Now the former leader of the Conservative Party wants his father, Stanley Johnson, to be honored as ‘sir’ as part of the traditional ‘retirement honors’ which former UK heads of government can honor after their retirement from deserving figures . Johnson’s father, 82, a former MEP from 1979 to 1984, is one of about 100 people on Johnson’s list, according to the Times.
However, it is still unclear if this will actually happen. The final decision on “retirement rewards” was made by current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who resigned as Treasury Secretary during Johnson’s rule. Sunak’s veto could further exacerbate his longstanding political dispute with Johnson, experts say. The Times called the ex-prime minister’s plans “morally reprehensible”. A spokesman for Boris Johnson did not comment on the report at the request of Reuters.
Using his status, Johnson also wanted to appoint four current Conservative Party MPs, including his confidante Nadine Dorris, as life member of the House of Lords. This will lead to new elections in the parliamentary constituencies, but, according to the polls, in each case the Conservatives will suffer serious defeats.
However, this won’t be the first time Johnson has helped a family member win some sort of prestigious title. In 2020, he successfully promoted his brother Joe, also a Conservative politician, to a seat in the UK House of Lords. Joe Johnson has been permitted to call himself Baron Johnson of Marylebone since October 2020 and is a life member of the House of Lords as a so-called life peer.
Critics have long called for reform of the appointments process. With over 800 members, the House of Lords is the largest parliamentary chamber in the world after the National People’s Congress. Opposition Labor politician Wes Streeting criticized Johnson’s slate announcement. “I think that fits Boris Johnson’s model of nepotism,” Streeting said.
Recall that in Great Britain, a scandal wins with the investigation of the interparliamentary commission into the introduction by Johnson and his entourage of deceptive politicians and the public on illegal parties at the residence of the ex-Prime Minister during the coronavirus quarantine. From the commission’s findings, it appears that Downing Street deliberately violated anti-covid rules. And Johnson himself is threatened with losing his seat in parliament and wrecking his political future.
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