Labour slams David Cameron ‘cronyism’ after leak of ‘resignation honours list’

He put forward big-spending oil tycoon Ian Taylor and engineering supremo Andrew Cook – who have gifted the Conservatives more than £2.6m – for knighthoods.

He will receive the honour alongside former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and former Europe minister David Lidington, as well as Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

George Osborne, the former Chancellor and one of Mr Cameron’s closest political allies during his six-year tenure in Downing Street, will, according to The Sunday Times, become a Companion of Honour.

And he proposed honours for 24 of his Downing Street staff including his personal drivers and a clutch of Remain campaigners.

Meriden Conservative MP Caroline Spelman is set to be made a dame, according to the Sunday Times, which has obtained a leaked copy of Mr Cameron’s plans.

Before joining Cameron’s team at Downing Street, Jones was head of media for the Scottish Conservatives for 11 years.

The newly crowned PM, was pulled into the debate as she has to sign off the list of names which is submitted to the Queen, so in theory can block all or some of them.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson said the nominations are “cronyism”.

Watson said: “I hope Theresa May is not going stake her reputation on David Cameron’s old boys network”. The list will also be vetted by honours committees, which include Whitehall officials. “Regardless of the fact that they come from an outgoing prime minister, these recommendations should be turned down”, he said.

He told Sky News Mrs May should act to clean up the system and that the honours system was not created to repay “your mates” by showering them with rewards “like confetti”.

“Theresa May has it in her power to stop this list and we are calling on her today to do that … It sums up everything that is wrong with Westminster politics”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he wanted to see an honours system that was “fair and more democratic”.

On the reported inclusion of party donors on the list, he said: “I think there’s a real danger that people will perceive that this is a major misuse of the honours system”. Yet it shows just how warped a sense of perspective this Tory party has governed with. He told BBC’s World At One: “Giving knighthoods to MPs in the manner he has proposed, giving honours to stylists or special advisers to pay political debts undermines the honours system”.

A spokeswoman for May – Cameron’s successor – said, “Nominations for honours were at his (Cameron) discretion”.

If the public want the honours system to continue in some form to recognise the achievements of people who really deserve recognition, the handing out of honours should be regulated by professional bodies.

There have been numerous rows in the past about cronyism, and attempts to strip honours from people who have later fallen from public favour.