Daily Times

LONDON: David Cameron faced accusations of cronyism on Monday over a leaked ‘resignation honours list’ – people to receive Britain’s highest honours – following his resignation as the prime minister.
Cameron stood down last month after he lost the Brexit referendum and drew up the prime minister’s traditional ‘resignation honours list’ that showers politicians, donors, co-workers and others with knighthoods and other titles.
Some names were of prominent figures from the government’s unsuccessful referendum campaign, according to the leaked list. They include Ministers Michael Fallon, Philip Hammond, Patrick McLoughlin and David Lidington, all of whom favoured remaining in the European Union.
Isabel Spearman – former public relations executive of a handbag designer who also worked for Cameron’s wife Samantha as a stylist and assistant – and Thea Rogers, an aide credited with smartening up Finance Minister George Osborne were also listed.
The list angered many on the Eurosceptic wing of Cameron’s Conservative Party – who emerged as winners from the referendum – while the opposition Labour Party said that Prime Minister Theresa May should end the discredited system of awarding honours.
“David Cameron has decided to reward his political allies with honours as if they are confetti and I think he discredits the system,” Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom Watson said. Nigel Farage, the outgoing leader of the anti-EU party, said on Twitter that the list contained ‘too many rewards for failures’.
Tommy Sheppard, a member of the Parliament from Scottish National Party – which backs independence for Scotland – believed that the honours system was ridiculous and said, “We are seeing Tory (Conservative) privilege over reward for public service.”
A spokeswoman for May – Cameron’s successor – said, “Nominations for honours were at his (Cameron) discretion. There is now a process to be followed and May’s view is that it would set a bad precedent for her to interfere in it.”
Cameron has not commented on the accusations but Conservative Lawmaker Desmond Swayne – knighted for political service – said that it illustrates Cameron’s six years as prime minister. He said that he views the honours list as a relatively light way of paying the debt off.
“The reason we have a resignation honours list is because over a period of government, a prime minister has to cajole and get the support of a number people and that builds up a debt of honour,” Swayne said.
“Honours in Britain have in the past sometimes proved problematic and the resignation honours list is always risky,” said University of London politics’ professor Tim Bale.
There are also examples of when recipients have been stripped of their honours, he added.
Over the years, knighthoods have been removed from Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, Romania’s late communist chief Nicolae Ceaucescu and, for declaring war on Britain, Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.