Rishi Sunak: Boris Johnson ‘asked me to do something I wasn’t prepared to do’
Following the dispute over Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, Rishi Sunak has revealed the former prime minister asked him to “do something I was not prepared to” in overruling the approval committee for peerages.
Taking questions at the London Tech week conference, Mr Sunak said: “Boris Johnson asked me to do something that I wasn’t prepared to do, because I didn’t think it was right.” He was asked whether anyone in No 10 had intervened in the former prime minister’s resignation honours list.
“That was to either overrule the Holac (House of Lords Appointments Commission) committee or to make promises to people”, Mr Sunak added.
“Now, I wasn’t prepared to do that. I didn’t think it was right and if people don’t like that, then tough.”
Mr Johnson dramatically resigned as MP on Friday over the outcome of the Partygate inquiry, with two of his allies – Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams – also quitting with immediate effect.
The Privileges Committee will meet today to conclude their inquiry into whether the former prime minister misled Parliament over No 10 lockdown parties.
