Rishi Sunak's dad to get Father's Day card instead of knighthood, PM says in swipe at Boris Johnson

Rishi Sunak speaking to members of the media on the Eurostar to Paris before meeting with President Macron to discuss his small boats plans. Credit: PA

The prime minister's dad will have to make do with a Father's Day card rather than a knighthood this year, Rishi Sunak has suggested in a thinly-veiled dig at Boris Johnson following reports that the former PM plans to gift his father honours.

Mr Johnson, who was forced out of Downing Street last September following a series of scandals, is said to have included Stanley Johnson as one of as many as 100 names put forward for honours.

While travelling on the Eurostar to meet President Macron on Friday, Mr Sunak was asked by reporters if prime ministers should honour relatives.

Mr Sunak said: “For me a big success is remembering to get my dad a card on Fathers’ Day, so that is probably about my limit of it.”

Pressed if that should be taken as a “no”, he said: “Yes. As I said, if I am doing a card I’m doing well. Love my dad as I do.”

Boris Johnson nominates his father for knighthood, reports claim
Sunak meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron after speaking with reporters on the Eurostar. Credit: PA

Challenged again on the principle, Mr Sunak said: “My dad’s going to get a card on Fathers’ Day and that is about that.”

He added that he would not comment on “speculation” about his predecessor-but-one’s honours list.

Earlier in the week, reports that Stanley Johnson had been included by his son in his honours list had been met with fury by the opposition.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called it “absolutely outrageous” and “ridiculous”.

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Any honour for Stanley Johnson would raise questions for the former Conservative leader. Credit: PA

While Immigration minister Robert Jenrick told BBC Question Time on Thursday that prime ministers should “absolutely not” give honours to family members.

“My personal view is it isn’t sensible for a former prime minister to nominate members of their own family for honours,” the Tory MP said.

The BBC later stepped in to defend host Fiona Bruce after she faced accusations that she trivialised domestic abuse during a discussion about Stanley Johnson.It came after journalist and panel member Yasmin Alibhai-Brown dubbed the elder Johnson a "wife-beater" and said the 82-year-old’s alleged history of violence was “on the record”.

Ms Bruce interrupted, telling Ms Alibhai-Brown and the audience: “I’m not disputing what you’re saying, but just so everyone knows what this is referring to, Stanley Johnson’s wife spoke to a journalist, Tom Bower, and she said that Stanley Johnson had broken her nose and that she’d ended up in hospital as a result.

“Stanley Johnson has not commented publicly on that. Friends of his have said it did happen but it was a one-off.”

Boris Johnson faced similar criticism back in 2020 when he nominated his brother Jo Johnson for a peerage. Credit: PA

Boris Johnson previously faced accusations of cronyism in 2020, after he nominated his brother Jo Johnson for a peerage.

In 2021, senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes and a journalist publicly accused Stanley Johnson, a former MEP, of touching them at Conservative party conferences.

Ms Nokes, chairwoman of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, accused Stanley Johnson of forcefully smacking her on the backside and making a vulgar comment at the Conservative Party conference in 2003.

Stanley Johnson said after that he had “no recollection” of either incident.

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