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| George Osborne and Tory donors on Cameron's honours list | George Osborne and Tory donors on Cameron's honours list |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron has been accused of bestowing patronage like a medieval monarch, after his controversial list of honours for Downing Street aides, pro-EU campaigners and at least three party donors was approved. | |
| The former prime minister was successful in granting 13 new peerages, including to the Tory donors Jitesh Gadhia and Andrew Fraser, a party treasurer. | The former prime minister was successful in granting 13 new peerages, including to the Tory donors Jitesh Gadhia and Andrew Fraser, a party treasurer. |
| Some of Cameron’s closest political advisers – Gabby Bertin, his former director of external relations; Ed Llewellyn, his former chief of staff; and Liz Sugg, former head of operations at No 10 – will also enter the House of Lords. | Some of Cameron’s closest political advisers – Gabby Bertin, his former director of external relations; Ed Llewellyn, his former chief of staff; and Liz Sugg, former head of operations at No 10 – will also enter the House of Lords. |
| Related: Conservative donor asks to be removed from David Cameron honours list | Related: Conservative donor asks to be removed from David Cameron honours list |
| His former director of communications, Craig Oliver, will get a knighthood, while George Osborne, the former chancellor, becomes a companion of honour. | His former director of communications, Craig Oliver, will get a knighthood, while George Osborne, the former chancellor, becomes a companion of honour. |
| Michael Fallon, the defence secretary who became Cameron’s attack dog in the EU referendum and general election, will be a knight commander (KCB) and Patrick McLoughlin, the new Tory chairman, is to get a knighthood. | Michael Fallon, the defence secretary who became Cameron’s attack dog in the EU referendum and general election, will be a knight commander (KCB) and Patrick McLoughlin, the new Tory chairman, is to get a knighthood. |
| Andrew Cook, who gave to the party and to the pro-EU remain campaign, will also receive a knighthood. Will Straw, the Labour activist who led the failed campaign to stay in the EU, will get a CBE. | Andrew Cook, who gave to the party and to the pro-EU remain campaign, will also receive a knighthood. Will Straw, the Labour activist who led the failed campaign to stay in the EU, will get a CBE. |
| The publication of the list created an immediate backlash against Cameron and his successor in Downing Street, Theresa May, who has refused to block the list because it would “set a bad precedent”. | The publication of the list created an immediate backlash against Cameron and his successor in Downing Street, Theresa May, who has refused to block the list because it would “set a bad precedent”. |
| She had come under pressure to overturn his decisions after 48 names were leaked to the Sunday Times last week. | She had come under pressure to overturn his decisions after 48 names were leaked to the Sunday Times last week. |
| Just hours before the list was unexpectedly published on Thursday, it emerged that May’s leadership campaign received £35,000 from two Tory donors put forward by Cameron. Her campaign took £15,000 from Ian Taylor, an oil executive at Vitol, who was put forward for a knighthood by Cameron but asked to have his name withdrawn after the outcry about the list. | |
| May was also given £20,000 by IPGL, the company linked to businessman Michael Spencer, whom Cameron recommended for a peerage before it was blocked by the House of Lords appointment commission. | May was also given £20,000 by IPGL, the company linked to businessman Michael Spencer, whom Cameron recommended for a peerage before it was blocked by the House of Lords appointment commission. |
| Neither appeared on the list but two other donors were approved for peerages. Gadhia, formerly a senior managing director of Blackstone and board member of UK Financial Investments, has given around £200,000 to the party. Fraser is treasurer of the Conservative party and also a major donor. | Neither appeared on the list but two other donors were approved for peerages. Gadhia, formerly a senior managing director of Blackstone and board member of UK Financial Investments, has given around £200,000 to the party. Fraser is treasurer of the Conservative party and also a major donor. |
| Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, said: “Now that Theresa May has signed off on Cameron’s crony list she is now completely responsible for undermining the credibility of the honours system and putting crony lawmakers into the House of Lords.” | Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, said: “Now that Theresa May has signed off on Cameron’s crony list she is now completely responsible for undermining the credibility of the honours system and putting crony lawmakers into the House of Lords.” |
| Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, accused Cameron of making a list “so full of cronies it would embarrass a medieval court”. | Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, accused Cameron of making a list “so full of cronies it would embarrass a medieval court”. |
| “He is not the first prime minister to leave office having rewarded quite so many friends, but he should be the last. For the reputation of future leaders, such appointments should be handed over to an independent panel.” | “He is not the first prime minister to leave office having rewarded quite so many friends, but he should be the last. For the reputation of future leaders, such appointments should be handed over to an independent panel.” |
| Criticism of the list was not limited to the Conservatives. A number of Labour MPs criticised their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, for nominating the civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti for a peerage, despite having indicated he would not nominate any peerages without Lords reform. She recently wrote a report on allegations of antisemitism within the party. | Criticism of the list was not limited to the Conservatives. A number of Labour MPs criticised their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, for nominating the civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti for a peerage, despite having indicated he would not nominate any peerages without Lords reform. She recently wrote a report on allegations of antisemitism within the party. |
| There are tensions at the top of the party about Chakrabarti’s nomination. It is understood Tom Watson, the deputy leader, was not consulted and is uneasy with it. He has called for a boycott of the honours system until it is cleaned up. | There are tensions at the top of the party about Chakrabarti’s nomination. It is understood Tom Watson, the deputy leader, was not consulted and is uneasy with it. He has called for a boycott of the honours system until it is cleaned up. |
| The lists were published as a new report to Whitehall’s ethics watchdog warned party leaders have become “dangerously reliant on mega-donors”. | The lists were published as a new report to Whitehall’s ethics watchdog warned party leaders have become “dangerously reliant on mega-donors”. |
| The report on party funding, commissioned by Paul Bew’s committee for standards in public life, raised serious concerns about over-reliance of parties on big donors. | |
| “This, in turn, raises questions of alleged rewards for these donors in the form of peerages and other public honours, privileged access, and of influence on policy. These are areas of frequent speculation but inadequate solid research,” wrote the report’s author, Dr Michael Pinto-Duschinsky. | “This, in turn, raises questions of alleged rewards for these donors in the form of peerages and other public honours, privileged access, and of influence on policy. These are areas of frequent speculation but inadequate solid research,” wrote the report’s author, Dr Michael Pinto-Duschinsky. |
| The paper highlighted a public “fear that major donors expect and are led to expect privileged access to the government in order to promote their business interest”. | The paper highlighted a public “fear that major donors expect and are led to expect privileged access to the government in order to promote their business interest”. |
| It also expressed concern that soliciting huge sums is a “lazy shortcut for party leaders who are thereby able to devote less time and attention to the essential democratic function of generating support from party members”. | It also expressed concern that soliciting huge sums is a “lazy shortcut for party leaders who are thereby able to devote less time and attention to the essential democratic function of generating support from party members”. |
| The privileged access perceived to be granted to big donors and the gilded social functions they are invited to by parties also came in for criticism. | The privileged access perceived to be granted to big donors and the gilded social functions they are invited to by parties also came in for criticism. |
| “Social events which party leaders feel the need to hold with potential mega-donors gives an image of undesirable entitlement and extravagant lifestyle by the successful few,” it said. | “Social events which party leaders feel the need to hold with potential mega-donors gives an image of undesirable entitlement and extravagant lifestyle by the successful few,” it said. |
| However, it cautioned against making an easy link between donors who received honours and political influence, noting that many are deserved for unrelated reasons. | However, it cautioned against making an easy link between donors who received honours and political influence, noting that many are deserved for unrelated reasons. |