David Cameron’s farewell honours list torn to pieces by Cabinet Office after he chooses his closest aides
List to be amended after senior Tories raised ethical concerns over the ex-Prime Minister's choices
DAVID CAMERON has been left red-faced after his “farewell honours” list was torn apart by Whitehall mandarins.
The former PM was set to secure honours including peerages and knighthoods for some of his closest aides following his departure from No 10 last week.
But senior officials in the Cabinet Office have raised ethical concerns over some of his nominees, according to The Times.
It is understood friends of ex-chancellor George Osborne and those who contributed to efforts top keep Britain in the EU are are among those who have run into difficulty.
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Peers on the Appointments Commission also raised concerns over some of Cameron’s nominations to the House of Lords.
A source told the paper: “David Cameron put forward a number of names.
“Some of them did not even make it past the first hurdle – the Cabinet Office.
“Cameron’s surviving team are having a series of difficult discussions with them to try and get through as many as possible.”
Some Tory figures are understood to be “irritated” at Cameron’s intent on dishing out honours to personal friends – and not important party donors.
He is thought to have nominated head of staff Ed Llewellyn for a place in the House of Lords alongside head of policy Camilla Cavendish and former adviser Chris Lockwood.
Llewellyn is also being mooted to become Britain’s ambassador to France after Cameron nominated the current ambassador, Sir Julian King, to be Britain’s next EU commissioner in Brussels.
Spin doctors Gabby Bertin and Laura Trott could also get peerages.
And former BBC editor Craig Oliver, who replaced Andy Coulson as Downing Street’s director of communications in 2011, could also get an honour.
Those who helped Cameron in the battle to keep Britain in the EU may also be rewarded.
A new, amended list of nominees could be published as early as next week – this time including people from other political parties.
The honours fiasco comes days after it emerged David Cameron scrapped rules on severance pay for government advisers so his closest Downing Street aides benefited from huge payoffs of more than £250,000 each.
John Mann, Labour MP for Bassettlaw, said: “It’s hugely embarrassing for David Cameron and it raises lots of ethical questions that there has been this delay.”