‘Speaking garbage’: Boris Johnson hits again at Rishi Sunak in row over peerages listing
Boris Johnson has accused Rishi Sunak of “talking rubbish” after the prime minister claimed his predecessor requested him to overrule a panel vetting his nominations to the House of Lords.
The row over the previous Tory chief’s resignation honours listing escalated on Monday as Mr Sunak stated Mr Johnson needed him “to do something I wasn’t prepared to do”.
He stated this was “to either overrule the Holac [House of Lords Appointments] committee or make promises to people”.
Politics Live: Boris Johnson ‘asked me to do something I wasn’t prepared to do’
Mr Johnson hit again hours later with a fiery assertion denying this was the case.
He stated: “Rishi Sunak is talking rubbish. To honour these peerages it was not necessary to overrule Holac – but simply to ask them to renew their vetting, which was a mere formality.”
Mr Johnson was left livid after a few of his political allies – Nadine Dorries, Alok Sharma and Nigel Adams – weren’t given the peerages he nominated them for.
The appointments had been blocked by the House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac), which confirmed it had taken eight individuals off Mr Johnson’s listing.
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The former prime minister was stated to be offended after Mr Sunak – who then critiques the listing – refused to reinstate his nominations or take into account nominating them in a while, with Holac not wanting sitting MPs to be put within the Lords.
Allies within the Johnson camp accused the prime minister of “secretly blocking” the peerages – one thing Downing Street has strenuously denied.
Speaking from London Tech Week earlier on Monday, Mr Sunak stated: “Look, when it comes to honours and Boris Johnson.
“Boris Johnson requested me to do one thing I wasn’t ready to do as a result of I did not suppose it was proper.
“That was to either overrule the Holac committee or to make promises with people.
“I wasn’t ready to do this – as I stated, I did not suppose it was proper.
“And if people don’t like that, then tough.”
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Boris Johnson ‘asked me to do something I wasn’t prepared to do’ – Rishi Sunak
His reply was met with a smattering of applause from the gang.
Mr Sunak’s feedback had been the primary public assertion he has made on the matter since Mr Johnson dramatically resigned on Friday, simply hours after his resignation honours listing was printed.
‘Pathetic playground antics’
Labour MP Chris Bryant, chair of the requirements committee, accused the pair of “playground antics” amid the escalating disagreement.
He tweeted: “Purely puerile was how I described Johnson’s hissy fit resignation. I hadn’t thought it would be followed by pathetic playground antics by both Sunak and Johnson arguing over who’s lying and who started it.”
Downing Street has since defended Mr Sunak’s remarks.
Asked whether or not the prime minister regrets his feedback and getting right into a public row along with his predecessor, his spokesman informed reporters: “No. As I say, he was asked a direct question. He gave a clear answer.”
Mr Johnson stop as an MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip on Friday night over a report from the Privileges Committee, which was investigating whether or not he lied to MPs about lockdown events in Downing Street.
As effectively as Mr Johnson, Ms Dorries and Mr Adams have introduced their intention to stop as MPs imminently.
The Johnson camp triggering three by-elections for a main minister struggling within the polls has not been seen kindly inside Downing Street.
The authorities is insisting it adopted the precedent of accepting Holac’s judgements in terms of nominating individuals for peerages.
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One ally of Mr Johnson has accused Mr Sunak of “secretly” blocking the peerages for Ms Dorries, Mr Adams and Mr Sharma.
They claimed the present prime minister “refused to ask for them to undergo basic checks that could have taken only a few weeks or even days.
“That is how he stored them off the listing – with out telling Boris Johnson.”
Sky News has asked for evidence to show Downing Street blocked the appointments.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said it was “fully unfaithful” that anyone from within Number 10 “tried to take away or change or alter” the listing of honours.