Brexiteers hail knighthood of Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin

Tim Martin, the outspoken founder of the JD Wetherspoon chain of pubs and pro-Brexit campaigner, is to be knighted in the New Year Honours.

Mr Martin has been nominated for services to business after building one of Britain’s biggest pub chains from scratch to a nationwide fixture with 800 outlets.

However, the nomination is understood to take account of his role as one of the leading pro-Brexit business voices in the 2016 referendum on leaving the EU.

His candidacy was said to have been championed by Kemi Badenoch, the Business Secretary, who argued that successful entrepreneurs should not be ignored by the establishment for supporting Brexit.

The move, to be officially announced overnight into Saturday, was welcomed by leading Brexiteers.

Nigel Farage, the former leader of Ukip and the Brexit Party, told the Daily Mail that Mr Martin was a “Brexit legend,” and a “larger than life character, an entrepreneur to his fingertips and great company”.

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “I am delighted to hear this, as Tim not only was brave enough to take up the political cudgels in support of the majority of the British people but he also brings daily cheer to people’s lives through the good value provided by his pubs. A true British paladin.”

‘Honour is well deserved’

David Jones, a former Cabinet minister, told the Mail: “Tim Martin played a big part in the Brexit campaign. He was in tune with the national sentiment and understood the desire of the British people to recover their independence. The honour is well deserved and long overdue.”

Mr Martin, the son of a Guinness executive, opened his first pub in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1979. He initially named it Martin’s Free House but renamed it Wetherspoons the following year after a teacher who had told him he would never amount to anything.

JD Wetherspoon was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1992 and now operates more than 800 pubs, which have carved out a reputation for good value food and drink.

Last year, the company recorded a turnover of £1.9 billion and returned to profit for the first time since the Covid pandemic.

Forthright views on politics and business

Mr Martin is also well known for his forthright views on politics and business. He has lambasted politicians for treating pubs as a “milk cow” and taxing them more heavily than supermarkets.

During the pandemic he clashed with ministers over restrictions on hospitality, arguing that people were more likely to catch the virus at home than in a well-run pub.

But the 68-year-old is best known in the political world for his opposition to EU red tape and support for Brexit. During the 2016 referendum, he donated £200,000 to the victorious Vote Leave campaign and became one of Brexit’s most prominent business supporters.

During Theresa May’s negotiations with Brussels, he supported a no-deal Brexit, arguing it would bring down prices for consumers. He later backed Boris Johnson to become prime minister.

A spokesman for Wetherspoon declined to comment until the knighthood was officially announced.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.