According to local media reports, former British Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson nominated his father, Stanley Johnson, to receive a “knighthood” when he resigned from office in September 2022. Although it has not been officially confirmed by Johnson’s spokesman, The Times indicates that the former Conservative leader nominated his own father and his brother Jo Johnson for honorary titles.
This news has caused controversy in the United Kingdom because Stanley Johnson was accused in 2021 by Conservative MP Caroline Nokes and a journalist of inappropriate touching during annual Conservative Party congresses. Nokes claimed that Stanley Johnson slapped her bottom and made vulgar comments about her during a congress in 2003, which Stanley Johnson denied recalling.
When a prime minister resigns in the United Kingdom, he draws up a list in which he asks the monarch of the day to bestow honorary titles on a number of people of his choice. However, the inclusion of Stanley Johnson on Boris Johnson’s list of nominees has generated criticism, as it is perceived as a possible reward for family support and loyalty rather than for personal merit.
In addition, Stanley Johnson’s nomination has been seen by some as a show of disregard by Boris Johnson for allegations of inappropriate behavior against his father. Jo Johnson’s nomination, on the other hand, has not generated the same controversy.