London: British Indians Priti Patel and Kulveer Singh Ranger were rewarded in former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s honors list, which came hours before he resigned as an MP. Significantly, the honor list is a tradition given to the outgoing Prime Ministers. This included 38 honorees and seven peers. It was approved by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak nine months after Johnson left office. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, while former Director of Transport Ranger was promoted to the Lords.
Patel served as Home Secretary under Boris Johnson from July 2019, and resigned from the post in September 2022, just before the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister. Last week, a day after Johnson resigned as an MP, Patel praised him, calling him Britain’s most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Patel tweeted that Boris Johnson has served our country and his constituency with distinction. He led the world in supporting Ukraine, Brexit, and was our most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Boris is a political giant whose legacy will stand the test of time.
In May 2008, Ranger was selected as the Director of Transportation Policy after Johnson won the mayoral election. In a tweet thanking Johnson, Ranger wrote: “With great pride I can confirm that I have been promoted to the House of Lords.” This recognition is not just mine, but one I share with my family and friends, the Sikh community, and the many industry colleagues and Orthodox friends I have been happy to support and stand shoulder to shoulder with over the past 25 years.
I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished, but now look forward to continuing to champion and improve the things I’m passionate about,” Ranger wrote. Reportedly, in 2011, Ranger became Director of Environment and Digital London and his work resulted in a record drop in bike thefts. Born in Hammersmith, West London, to Sikh immigrant parents, Ranger is also the UK Government’s Special Adviser on Digital Strategy. He holds an Honors degree in Architecture from University College London, and a Business Diploma from Kingston Business School.
The list awarded knighthoods to Conservative politicians Jacob Rees-Mogg and Simon Clarke. Martin Reynolds, a senior civil servant and former principal private secretary to Johnson, was awarded the Order of the Bath for public service. Reynolds invited people to bring their own alcohol to Downing Street Gardens when the UK went into lockdown in May 2020. Labor Party deputy leader Angela Rayner called Johnson’s honors list an abject disgrace. Johnson quit as a Conservative MP on 9 June after claiming he had been thrown out of parliament over the Partigate scandal.
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