngest ever peer House of Lords

Charlotte Owen, a former aide to Boris Johnson, has taken her seat in the House of Lords as the youngest life peer, despite criticism over her lack of professional experience. The 30-year-old became Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge after she was formally introduced to the Upper House on Monday afternoon.

Johnson nominated seven of his closest associates at Lords as part of his controversial resignation honors list, of whom Owen was one of the last to take his seat.

Three of those nominated were in their 30s, including former journalist Ross Kempsell, 31, and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, 36.

The decision of former prime ministers to nominate Owen was criticized not only because of his age, but also because of his relatively junior role. She was an official at Downing Street under Johnson, but her exact role and length of tenure have been questioned.

While his own LinkedIn profile states that he served as No. 10 Special Adviser from February 2021 to October 2022, he is Not listed in official government directory List of Special Advisers published in June 2021.

Owen earned his bachelor’s degree from York University in 2015 before working for a Portland-based communications firm. She was a constituency intern for Tory MP William Wragg for a month and then worked for others in the party including Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Jake Berry.

Owen is not the only name on Johnson’s resignation honors list that has raised questions. Kulveer Ranger was nominated to the Lords after serving as Director of Transport Policy while Johnson was Mayor of London. but that was also credited The role of being Special Adviser to the UK Government on Digital Strategy does not appear on his LinkedIn profile.

Houchen has been accused of corruption on an industrial scale over a redevelopment project at the former Redcar Steelworks, but he denies it.

Disappointment spread among those whose names did not appear on the list, including Nadine Dorries. threatened to quit As MP for Mid Bedfordshire after being accused of maneuvering Downing Street to ensure that he would not receive a peerage. Dorries first said she would step down more than a month ago, shortly after the honor list was published, but she still has not done so.