Johnson accused of cronyism as peerage job goes to chronicler of his ‘wit and wisdom’

BORIS JOHNSON has appointed the author of a book about his “wit and wisdom” to the body responsible for overseeing new peerages.

No 10 announced yesterday that Harry Mount, a journalist, will be joining the House of Lords Appointments Commission. The Prime Minister separately elevated Baroness Finn, his acting chief of staff, to the group that advises prime ministers on upholding ethical standards.

Both appointments, slipped out by Downing Street on Mr Johnson’s last working day in office, prompted accusations of cronyism from Labour.

Mr Mount was a member of Oxford University’s Bullingdon Club at the same time as George Osborne, and just a few years after Mr Johnson. He is a second cousin of David Cameron and in 2013 wrote a biography of the current Prime Minister titled The Wit and Wisdom of Boris Johnson.

Mr Mount is also a contributor to The Daily Telegraph and edits The Oldie.

The Lords Appointments Commission, which he joins on Sept 11, will be responsible for vetting the Prime Minister’s farewell honours list. Independent members serve non-renewable fiveyear terms and are tasked with review nominations “to ensure the highest standards of propriety”.

Lord True, the Cabinet Office minister, said Mr Mount “brings a wealth of experience from his career, and has much to offer” the committee.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, accused the Prime Minister of “using his last days in office for a final desperate bid to hand out more jobs for the boys”.

“This is a display of pure arrogance by Boris Johnson, putting his own leading crony in charge of stopping cronyism in Parliament,” she said.

“Far from promising long-overdue change, the Tory continuity candidates offer more of the same sleaze and self[interest],” Ms Rayner said.

Lady Finn, who has been the PM’S de facto chief of staff since July, will also join the Committee on Standards in Public Life from Nov 1.

A former businesswoman, she advised the 2010 coalition government on industrial relations before being ennobled by Mr Cameron in 2015.

She will serve as one of three political members alongside Dame Margaret Beckett, a Labour grandee, and Jeane Freeman, a former SNP MSP.