Knighthood for top Tory who’s just knifed Boris
‘Gong for political and public service’
Former attorney general Jeremy Wright has been knighted – just days after plunging the knife into the Prime minister.
Sir Jeremy broke cover on monday to say that Partygate had caused ‘real and lasting damage’ to the Government’s authority.
And he said he had joined more than 30 Tory MPS to conclude ‘with regret’ that Boris Johnson should go.
Yet last night it emerged he had been made a knight bachelor as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Sir Jeremy was among six serving MPS who were recognised in the list.
And the DUP’s Arlene Foster, the first woman to become first minister in Northern Ireland, was made a dame.
Sir Jeremy, the mP for Kenilworth and Southam, served as attorney general under David Cameron and then as culture secretary under Theresa may. He received his knighthood for ‘political and public service’. on monday he released a lengthy statement to say that while he could not be certain mr Johnson lied to Parliament, he believed the Prime minister had been ‘negligent’ in failing to ensure that the repeated assurances he gave that no rules had been broken were correct.
He said: ‘I have therefore, with regret, concluded that, for the good of this and future governments, the Prime minister should resign.’
Conservative former culture secretary Maria Miller and Labour’s aid spokesman Nia Griffith were both made dames.
Former Labour minister Stephen Timms – who was stabbed at a constituency surgery 12 years ago – has been given a knighthood. He said: deserving ‘I’m than not sure one of I’m my more colleagues, but I’m pleased [with the knighthood] and my 93-year-old mother is pleased about it as well.’ Tory mP for Chatham and Aylesford Tracey Crouch, who was chairman of the fan-led review into english football, has been made a CBe, while fellow Conservatives Chris Skidmore, who represents Kingswood, and the former mP for St Ives, David Harris, have been made oBes. mr Skidmore said: ‘I’m grateful for the award for my continued work in higher education and the environment since leaving government.’
Dame Arlene, former leader of the DUP, said: ‘As a big royalist, it’s a huge honour to receive this damehood in the 70th year of Her majesty’s reign.’
Businessman James Milne, who has given thousands to the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats parties, has also been given a knighthood for ‘services to business and to charity’.
Six UK Government officials who were on the ground during the chaotic evacuation of Afghanistan last August have been rewarded for their service.
Dr Martin Longden, formerly charge d’affaires of the UK mission to Afghanistan in Doha, has been made Companion of the order of St michael and St George for services to British foreign policy. Three other officials were awarded an oBe and two more received an mBe.
It comes a week after mPs said Afghan allies and British soldiers were ‘utterly let down by deep failures of leadership’ in government during the evacuation of troops and personnel from Kabul.