Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Resignation Honours Lists

Thursday 7 September 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Patricia Gibson asked about discussions on the impact of resignation honours lists on public trust in politicians.
  • The minister responded that it is a long-standing convention for outgoing Prime Ministers to draft resignation honours lists, subject to propriety checks.
  • The minister also mentioned that the honours list includes individuals who have performed significant public service.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Patricia Gibson SNP
Standards & Ethics
Context

The question arises from the publication of resignation honours lists for former Prime Ministers, which has raised concerns about their impact on public trust in politicians and political institutions.

Question

Whether he has held recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the publication of the resignation honours lists of the right hon. Member for South West Norfolk and the former right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip on public trust in (a) politicians and (b) political institutions.

Answer from Alex Burghart

It is a long-standing convention, under successive Governments, that outgoing Prime Ministers can draw up a resignation honours list. Any names proposed are subject to the usual propriety checks.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific impact on public trust was not addressed.

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Q2 Patricia Gibson SNP
Democracy & Elections Standards & Ethics
Context

The question addresses the current low level of public trust in politics, exacerbated by controversies surrounding previous Prime Ministers' peerage appointments. It questions whether these practices are appropriate and if they contribute to restoring trust.

Question

Trust in politics has never been lower, and this has been worsened by the grubby reality that the former right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip handed out peerages to his pals and covid partygoers. The other former Prime Minister was the shortest-serving Prime Minister in history but still managed to crash the economy, and she will also enjoy the privilege of ennobling pals and cronies. Do the Cabinet Office, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet feel this is inappropriate in any way? Does the Minister think such a spectacle will help to restore trust in politics?

Answer from Alex Burghart

We discussed this at length on 22 June, when it was said that if the hon. Lady were to look at the resignation honours list of the former right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, she will see many people who conducted a great deal of public service and deserved to have that service recognised. We have not yet seen the list of the right hon. Member for South West Norfolk (Elizabeth Truss), but it is worth remembering that people who are honoured in our system have often contributed greatly to our country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific appropriateness and impact on trust were not addressed directly.

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