ANGER AT CAMERON’S HONOURS FOR PRO-EU ‘CRONIES’
DAVID Cameron has provoked fury by planning to reward the architects of Project Fear with major honours.
A leaked copy of the former Prime Minister’s resignation honours list revealed he intends to give gongs to those accused of the spin and false claims that underpinned Remain’s now discredited EU referendum campaign.
Former arch Eurosceptics who turned into committed Remainers Michael Fallon and Philip Hammond are in line for knighthoods along with two other Cabinet members David Lidington and Patrick McLoughlin.
Will Straw, the head of the Britain Stronger in Europe group and son of former Labour home secretary Jack Straw, is listed for a CBE, one step down from a knighthood.
He was accused of orchestrating a series of questionable tactics, including trying to link the tragic murder of Labour MP Jo Cox to the Leave campaign.
Other senior Remain figures to get honours include former Chancellor George Osborne who has been recommended for a Companion of Honour – a rare award which can only be held by 65 people at one time.
The then Chancellor was responsible for a relentless attempt to talk Britain’s economy down during the referendum and warn of a financial crash. He even threatened a “punishment” Budget with £30billion of cuts if there was a Leave vote.
Another surprise entry on Mr Cameron’s honours list is Isabel Spearman, who is in line for an OBE.
The former PR executive was known as Samantha Cameron’s “Girl Friday” during her time in Downing Street.
She helped Mrs Cameron organise her clothes, parties and diary.
Ms Spearman also helped with the Cameron children and ran errands for them.
Ukip leadership frontrunner Steven Woolfe condemned the recommendations saying the former prime minister has epitomised “the cosy establishment” rejected by the British people in the EU referendum. Mr Woolfe said: “In handing out gongs to his friends who backed Remain, David Cameron has shown both a lack of class and a deep contempt for the British people.
“He epitomises the cosy establishment that runs our country and who only look after each other – not the people they are meant to serve.
“If anyone deserved an honour it was Nigel Farage, the man who led us to referendum victory. Questions must now be asked whether members of Cameron’s cabinet were bought off before the referendum.”
Mr Cameron’s former Parliamentary Private Secretary Gavin Williamson, former security minister John Hayes and former police minister Nick Herbert are all believed to be in line for CBEs.
Meanwhile two of the Remain campaign’s top fundraisers – Ian Taylor and Andrew Cook, who between them gave £650,000 to proEU campaign groups and more than £2.5million to the Conservative Party – will both be rewarded with knighthoods, according to reports.
Former No 10 director of communications Craig Oliver leads the list of 24 former Downing Street employees on the list with a recommendation for a knighthood.
A Whitehall source said: “They must have gone through the No 10 staff list when they were compiling the nominations. I’m surprised Larry the cat is not in there.”
Tory MEP and leading Leave campaigner Daniel Hannan said: “For decades, gong-hungry corporatists and timeservers have backed the EU in the hope of preferment. This honours list is their last hurrah.”
Mr Cameron is the first retiring Prime Minister since John Major 19 years ago to put forward a resignation honours list.
IF THERE was any thought that there was no place in the modern world for self-serving political elites then that will have been dispelled by the leaked copy of the former prime minister’s resignation honours list. David Cameron heaped gongs on those accused of using the most underhand tactics in the Remain campaign before the EU referendum.
These include Jack Straw’s son Will Straw, executive director of Britain Stronger in Europe who was accused of attempting to link the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox with the Leave campaign.
Meanwhile former chancellor George Osborne is in the running to be made a Companion of Honour – this the man who threatened Britons with an austerity budget if Leave won and who warned that at some distant point in the future families would find they were a few thousand pounds worse off if we left the EU. It was quickly pointed out that his sums were wrong and ridiculous.
There is also the suggestion that some Eurosceptics in the Cabinet were bought off with the promise of honours if they backed Remain.
There are also awards for Downing Street spin merchants and stylists.
Frankly it stinks, this last desperate bid to claw back some kudos and influence for the Remain camp who are still determined to talk down British people, the British economy and our sense of nationhood. And you thought honours only went to those who served Britain and its citizens. It is a disgrace and an insult to all those who really do serve Queen and country and deserve their awards.