Stanley Johnson's autobiography — Stanley, I Presume? — makes for entertaining reading but the octogenarian's resume on the back cover is distinctly light on details, even if jobs with the Rockefellers, the World Bank, the UN and EU get a mention.
Few would suggest a long-dormant career is what has tipped the balance for the flamboyant Mr Johnson, a 2017 alumnus of the I'm a Celebrity TV show. For more than a century, the UK’s prime ministers have been embroiled in controversy over awarding honours to family and close friends.
The news this week that his son, Boris, had included the family patriarch in his proposed honours list after departing Downing Street served to highlight the not-so-distinguished British tradition of leaders bestowing titles on their relatives after spending time at the apex of power.
In recent years, few prime ministers have failed to raise eyebrows over their nominees. But Mr Johnson's nomination stands out for a few reasons, one of which being that it is usually a former leader's spouse that receives the title.
Mr Johnson follows Sir Denis Thatcher, who became a baronet in the last hereditary title awarded in the UK.
Norma Major, wife of John Major, was made a dame in 1999 during Tony Blair's government.
The general election that delivered a surprise landslide for the younger Mr Johnson resulted in an honours list that included a knighthood for Philip May, husband of his predecessor — and bitter foe — Theresa May.
Graham Smith, chief executive of campaign group Republic, told The National that the system is weakened by the intertwining of family and personal patronage with recognition of distinguished service.
“The honours system is dishonourable and corrupt. Boris Johnson’s nepotism only shines a light on a century-old problem,” he said.
“Honours should award only those who have made some kind of sacrifice or committed an act of extraordinary heroism. Handing them out to friends, family and political supporters is a clear abuse of office.
“We need to scrap the whole system and start again — we need a system independent of government, ultimate answerable to parliament but without the involvement of politicians in the nominating or awarding of honours.”
The elder Mr Johnson's daughter Rachel said that her father would probably have received a nomination from a prime minister at some point due to his activism on environmental issues. He worked on such issues for the UN and was in the European Parliament in its earliest days more than four decades ago.
As Stanley, I Presume? illustrates, there was a great element of chance in a varied life — which has been peppered with controversy.
Boris Johnson was named after a Russian man in Mexico who gave Mr Johnson the tickets to fly back to New York with his pregnant wife. However devoted to his spouse he appeared at the time, he has been accused of domestic abuse against her as well as sexual harassment against two women.
A former member of the European Parliament, he voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, with his son campaigning to leave, though he has since expressed support for Brexit. Last year, he was accused of hypocrisy after securing French citizenship.
Leader of the opposition Labour Party Keir Starmer has questioned what Mr Johnson has done to deserve a knighthood. Mr Starmer was knighted for a previous career as a public prosecutor.
“The idea that Boris Johnson is nominating his dad for a knighthood — you only need to say it to realise just how ridiculous it is,” he told LBC Radio.
“It's classic of a man like Johnson. I mean, I think the public will just think this is absolutely outrageous.”
The issue is an irresistible talking point in the UK — so much so, that some of those commenting leave their own inherited good fortune out of the conversation.
Harry Beaufort, 12th Duke of Beaufort, joined a Twitter thread last week to call for an explanation.
“There surely has to be some explanation as to why someone is being given a knighthood?” he asked.
Sarah Smith, the BBC's Washington correspondent, did the same thing when Sir Philip was knighted in 2020, only to admit her own mother was the spouse of a party leader who had been elevated to the House of Lords.
Yet Mr Johnson's honours list poses a political headache for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who must sign off on his predecessor's choices while trying to keep Mr Johnson’s loyalists on side.
Mr Sunak's spokesman said the report was “speculative”.
“Long-standing rules guard the honours process and there are no plans to change that,” he said.
David Cameron stepped back from granting one to his wife, Samantha, but she is already listed in the Debretts guide to the nobility. Her father, Reginald Sheffield, is the 8th baronet and owns a grand estate in England.
Sam Power, a senior lecturer and expert in political corruption at the University of Sussex, has described the honours system as “cronyism and nepotism at its finest”.
“In the British system, there’s much to be gained from having a knighted businessman in the family,” he told The Week.
“Even if one can make a pretty good case Stanley Johnson is deserving of a knighthood, it will be incredibly hard to shake the not unreasonable perception that he’s only getting one because of who his son is — that it is cronyism and nepotism at its finest.”
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting accused Mr Johnson of “discrediting the honours system and discrediting the office of prime minister”.
If one thing is more incendiary in the UK than handing out titles, it is the role of the House of Lords, which is the second chamber of parliament and also a place where people with political connections are frequently elevated.
To date, 1,517 life peers have been created under the Life Peerages Act of 1958. During his tenure, Mr Blair created the most — 374 in total — life peerages for his supporters. These grouped appointments were referred to as “Tony’s cronies” by critics.
The highest number of appointments may have occurred in the 1990s but this is followed by the 2010s.
These decades marked Labour leaving office in 1997 and the Coalition entering in 2010 followed by the Conservative victory in 2015.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The five pillars of Islam
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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