There was, of course, nothing illegal about the new honours list published discreetly by Boris Johnson last Friday afternoon, as the nation was distracted by the prime minister’s unexpected Covid-19 press conference. But the sheer cronyism at work in some of Mr Johnson’s nominations risks further discrediting a tarnished institution already held in dubious regard by the public. Egregious though some of Mr Johnson’s nominations are, it would be unfair to single them out as uniquely reprehensible. Other prime ministers have used honours lists in similarly self-interested fashion. Mr Johnson’s Dissolution Honours List was all too aptly named.

Source: The Guardian August 02, 2020 17:26 UTC