Former UK PM Boris Johnson ‘nominated his father for knighthood’

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure to stop a knighthood for Stanley Johnson as part of Boris Johnson’s resignation honors list.

The former British prime minister, who was ousted from Downing Street last September following a series of scandals, is believed to have included his father among 100 names shortlisted for the honour.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said it would be “outrageous” if the knighthood went ahead.

He told LBC radio: “The idea of ​​an ex-prime minister honoring his father – for what service?

“The idea that Boris Johnson is nominating his father for a knighthood – you just need to realize how ridiculous that is.

“It’s classic from a guy like Johnson. I mean, I think the public will think it’s absolutely outrageous.

On Monday night, Wendy Chamberlain, chief whip of the Liberal Democrats, demanded the prime minister stop the honour.

She said: “The Conservative Party is rewarding the failure, lies and corruption of Boris Johnson. If future honor lists are to have any semblance of credibility, Sunak should step in and veto this one.

“The honor should be reserved for those who have gone above and beyond to contribute to our country. Boris Johnson’s attempt to give recognition to his father makes a mockery of the whole thing.

“This nepotism of the former prime minister is not new, he successfully secured a position in the House of Lords for his brother, now he is trying to get the same VIP treatment for his father.”

A YouGov poll found on Monday that only 4 per cent of the public believe Stanley Johnson should be knighted, while 52 per cent said he should not. The rest did not know.

‘I don’t expect happiness’

Rachel Johnson, the former prime minister’s sister, said the award was speculation, and pointed out that Sunak would have to sign the list.

She told The News Agents podcast: “I don’t expect there’s going to be a national outpouring of joy if my dad is going to be born as Sir Stanley.

“Had my brother not been prime minister, I think my father might have been in line with some sort of recognition in his own right.

“He has done a lot more for the Tory party and the environment than any of the dozen people who have been given the gong at this point.”

He said: “People can draw their own conclusions, please don’t tell me, as it were, to sit down to decide on this. Because it’s literally too close. You’re talking about my brother and my father.” It is a decision that my brother has made in relation to my father or not.

Downing Street said Sunak had no plans to change the honors system.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said the long-standing rules protect the honor process.

“There are no plans to replace them that I know of. It is a matter of fact that the outgoing prime minister is able to nominate people like this.

Cabinet minister Michelle Donnellan said “there are bigger fish to fry” as she rowed.

The science secretary told LBC: “I think it’s just speculation at this stage. Obviously, it’s the prerogative of former prime ministers to be able to make these kinds of appointments, but we’ll see if that story is true or not.” No.

A spokesman for the former prime minister said: “We do not comment on honours.”

Stanley Johnson also declined to comment.

The former prime minister faced allegations of nepotism in 2020, when he nominated his brother Joe Johnson to the peerage.

In 2021, senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes and a journalist publicly accused former MEP Stanley Johnson of groping them at Conservative Party conferences.

Knox, chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, accused him of forcefully slapping her on the back and making lewd comments in conference in 2003.

He said he had “no memory” of any of the incidents.