Boris Johnson ‘scrapped knighthood for Michael Gove’ after ‘betrayal’

Boris Johnson scrapped a planned knighthood for Michael Gove after blaming him for blocking his return as prime minister last autumn, it has been reported.

Mr Johnson had planned to knight Mr Gove in recognition of his years of service in government since the Tories came to power in 2010.

The honour would have been considered a way of burying the hatchet after Mr Gove stood against his then-ally Mr Johnson in the 2016 Tory leadership contest.

His candidacy then prevented Mr Johnson from becoming prime minister in the wake of the Brexit referendum.

And in the most recent leadership election, Mr Gove is believed to have convinced Kemi Badenoch to back Rishi Sunak - effectively ending Mr Johnson’s hopes of a return to No10.

A source told The Times newspaper that, as a result, Mr Johnson removed the housing secretary from his resignation honours list.

All outgoing prime ministers are entitled to nominate a "resignation honours" list bestowing knighthoods and other titles – and Mr Johnson's have been the subject of great speculation.

In March it was reported that the former PM had nominated his father Stanley Johnson for a knighthood – a move that was branded unwise by some fellow Tories, and "ridiculous" by Labour leader Keir Starmer.

And the ex Tory leader faced accusations of cronyism in 2020, after he nominated his brother Jo Johnson for a peerage.

Rishi Sunak, as the current prime minister, has the power to block any nominations in Mr Johnson's resignation list.

The ex-Tory leader's final honours list is yet to materialise seven months on from his September 2022 resignation.

No list has emerged for Liz Truss either, amid debate about whether the short-lived PM should even get one given the limited nature of her tenure.

Mr Gove has not yet responded to a request for comment by The Independent.