UK PM’s surprise honours list faces Oppn criticism

London: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being criticised by Opposition parties on Friday for a surprise honours list which confers a knighthood on an Egyptian-born businessman who is a major donor to the governing Conservative Party.

The list, announced late on Thursday just before the long Easter weekend in the UK, honours Mohamed Mansour, a senior treasurer for the Tory party, for his business, charity and political service.

Further recommendations from Sunak to King Charles III include knighthoods for other senior Tories Farming Minister Mark Spencer and Conservative MP Philip Davies as well as damehoods for former ministers Tracey Crouch and Harriett Baldwin. “This is either the arrogant act of an entitled man who’s stopped caring what the public thinks, or the demob-happy self-indulgence of someone who doesn’t expect to be Prime Minister much longer. Either way, it shows a blatant disrespect for the office he should feel privileged to hold,” said Labour Party chairperson.