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| PMQs: Keir Starmer attacks Rishi Sunak over Boris Johnson honours list | PMQs: Keir Starmer attacks Rishi Sunak over Boris Johnson honours list |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Starmer: Tories arguing over Johnson list while people worry about cost of living | Starmer: Tories arguing over Johnson list while people worry about cost of living |
| Starmer: Tories arguing over Johnson list while people worry about cost of living | Starmer: Tories arguing over Johnson list while people worry about cost of living |
| Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of being "too weak" to block Boris Johnson's honours list. | Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of being "too weak" to block Boris Johnson's honours list. |
| The former PM handed out awards to some of his closest aides from the Covid era in a list published last week. | The former PM handed out awards to some of his closest aides from the Covid era in a list published last week. |
| "That means that those who threw a Downing Street party the night before the late Queen sat alone at her husband's funeral will now receive awards from the King," Sir Keir said. | "That means that those who threw a Downing Street party the night before the late Queen sat alone at her husband's funeral will now receive awards from the King," Sir Keir said. |
| Mr Sunak insisted he had acted "in line with established conventions". | Mr Sunak insisted he had acted "in line with established conventions". |
| And - in a jibe at Sir Keir's own title - he said: "I'd expect a knight like him to understand that." | And - in a jibe at Sir Keir's own title - he said: "I'd expect a knight like him to understand that." |
| The list of Mr Johnson's nominees included his former head of operations, Shelley Williams-Walker, who was reportedly the DJ at a Downing Street gathering on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral. She was made a dame. | The list of Mr Johnson's nominees included his former head of operations, Shelley Williams-Walker, who was reportedly the DJ at a Downing Street gathering on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral. She was made a dame. |
| 'Tough talk' | 'Tough talk' |
| Former director of communications Jack Doyle and press adviser Rosie Bate-Williams, who issued some of Mr Johnson's denials about Covid rule-breaking, were given CBEs. | Former director of communications Jack Doyle and press adviser Rosie Bate-Williams, who issued some of Mr Johnson's denials about Covid rule-breaking, were given CBEs. |
| Nadine Dorries keeps party waiting on by-election | Nadine Dorries keeps party waiting on by-election |
| Johnson sends last-ditch letter to Partygate probe | Johnson sends last-ditch letter to Partygate probe |
| Battle for credibility rages between Johnson and Sunak | Battle for credibility rages between Johnson and Sunak |
| By-election confirmed for Boris Johnson's ex-seat | By-election confirmed for Boris Johnson's ex-seat |
| Mr Johnson has accused Mr Sunak of blocking some of his other nominations, including a peerage for close ally Nadine Dorries, something firmly denied by Downing Street. | Mr Johnson has accused Mr Sunak of blocking some of his other nominations, including a peerage for close ally Nadine Dorries, something firmly denied by Downing Street. |
| Mr Sunak said last week that he was not prepared to do what Mr Johnson wanted over peerages, adding: "If people don't like that, then tough." | Mr Sunak said last week that he was not prepared to do what Mr Johnson wanted over peerages, adding: "If people don't like that, then tough." |
| At Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir - who was knighted in 2014 for his past role as director of public prosecutions - asked why "for all his tough talk" Mr Sunak had signed off on Mr Johnson's list. | At Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir - who was knighted in 2014 for his past role as director of public prosecutions - asked why "for all his tough talk" Mr Sunak had signed off on Mr Johnson's list. |
| He repeated his call for an immediate general election, accusing the Conservatives of getting their priorities wrong. | He repeated his call for an immediate general election, accusing the Conservatives of getting their priorities wrong. |
| "All across the country, people are worried about their bills, the price of the weekly shop and the spiralling mortgage rates," said the Labour leader. | "All across the country, people are worried about their bills, the price of the weekly shop and the spiralling mortgage rates," said the Labour leader. |
| "So why has the Tory party spent this last week arguing over which of them gets a peerage?" | "So why has the Tory party spent this last week arguing over which of them gets a peerage?" |
| 'Tory cronies' | 'Tory cronies' |
| Mr Sunak denied interfering in Mr Johnson's nominations for honours, in line with what he said was a "long-held convention" that had been followed by prime ministers of both main parties. | |
| "My predecessors may not have agreed with Labour's choices of Tom Watson or Shami Chakrabarti, but the same precedent stood then as it does now. And I'd expect a knight like him to understand that," said the prime minister. | "My predecessors may not have agreed with Labour's choices of Tom Watson or Shami Chakrabarti, but the same precedent stood then as it does now. And I'd expect a knight like him to understand that," said the prime minister. |
| Sir Keir responded: "Honours should be for public service not Tory cronies." | Sir Keir responded: "Honours should be for public service not Tory cronies." |
| Rishi Sunak insists he did not interfere in the honours process | Rishi Sunak insists he did not interfere in the honours process |
| He accused the PM of ensuring "those who spent their time helping cover up Johnson's lawbreaking are rewarded by becoming lawmakers for the rest of their lives". | He accused the PM of ensuring "those who spent their time helping cover up Johnson's lawbreaking are rewarded by becoming lawmakers for the rest of their lives". |
| Mr Sunak asked why the Labour leader had put former MP Tom Watson, "who spread vicious conspiracy theories that were totally and utterly untrue", forward for a seat in the Lords. | Mr Sunak asked why the Labour leader had put former MP Tom Watson, "who spread vicious conspiracy theories that were totally and utterly untrue", forward for a seat in the Lords. |
| He was referring to the now Lord Watson's previous support for fantasist Carl Beech, who wrongly accused several high-profile politicians and military officers of murder and child sex abuse in 2014. | He was referring to the now Lord Watson's previous support for fantasist Carl Beech, who wrongly accused several high-profile politicians and military officers of murder and child sex abuse in 2014. |
| Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle intervened to warn Mr Sunak about his comments. | Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle intervened to warn Mr Sunak about his comments. |
| "Can I just say to the prime minister, you shouldn't criticise other members," he told the PM. | "Can I just say to the prime minister, you shouldn't criticise other members," he told the PM. |
| "Also, you're not responsible for the other parties. You are the prime minister that is answering the questions - not asking the questions." | "Also, you're not responsible for the other parties. You are the prime minister that is answering the questions - not asking the questions." |
| Lord Watson used his maiden speech in the Lords in December last year to apologise for his role in promoting false sex abuse claims. | Lord Watson used his maiden speech in the Lords in December last year to apologise for his role in promoting false sex abuse claims. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Keir Starmer | Keir Starmer |
| Boris Johnson | Boris Johnson |
| Rishi Sunak | Rishi Sunak |
| Prime Minister's Questions | Prime Minister's Questions |