Honours should be for public service, not ‘Tory cronies’, says Keir Starmer

Honours should be for public service, not "Tory cronies", Sir Keir Starmer has said in the wake of a rift between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson.

Last Friday (9 June) Downing Street published the former prime minister’s honours list, lacking the names of allies such as Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams.

The prime minister has accused his predecessor and former boss of wanting him to ignore the recommendations of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac), with Mr Johnson responding by accusing Mr Sunak of "talking rubbish."

Sir Keir labelled Mr Sunak as "too weak to block Johnson’s list."