Top Sunak aide once called for axing of political nominees in New Year Honours
An aide to Rishi Sunak previously called for honours nominations and vetoes from Downing Street to be abolished because it left the system open to “political favours”.
The Prime Minister faced a backlash after seven Conservative donors were given gongs in the New Year Honours list, including knighthoods for the Addison Lee founder John Griffin and Wetherspoon’s boss Tim Martin.
While awards are ultimately handed out by the King, the list first goes to Number 10 for vetting and approval.
Will Tanner, who serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Mr Sunak, made the comments in a column for i in 2021. He previously served as a Downing Street adviser to Theresa May.
Discussing his work screening New Year Honours for Mrs May, Mr Tanner bemoaned the political machinations of the system, saying it justified Labour’s attacks on the Conservative Party.
He described Downing Street staffers as having implicit “powers of veto over nominees who cause embarrassment, and powers of patronage for allies who might generate political favour”.
Mr Tanner continued: “It is no coincidence that each year loyal apparatchiks, party stalwarts and the casualties of reshuffles miraculously find themselves invited for investiture.”
Commenting following publication of this year’s list, Tom Brake, a former Lib Dem MP and director of the campaign organisation Unlock Democracy, said: “The evidence is that making a massive political donation significantly boosts a donor’s chance of a knighthood or OBE.
“The honours system is long overdue for radical surgery. Time to take the power of patronage away from politicians and give it to the people.”
Mr Tanner’s comments were made in 2021, while he was director of the think tank Onward. In October 2022, Mr Tanner was appointed by Mr Sunak into the Deputy Chief of Staff role.
In the column, Mr Tanner called on then-PM Boris Johnson to scrap political nominees and vetoes entirely, warning that the Labour Party could take advantage of the system, which he said is prone to favoritism.
“If the Prime Minister genuinely wants to disprove Labour’s attack line that there is ‘one rule for them’, there are worse places to start than by reforming honours to reward genuine merit and public service,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is also facing criticism for allowing former prime minister Liz Truss to award her allies in her resignation honours, announced at the same time as the King’s list.
Ms Truss handed out gongs and peerages to a string of her leadership campaign backers and longstanding aides despite a disastrous and short-lived stint in No 10.
Mr Sunak was accused of “weakness” for approving Ms Truss’s gongs despite pressure to block her honours list entirely, given the economic chaos unleashed by the mini-Budget that ultimately cost her job as prime minister after 49 days in October 2022.
Mr Tanner did not respond to a request for comment. He ceased to be a columnist for i upon his appointment to Downing Street.
The Government and the Labour Party have been contacted for comment.
