Boris Johnson blasted for ‘cronyism’ as his brother, Theresa May’s husband Philip and Brexit backers are handed honours

BORIS Johnson has been blasted for “cronyism” as his brother Jo, Theresa May’s husband Philip and numerous Brexit backers were handed honours.

In a list published today, Mrs May’s husband was given a knighthood for “political service”, while the Prime Minister handed one to his remainer sibling.

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The PM has now been accused of “bloating” the House of Lords to help out his friends.

The House of Lords Lib Dem Leader Dick Newby said: “Theresa May agreed to limit the number of new Conservative Peers she appointed, but Boris Johnson has ripped up this policy.

“By giving a large number of his cronies peerages, he has shown that the Tories have abandoned any pretence of reducing the size of the bloated House of Lords.”

Labour MP John Trickett tweeted: “Tell me it’s not true. The PM has placed his own brother into the Lords . Stinks”.

The SNP’s Steward McDonald added: “Theresa May’s husband, Philip, is to be knighted for ‘political services’.

“The only thing I’ve ever seen him do was stand beside his wife on the day she became PM and do the same on the day she stopped being PM.”

The appointments were also bashed by campaign group the Electoral Reform Society.

Chief Exec Darren Hughes said: “By appointing a host of ex-MPs, party loyalists and his own brother, the PM is inviting total derision. That he can get away with it shows what a private member’s club this house is.

“Is packing the Lords with party loyalists really a priority, as a pandemic rages across the world? This move is an absolute insult to voters. This is making a mockery of democracy.

“Today marks a nail in the coffin for the idea that the Lords is some kind of independent chamber of experts. It is a house of cronies and party loyalists – we need to see it scrapped and replaced with a fair-elected chamber that’s fit for a democracy.”

Mrs May’s husband has worked in private equity for more than four decades and he is highly regarded in financial circles.

He currently works as a senior executive at Capital Group, one of the world’s largest and most powerful financial institutions, controlling £1.1 trillion in assets.

Its portfolio includes £15 billion of shares in Amazon and Starbucks.

The Prime Minister also made sure the awards were a family affair, handing a peerage to his brother Jo depite falling out over Brexit.

Jo quit as a minister and then as an MP last year, citing “unresolvable tensions” over Boris’s Brexit policy.

He suggested his older brother was not acting “in the national interest”.

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The PM also handed former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson a peerage ahead of rumours she will attend Scottish parliament to face off with Nicola Sturgeon.

Brexit backing cricket commentator Ian Botham was also handed a peerage, as was newspaper owner Evgeny Lebedev.

Others included on the list are former Tory chancellors Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond, as well as DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds.

Five ex-Labour MPs also join the Lords, with Frank Field, Kate Hoey, Ian Austin, Gisela Stuart and John Woodcock handed roles.

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