Arise, Sir Dad?
Outrageous. Ridiculous. For services to what? Tories join Labour fury over Bori's plan to give father a knighthood in his resignation honours list
Boris Johnson’s “absurd” plan to give his father Stanley a knighthood will discredit the system and “corrode public trust”, senior Conservatives told The Independent last night. Top Tories joined Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in condemning the former PM’s reported nomination in his resignation honours. The former cabinet minister David Davis said: “I think it’s ridiculous. There has been progressive corrosion of public trust in this system, so it doesn’t help to undermine that further.” A former Tory minister added: “The idea of Sir Stanley would be ridiculous nepotism, completely without merit. The trouble with Boris is he tarnishes everything he touches. And now he is discrediting the entire honours system.” Sir Keir called it “outrageous”, adding: “The idea of an ex-prime minister bestowing honours on his dad – for services to what?” Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the reports of a knighthood for Johnson Snr were speculative.