The government has criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s reported intention to nominate his father Stanley for a knighthood. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick stated on BBC Question Time that prime ministers shouldn’t bestow honours on family members, and Shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reject any such nomination.
According to the BBC, Mr. Johnson’s list of honours will now include approximately 50 names, down from the previously reported 100. Under the British system, outgoing prime ministers may request the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods, and other honours on an unlimited number of individuals.
Stanley Johnson is a former Conservative member of the European Parliament who worked for the World Bank and European Commission and authored books on environmental issues. Mr. Johnson’s spokesperson declined to comment on whether or not he planned to nominate his father for a knighthood. A Cabinet Office spokesperson stated, “We do not comment on rumours regarding awards.”
The potential nomination of Boris Johnson’s father for an honour has sparked debate regarding the propriety of prime ministers bestowing honours on family members. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick stated that it is not “wise” for prime ministers to do so, whereas Shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block any nomination of this nature. According to reports this week, Mr. Johnson was instructed by officials to reduce the number of individuals on his list, which he had initially proposed to be nearly 100. Currently, it is believed that the list will contain approximately fifty names, which is fewer than those of his predecessors David Cameron and Theresa May.
The British public is currently awaiting the release of Mr. Johnson’s list of honours. While the Cabinet Office has stated that it does not comment on honours rumours, the debate over the nomination of family members for honours has been reignited.
