Boris Johnson ‘nominates dad Stanley Johnson for knighthood’

Boris Johnson has nominated his own father for a knighthood as part of his resignation honours list, it has been reported.

According to The Times, Stanley Johnson is among up to 100 people to have their names put forward for an award by the former prime minister.

The move could raise questions for the former Tory leader.

In 2021, a senior female Tory MP accused Stanley Johnson of touching her inappropriately at a Conservative Party conference.

Caroline Nokes, chairwoman of the House of Commons’ women and equalities committee, said Stanley Johnson had forcefully smacked her on the bottom and made a vulgar comment at the event.

The former MEP denied the incident ever happened, saying he had “no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all”.

Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list is said to be much longer than those of his predecessors.

Theresa May nominated 60 people while David Cameron had put the names of 62 people forward for an award.

Boris Johnson’s list will have to go through the Cabinet Office for vetting and any final decision will have to be signed off by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Labour criticised the reported move by the former prime minister.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast: “I think there’s a reason why it’s [the list] been held up and I think it speaks to a pattern of Boris Johnson’s behaviour around cronyism.

“I couldn’t care less to be honest whether Stanley Johnson gets a knighthood. What I do find extraordinary is that there are still many Conservative MPs who to this day who continue to defend Boris Johnson’s behaviour.”

In 2020, Boris Johnson nominated his brother Jo Johnson, who is now the Lord Johnson of Marylebone, for a peerage.

A year later Peter Cruddas entered the chamber after Boris Johnson overruled advice by the Lords appointments committee.

The ex-prime minister also nominated four sitting MPs to the House of Lords last year.

Scottish secretary Alister Jack, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, ex-COP26 president Alok Sharma and former minister Nigel Adams are all up for a peerage.

All four have agreed to defer any placement to the Lords until the next election but the UK Government previously suggested it could block the move.

A spokesperson for Boris Johnson said: “We don’t comment on honours.”