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| Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak trade barbs in row over honours list | Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak trade barbs in row over honours list |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Rishi Sunak: "Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn't prepared to do" | Rishi Sunak: "Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn't prepared to do" |
| Rishi Sunak: "Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn't prepared to do" | Rishi Sunak: "Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn't prepared to do" |
| A war of words has erupted between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson over the former prime minister's attempt to give peerages to several close allies. | A war of words has erupted between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson over the former prime minister's attempt to give peerages to several close allies. |
| Mr Sunak accused his former boss of asking him to "overrule" the vetting advice on his House of Lords nominations. | Mr Sunak accused his former boss of asking him to "overrule" the vetting advice on his House of Lords nominations. |
| But in a fiery statement, Mr Johnson accused Mr Sunak of "talking rubbish". | But in a fiery statement, Mr Johnson accused Mr Sunak of "talking rubbish". |
| The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) said it rejected eight of Mr Johnson's nominations. | The House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) said it rejected eight of Mr Johnson's nominations. |
| There has been no confirmation of who the nominees were, and why they were not included on Mr Johnson's controversial resignation honours list. | There has been no confirmation of who the nominees were, and why they were not included on Mr Johnson's controversial resignation honours list. |
| A Cabinet Office spokesperson said HOLAC did not support the peerage nominations of the MPs put forward by Mr Johnson. | |
| The honours list was published by Mr Sunak's government on Friday, without the names of some of Mr Johnson's key supporters, including Conservative MPs Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams. | The honours list was published by Mr Sunak's government on Friday, without the names of some of Mr Johnson's key supporters, including Conservative MPs Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams. |
| A few hours after his honours list was released, Mr Johnson announced he was standing down as an MP over an investigation into whether he had misled Parliament about lockdown parties. | A few hours after his honours list was released, Mr Johnson announced he was standing down as an MP over an investigation into whether he had misled Parliament about lockdown parties. |
| Patel and Rees-Mogg rewarded in Johnson honours list | Patel and Rees-Mogg rewarded in Johnson honours list |
| The ghost of Boris Johnson haunts Rishi Sunak | The ghost of Boris Johnson haunts Rishi Sunak |
| Country doesn't miss Johnson drama, says Shapps | Country doesn't miss Johnson drama, says Shapps |
| Competing claims have now surfaced about how and why the names would not have appeared on the list. | Competing claims have now surfaced about how and why the names would not have appeared on the list. |
| Mr Adams and Ms Dorries have both announced they would immediately standing down as MPs, triggering by-elections to replace them. | Mr Adams and Ms Dorries have both announced they would immediately standing down as MPs, triggering by-elections to replace them. |
| Earlier, the row over the nominations spilled into a public spat between Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak. | Earlier, the row over the nominations spilled into a public spat between Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak. |
| Speaking at a tech conference in London earlier, Mr Sunak claimed Mr Johnson had asked him to do "something I wasn't prepared to do" on peerage nominations. | Speaking at a tech conference in London earlier, Mr Sunak claimed Mr Johnson had asked him to do "something I wasn't prepared to do" on peerage nominations. |
| "I didn't think that was right. And if people don't like that, then tough," Mr Sunak said. | "I didn't think that was right. And if people don't like that, then tough," Mr Sunak said. |
| A few hours later, Mr Johnson claimed it "was not necessary to overrule HOLAC - but simply to ask them to renew their vetting, which was a mere formality". | A few hours later, Mr Johnson claimed it "was not necessary to overrule HOLAC - but simply to ask them to renew their vetting, which was a mere formality". |
| Mr Sunak's comments are the first made publicly about the dispute over peerages, and marks a heightening of tensions between the two. | Mr Sunak's comments are the first made publicly about the dispute over peerages, and marks a heightening of tensions between the two. |
| Their relationship has been an uneasy one after Mr Sunak quit as chancellor in Mr Johnson's government, setting off a wave of resignations that brought down his premiership. | Their relationship has been an uneasy one after Mr Sunak quit as chancellor in Mr Johnson's government, setting off a wave of resignations that brought down his premiership. |
| The process of vetting Mr Johnson's nominees for peerages appears to be the one of the points of disagreement between the former allies. | The process of vetting Mr Johnson's nominees for peerages appears to be the one of the points of disagreement between the former allies. |
| There has been speculation in media reports about what would happen if a serving MP was nominated for a peerage, and whether they could remain in the House of Commons until the next general election, before taking up their seats in the Lords. | There has been speculation in media reports about what would happen if a serving MP was nominated for a peerage, and whether they could remain in the House of Commons until the next general election, before taking up their seats in the Lords. |
| But HOLAC says its vetting checks expire after six months, meaning its advice on nominations is only valid for that period. | But HOLAC says its vetting checks expire after six months, meaning its advice on nominations is only valid for that period. |
| In his statement, Mr Johnson appears to be suggesting the vetting checks for his nominees could be carried out again. | In his statement, Mr Johnson appears to be suggesting the vetting checks for his nominees could be carried out again. |
| Vetting process | Vetting process |
| In an interview with TalkTV, Ms Dorries claimed Downing Street had not been "telling the truth" about her nomination for a peerage. | In an interview with TalkTV, Ms Dorries claimed Downing Street had not been "telling the truth" about her nomination for a peerage. |
| Ms Dorries said Mr Johnson had told her in autumn last year she had been put on his resignation honours list. | Ms Dorries said Mr Johnson had told her in autumn last year she had been put on his resignation honours list. |
| The former culture secretary said she had been vetted for the peerage, but because six months had passed, her checks had expired. | The former culture secretary said she had been vetted for the peerage, but because six months had passed, her checks had expired. |
| She said Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson had a meeting last week to discuss his honours list. | She said Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson had a meeting last week to discuss his honours list. |
| Ms Dorries accused the prime minister of using "weasel words" to give Mr Johnson the impression Mr Sunak would ask HOLAC to restart the vetting process. | Ms Dorries accused the prime minister of using "weasel words" to give Mr Johnson the impression Mr Sunak would ask HOLAC to restart the vetting process. |
| She said Mr Sunak used those words because he "knew a situation had been engineered" in which her name would not be on the list. | She said Mr Sunak used those words because he "knew a situation had been engineered" in which her name would not be on the list. |
| When asked who she believed had stopped her from entering the House of Lords, she replied: "The prime minister - Rishi Sunak." | When asked who she believed had stopped her from entering the House of Lords, she replied: "The prime minister - Rishi Sunak." |
| Following her interview, the Cabinet Office said it would be "unprecedented for a sitting prime minister to invite HOLAC to reconsider the vetting of individual nominees on a former prime minister's resignation list. | |
| "It is not therefore a formality." | |
| Nominations convention | Nominations convention |
| As a departing prime minister, Mr Johnson has the right to nominate people for seats in the House of Lords, and for other honours such as knighthoods. | As a departing prime minister, Mr Johnson has the right to nominate people for seats in the House of Lords, and for other honours such as knighthoods. |
| By convention, current prime ministers pass on the list of nominees to HOLAC, which can recommend their names do not go forward after a vetting process. | By convention, current prime ministers pass on the list of nominees to HOLAC, which can recommend their names do not go forward after a vetting process. |
| HOLAC advises prime ministers on the suitability of candidates for peerages and usually, they accept its recommendations on appointments, whatever the outcome. | HOLAC advises prime ministers on the suitability of candidates for peerages and usually, they accept its recommendations on appointments, whatever the outcome. |
| But Mr Johnson broke with this convention in 2020, when he nominated businessman Peter Cruddas for a peerage, despite his rejection by HOLAC. | But Mr Johnson broke with this convention in 2020, when he nominated businessman Peter Cruddas for a peerage, despite his rejection by HOLAC. |
| On Sunday, a spokesman for the vetting commission said it had rejected eight of Mr Johnson's nominations, but declined to name them or say why, adding it "does not comment on individuals". | On Sunday, a spokesman for the vetting commission said it had rejected eight of Mr Johnson's nominations, but declined to name them or say why, adding it "does not comment on individuals". |
| Downing Street has insisted that Mr Sunak passed on Mr Johnson's list of nominations unaltered. It says it also accepted HOLAC's full approved list and passed it to the King. | Downing Street has insisted that Mr Sunak passed on Mr Johnson's list of nominations unaltered. It says it also accepted HOLAC's full approved list and passed it to the King. |
| But on Monday, a source describing themselves as an ally of Mr Johnson accused the prime minister of "secretly" blocking peerages for "Nadine and others". | But on Monday, a source describing themselves as an ally of Mr Johnson accused the prime minister of "secretly" blocking peerages for "Nadine and others". |
| "He refused to ask for them to undergo basic checks that could have taken only a few weeks or even days," the source added. | "He refused to ask for them to undergo basic checks that could have taken only a few weeks or even days," the source added. |
| "That is how he kept them off the list - without telling Boris Johnson." | "That is how he kept them off the list - without telling Boris Johnson." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Boris Johnson | Boris Johnson |
| Rishi Sunak | Rishi Sunak |
| House of Lords | House of Lords |