Boris Johnson rewards allies, and a hairdresser, with honors as critics cry foul

Dozens of allies of U.K. ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson have received honors from King Charles III. That has drawn cries of cronyism from opponents of the ousted leader. “Resignation honors” are bestowed by the monarch but chosen by the government. They are an established but contentious way for departing leaders to reward loyal lieutenants. Johnson gave lifetime seats in Parliament’s unelected House of Lords to several former advisers. He also bestowed knighthoods or damehoods on former Cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel. The list features several staffers implicated in the “partygate” scandal over rule-breaking gatherings in government buildings during the pandemic. Angela Rayner of the opposition Labour Party said Johnson had rewarded a “carousel of cronies.”