Daily Mail chief Paul Dacre has made it onto Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list for the second time – despite the fact he has previously been rejected by the appointments watchdog.
Sources with knowledge of the list have told the Guardian that Johnson has put forward Dacre’s name again, potentially creating a headache for Rishi Sunak who might be forced to overrule previous doubts raised by the House of Lords appointments commission.
Sunak is already under pressure to reject Johnson’s honours list, which is widely reported to include the name of Stanley Johnson, the former prime minister’s father.
Appearing on BBC Question Time on Thursday night, immigration minister Robert Jenrick was prompted to address the topic when a member of the audience asked: “Can my dad have a knighthood too?”
Jenrick replied: “Well I’ve no idea who will be on the list.”
When asked by host Fiona Bruce if he opposed the former PM putting forward his own father for a knighthood, the Immigration Minister answered: “As a principal, is it wise for a prime minister to nominate a member of their own family for an honour? No, absolutely not.”
Jenrick later added: “My personal view is it isn’t sensible for a former prime minister to nominate members of their own family for honours.”
Earlier in the week reports that Stanley Johnson had been included by his son in his honours list had been met with outrage by the opposition.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had called the prospect “ridiculous”, telling LBC Radio: “The idea of an ex-prime minister bestowing honours on his dad – for services to what?”
He added: “The idea that Boris Johnson is nominating his dad for a knighthood – you only need to say it to realise just how ridiculous it is.
“It’s classic of a man like Johnson. I mean, I think the public will just think this is absolutely outrageous.”
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