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Boris Johnson’s “absurd” plan to give his father a knighthood in his resignation honours will discredit the system and “corrode public trust”, senior Conservatives have told The Independent.
Top Tories joined Labour leader Keir Starmer in condemning the move by the former prime minister – one of up 100 names he has reportedly nominated for honours.
Former cabinet minister David Davis told The Independent: “I think it’s ridiculous. It’s discrediting the honours system, which is rather a good one in that it doesn’t cost money and it recognises achievements of ordinary people.”
“There has been progressive corrosion of public trust in this system, so it doesn’t help to undermine that further just because of a family favour. It’s corrosive,” said Mr Davis.
Another former Tory minister added: “The idea of Sir Stanley would be ridiculous nepotism, completely without merit. The trouble with Boris is he tarnishes everything he touches. And now he is discrediting the entire honours system.”
The senior figure said: “The honours committee should weed out the majority of these names and spare Rishi Sunak the embarrassment of having to veto them and correct Boris’ bad judgement.”
The Times report that the former PM has nominated his father for a knighthood as part of his resignation honours was not denied by his spokesperson. “We don’t comment on honours,” they said.
It sparked outrage across the political spectrum and calls for Rishi Sunak to veto the proposed knighthood for Mr Johnson Snr – understood to be among the names being vetted by the Cabinet Office.
Sir Keir told LBC: “The idea that Boris Johnson is nominating his dad for a knighthood, you only need to say it to realise just how ridiculous it is.”
“It’s classic of a man like Johnson. I mean, I think the public will just think this is absolutely outrageous,” said the Labour leader, adding: “The idea of an ex-prime minister bestowing honours on his dad – for services to what?”
Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said “nepotism” from the former PM wasn’t new. “If future honours lists are to have any shred of credibility, Sunak must step in and veto this list.”
She added: “Honours should be reserved for those who’ve gone above and beyond to contribute to our country. Boris Johnson’s attempt to bestow that recognition on his father makes a mockery of the whole thing.”
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard accused Mr Johnson of “arrogance” and also said he was “making a mockery of the honours system – just like he a made a mockery of British politics”.
In 2021, senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes and a journalist publicly accused Stanley Johnson – a former MEP who campaigns on the environment – of touching them at Tory party conferences.
Ms Nokes accused Mr Johnson Snr. of forcefully smacking her on the backside and making a vulgar comment at the conference in 2003. He said he had “no recollection” of either incident.
The 82-year-old, who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU at the Brexit vote, became a French citizen after applying in 2021. He told The Independent at the time that it was a “very nice gesture” of the French authorities.
The row has raised fresh questions for the former Tory leader, who has already faced accusations of cronyism after nominating his brother Jo Johnson for a peerage in 2020.
Mr Johnson’s resignations honours list is proving highly controversial. He is thought to have chosen more than a dozen of his closest allies for peerages – including Nadine Dorries and Scottish secretary Alister Jack.
Previous reports have indicated he is also putting forward former assistant Charlotte Owens, in her late 20s, and 30-year-old aide Ross Kempsell, who previously worked for TalkTV.
The list is currently being vetted by Cabinet Office officials before the honours committee decides on which names go foward to Buckingham Palace. Top officials at No 10 are said to have concerns about the size of the list, as well as some of the names of those put forward by the former PM.
Mr Sunak’s official spokesperson said on Monday that reports about a knighthood for Mr Johnson’s father were “speculative”, adding: “The detail [of resignation honours] is still being worked through.”
The latest row comes as Tory MPs accused Mr Johnson of acting like Donald Trump in his efforts to undermine the Partygate inquiry into whether he lied to parliament.
Mr Johnson claimed it was “surreal” that the committee of MPs investigating whether he lied to parliament relied on evidence from Sue Gray – the top civil servant set to be appointed Labour chief of staff. But the committee said it had gathered evidence independently of Ms Gray.
Sir Keir has declined to say when he first approached Ms Gray amid a Tory outcry at the appointment – but he insisted he had “absolutely no contact” with Ms Gray as she carried out her Partygate probe early last year.
“I’ve been looking for a chief of staff for a little while now, but Sue will lay that out, but there’s nothing improper at all,” the Labour leader said during a phone-in on LBC Radio.
Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Times Radio that he understood discussions between Ms Gray and Sir Keir have been ongoing for “several weeks”.
Ms Gray is expected to submit a formal request on Monday to take on the role when she puts in her application to parliament’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba).
