Boris Johnson was 'updated on peerages list by Cabinet Office before June'

Boris Johnson was given updates about his resignation honours list before he met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in June, it is understood.

The former prime minister is involved in a public spat with Mr Sunak over his House of Lords nominations, after Nadine Dorries and other allies missed out on getting peerages.

Ms Dorries has claimed information about what was needed for her to pass the vetting process for nominees was not relayed to her in time and accused the prime minister of "duplicitously and cruelly" blocking her appointment.

She used an interview with TalkTV to launch a fresh attack on Mr Sunak, claiming he used "weasel words" and "sophistry" in a meeting with Mr Johnson last week which left the outgoing MP believing she would be included.

The PA news agency understands that Mr Johnson was provided with information via the Cabinet Office about his list some time after the House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac) sent a list to Mr Sunak, in February, of the seven approved names, which were announced on Friday.

Downing Street said it would have been inappropriate for either No 10 or the Cabinet Office to contact individuals going through the vetting process directly.

"In line with the longstanding custom, the prime minister forwards the list unaltered following vetting by Holac [the House of Lords Appointments Commission]," the prime minister's official spokesman said.

"Obviously it is not for No 10 or the Cabinet Office to be in contact with individuals going through the Holac process - again, that would not be appropriate."

Ms Dorries, who claims she stood down as an MP after being "bullied" by Downing Street, said she only learned that her name was not on the list around half an hour before it was published.

Mr Johnson announced a shock resignation from Parliament on Friday in advance of a report which was expected to find he deliberately lied to MPs over the partygate scandal, before launching into a war of words with the man who was once his chancellor.

The rancour between the former Tory leader and his successor descended into a public slanging match as Mr Sunak said his one-time ally had asked him to "do something I wasn't prepared to do".

The prime minister suggested Mr Johnson wanted him to ignore the recommendations of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

But Mr Johnson's camp accused him of having "secretly blocked" the peerages of former culture secretary Ms Dorries and other allies in his resignation list.

The former prime minister released a statement saying: "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."

The Cabinet Office dismissed the attack, saying: "Holac did not support the nominations of the MPs put forward by the former prime minister.

"It is unprecedented for a sitting prime minister to invite Holac to reconsider the vetting of individual nominees on a former prime minister’s resignation list. It is, therefore, not a formality."

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