Rishi Sunak was last night urged to “justify his cowardly failure” after he signed off Boris ‘Bozo’ Johnson’s controversial crony-filled dishonours list.
The PM was blasted for allowing his disgraced predecessor to reward 50 of his mates and colleagues, some of whom were involved in the partygate scandal, with top gongs in his long-awaited resignation honours.
The gongs included a knighthood for loyal toff ex-business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, while much-slated ex-home secretary Priti Patel was made a dame.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson 'squared up to' King Charles for criticising Government plans
Bozo also gave peerages to former housing secretary Simon Clarke, as well as MPs Conor Burns and Michael Fabricant.
He even made his former personal assistant Ann Sindall a dame – and gave his hairdresser Kelly Jo Dodge an OBE.
Critics said it was a giveaway of prizes to a “carousel of cronies”.
Rishi had the power to block the gongs if he wanted to but waved them through.
Lord Newby, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, branded the honours a “clear failure of leadership” from the current Prime Minister.
He said: “Boris Johnson caused crisis after crisis in this country.
“His lack of honour means he didn’t deserve an honours list in the first place.
“Yet Sunak has caved in, rewarding Johnson for his reckless behaviour as Prime Minister.”
Meanwhile Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner slammed the list as a “sickening insult.”
She said: “It’s shameful that Rishi Sunak has failed to stand up to his former boss’s outrageous demands and agreed to hand out prizes to this carousel of cronies.
“He promised integrity, but this weak Prime Minister is once again showing his appalling judgement by doing Boris Johnson’s bidding.”
Bozo was reportedly blocked from giving dad Stanley a knighthood over fears of a widespread backlash.
He was also said to have been banned from nominating pal Nadine Dorries, in what insiders claim was a bid to avoid a risky by-election that the Conservatives could ill-afford to lose.
Last night the fuming ex-culture secretary announced she was stepping down as an MP anyway with immediate effect.
Insisting that she was “not angry,” she blamed her heavy workload as a TV host and columnist.
Last night Downing Street tried to distance Rishi Sunak from the scandal, blaming the House of Lords Appointment Commission (HOLAC).
The PM’s press secretary said: “As is convention, the Prime Minister forwarded the former Prime Minister’s peerage list to HOLAC unaltered.
“HOLAC then passed back their approved list.
“The Prime Minister then accepted HOLAC's approved list and forwarded it unamended to the Sovereign for their approval.
“He had no involvement or input into the approved list.”
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