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Sunak approves Boris Johnson honours list including aides linked to Partygate Sunak approves Boris Johnson honours list including aides linked to Partygate
(about 1 hour later)
PM gives green light to list that also includes knighthood for Jacob Rees-Mogg and damehood for Priti PatelPM gives green light to list that also includes knighthood for Jacob Rees-Mogg and damehood for Priti Patel
Rishi Sunak has approved Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list of peerages and other awards for his allies, despite continuing police and parliamentary inquiries into the former prime minister over Partygate. Rishi Sunak has been accused of allowing Boris Johnson to hand out rewards to those involved in the Partygate scandal, including more than 40 honours and peerages for his closest allies at the time.
Johnson’s list gave honours to some of his aides who were most closely associated with the Partygate scandal, including an Order of the Bath for his former principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, who oversaw a garden party during Covid restrictions in 2020. The prime minister faced criticism for approving the list despite police looking at fresh potential evidence of rule-breaking in Downing Street and Chequers during lockdown, as well as an ongoing parliamentary inquiry into whether Johnson misled the Commons.
He also gave a peerage to his chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, and a CBE to Jack Doyle, his former director of communications, both of whom were in office during some of the Partygate era of rule-breaking within No 10 and the investigations into the scandal. Awards went to Johnson’s closest aides from the Covid era including an Order of the Bath for his former principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, who oversaw a garden party during lockdown restrictions in 2020.
Sunak left two current MPs, Nadine Dorries and Alok Sharma, off the list of peerages in order to avoid potentially disastrous byelections for the Conservatives. But Dorries, the former culture secretary, announced earlier on Friday that she was standing down as an MP with immediate effect. He also gave a peerage to his chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, and a CBE to Jack Doyle, his former director of communications, both of whom were in office during some of the Partygate era of controversy within No 10 and the investigations into the scandal.
Johnson’s proposal of a knighthood for his father, Stanley, was also vetoed. Doyle was one of those in charge of formulating the response to the Mirror’s initial investigations about rule-breaking, saying to another official at the time: “I don’t know what we say about the flat … Ignore the Xmas quiz bullshit, who cares. Just be robust and they’ll get bored.”
However, almost 40 honours and seven peerages made it through the vetting process. Two political aides, Ross Kempsell and Charlotte Owen, were put forward for peerages and will be two of the youngest members of the House of Lords. Shelley Williams-Walker, who reportedly was the DJ in charge of the playlist at a Downing Street gathering on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, was made a dame, while Rosie Bate-Williams, a former press adviser, who issued some of the denials about rule-breaking, was made a CBE, alongside an OBE for Sarah Vaughan-Brown, a press adviser to Johnson’s wife.
Johnson also gave a knighthood to Ben Elliot, the former chair of the Conservative party, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, while his former home secretary, Priti Patel, received a damehood. Labour said the list amounted to “rewards for those who tried to cover up rule-breaking”, while the Lib Dems said it was “gongs for Johnson’s Partygate pals” and described it as “corruption pure and simple”.
Shaun Bailey, the former London mayoral candidate, also received a peerage, along with Johnson’s long-term aide Ben Gascoigne, and a former City Hall adviser Kulveer Ranger. No 10 insisted that Sunak had only been following “convention” by approving the list but he faced criticism for refusing to block it in its entirety.
Ray Lewis, a former deputy mayor of London who resigned following a Guardian investigation into his conduct, was made a CBE. Other aides to get honours included the former communications director Guto Harri, who has launched a tell-all podcast-memoir about his time in No 10, Johnson’s personal assistant, Ann Sindall, who is to be made a dame and a longstanding House of Commons hairdresser Kelly-Jo Dodge who gets an OBE. The prime minister vetoed the inclusion of four sitting Conservative MPs, Nadine Dorries, Alok Sharma, Nigel Adams, and Alister Jack. However, Dorries resigned anyway on Friday, triggering a difficult byelection for the Conservatives in Mid Bedfordshire. Labour sources highlighted a poll showing them only three points behind in the seat.
Sunak faced criticism for allowing Johnson’s list despite the police investigating fresh claims of lawbreaking gatherings at Chequers during Covid restrictions. Johnson’s proposal of a knighthood for his father, Stanley, was rejected, and widespread speculation about peerages for donors and other family members was also wide of the mark.
There is also an inquiry by the privileges committee into whether Johnson misled parliament when he said all Covid rules were followed in Downing Street, which turned out not to have been the case. However, almost 40 honours and seven peerages made it through the vetting process. Political aides, Ross Kempsell and Charlotte Owen, were put forward for peerages and will be two of the youngest members of the House of Lords. Kempsell now works for Johnson as a media adviser.
Johnson also gave a knighthood to Ben Elliot, the former chair of the Conservative party, who faced controversy over the mingling of his political and business interests, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, while his former home secretary, Priti Patel, received a damehood. Other MPs to get knighthoods include Johnson allies Michael Fabricant, Conor Burns and Simon Clarke, while there were damehoods for Andrea Jenkyns and Amanda Milling.
Shaun Bailey, the former London mayoral candidate, also received a peerage, while former adviser Ben Mallet, a friend of Johnson’s wife, was given an OBE. Both men were pictured at a Conservative HQ for a buffet-style Christmas party during lockdown restrictions, which was investigated by police but ultimately no action was taken.
Two more aides to be rewarded with peerages were Johnson’s long-term aide Ben Gascoigne, and a former city hall adviser Kulveer Ranger. Ben Houchen, the Tees Valley mayor, was given a peerage despite him battling a controversy over the Teeswork project.
Ray Lewis, a former deputy mayor of London who resigned after a Guardian investigation into his conduct in 2008, was made a CBE. Other aides to get honours included the former communications director Guto Harri, who has launched a tell-all podcast-memoir about his time in No 10, Johnson’s personal assistant, Ann Sindall, who is to be made a dame and a longstanding House of Commons hairdresser Kelly Jo Dodge who gets an OBE.
Sunak faced an outpouring of criticism from within his own party for allowing Johnson’s list. One formerly loyal Johnson aide said it was a “list of bullies, sycophants”.
“Boris has slammed the door shut on the prospect of any return to the frontline of British politics and trashed what remained of his legacy,” they said. A second former senior Tory aide said it was “rewards for failure”.
A government source accused Johnson’s resignation honours of “dragging the whole thing into the gutter”, while a former cabinet minister called it “put out the trash day”.
A senior Tory said: “Let us hope this ghastly list brings down the final curtain on the Boris embarrassment.”