Tory hands back CBE in honours list protest

A SENIOR Conservative is handing back his CBE in protest at David Cameron’s decision to shower political cronies and donors with honours.

Major Narindar Saroop, the Tories’ first Asian Parliamentary candidate, accused him of bringing the honours system into ‘disrepute’ by using his resignation honours to reward his friends.

The former prime minister faced a wave of criticism after using his final act of patronage to hand knighthoods, peerages and other honours to cronies, donors and supporters of Britain’s membership of the EU.

Major Saroop, who has written to St James’s Palace about returning his honour, said many public figures were disgusted by Mr Cameron’s actions.

‘Everyone I have spoken to who also has a decoration feels much the same way,’ he said. ‘They may not take the same action I am taking, but there is a great deal of disenchantment about the way the former prime minister has behaved.’

In his letter to the honours section at St James’s Palace, Major Saroop said: ‘There is little wrong with our honours system. It is the demeaning contempt for it as practised by (Tony) Blair and Cameron which has led to such disenchantment about an otherwise honourable institution.

‘Mr Cameron, often with some pride, indicated that he was the heir to Blair. This is now fully vindicated by his “Dishonour List”.’

Major Saroop, 87, was awarded the CBE in 1982 on the recommendation of Margaret Thatcher. After a career in the Army and business he served as a Tory councillor and was the first chairman of the UK Anglo Asian Conservative Society. He became the Tories’ first Asian Parliamentary candidate when he fought Green- wich at the 1979 election, slashing Labour’s majority by two thirds.

Mr Cameron’s list of 46 individuals included a knighthood for his spin doctor Craig Oliver, peerages for two Conservative donors and a CBE for Will Straw, the 36-year- old head of the campaign to keep Britain in the EU.

Mr Saroop told the London Evening Standard he felt he had to hand his own award back in protest, adding: ‘It is a futile cavalry charge but I felt I had to make a point. It’s obviously a wrench to return my CBE. I was extremely proud to be awarded it.

‘It was the year of the Falklands and I found myself queuing at Buckingham Palace with Ghurkas, soldiers and others who had given honourable service to this country in the Falklands. It was a great honour.

‘Cameron’s list, in my view, included people who were undeserving.’

The former PM has not given reasons for his nominations although his former Parliamentary aide Sir Desmond Swayne has defended the system, saying it is a ‘relatively light way’ to pay off political debts. ÷ Mr Cameron should be ashamed after giving his special advisers huge pay rises following last year’s election victory, critics said yesterday.

The former PM increased the pay of some so- called ‘spads’ by up to £18,000, or 24 per cent, analysis found, flying in the face of a 1 per cent pay cap in the public sector.

Months later, he gave them generous payoffs following his resignation. LibDem leader Tim Farron said: ‘The former PM should be ashamed.’

Seventy per cent of the No10 advisers reappointed after the election received the rises in 2015, according to the journal Civil Service World.

The biggest was for Adam Atashzai – from £58,200 in 2014 to £72,000 in 2015. He also received an MBE.

The Cabinet Office said: ‘These increases reflect changes in the roles of special advisers following their reappointment after the election.’

‘I felt I had to make a point’