Johnson firm gives Charlotte Owen top job after ex-PM made her UK’s youngest peer

The woman made Britain’s youngest peer by Boris Johnson has a plum new job at an environmental consultancy chaired by the former prime minister, The Independent can reveal.

Charlotte Owen, now Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge after entering the House of Lords at the age of 30, has been appointed vice president of the company Better Earth.

Her elevation to the Upper House in Mr Johnson’s controversial honours’ list two years ago attracted significant scrutiny just six years after she started working in politics and followed a brief stint as his aide.

News of her latest role – which is paid – emerged in a two-line entry in her Lords’ register of interests in the last month. Her salary was not disclosed.

The website for Better Earth, which is not fully operational but promises “full site coming soon”, describes itself as an “internationally facing company that seeks to contribute to global decarbonisation”.

It promises “internationally renowned and leading climate figures” who will offer strategic thinking and investment support. Lady Owen does not have a background in environmental work.

Mr Johnson became chair of the consultancy in May and at the time of his appointment said: “I am very pleased to be joining Better Earth because it is vital that we combine our mission to cut greenhouse gases with solid plans that promote economic growth and high wage, high skill jobs.”

He is co-chair with Amir Adnani, the president and CEO of US-based uranium production and exploration company Uranium Energy Corp.

Chris Skidmore, who was former net zero tsar under Mr Johnson and Tory MP for Kingswood and South Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024, has been appointed chief operating officer. He has long been an advocate for nuclear power.

Before accepting his role as chair, Mr Johnson wrote to Acoba, the government body which advises on jobs after ministers leave office, to ask if it was appropriate for him to take the position.

They replied, telling him there was a “broad overlap between this appointment and your time in office” and imposed conditions limit his role for two years. He left office in July 2022.

This was “preventing you from advising on any matters that you were involved in and have yet to be determined or made public; or where you had a relationship with the client/ investor,” he was told.

Lady Owen’s job for life in the Lords prompted a political storm with Labour calling Mr Johnson’s honours list a “carousel of Boris Johnson’s cronies”.

In her first speech in the Lords last year, she praised the former PM “who put a great deal of trust in me…. I will be forever grateful not only for this but for his kindness and encouragement.”

Earlier this week she said she was still in touch with her old boss and that he “always offers wonderful advice” when she was asked about the media firestorm and speculation that surrounded her nomination for a peerage.

Lady Owen also said she had been surprised to receive the nomination, which came through by email.

Earlier this week, she announced plans to try to change the law to criminalise “disproportionately sexist” deepfake porn.

She will introduce a Private Member’s Bill in the Lords to “create offences relating to taking of sexually explicit images, which basically means that you can’t take a sexually explicit picture of someone without their consent,” she said in her first broadcast interview.

She said she wanted to change the law to “prevent more women becoming victims of this technology”.

Mr Johnson, Lady Owen and Mr Adnani have been approached for comment.