Brexiteer fury as Theresa May grants knighthood ahead of crucial vote

Labour said the decision to ennoble Sir John Hayes 'stinks of cronyism'

Conservative Brexiteers have reacted with fury to Theresa May’s decision to award a knighthood to a veteran Eurosceptic MP ahead of a knife-edge vote that could kill off her Brexit deal.

Sir John Hayes was given the honour in a surprise move by Downing Street on Friday, which immediately prompted accusations of “cronyism” from political opponents.

Tory MP Mark Francois has now written to Sir John suggesting his new coat of arms should be an “utter cock rampant on one side and a big chicken on the other” and claiming he kept his political principles “on the back of an old postage stamp” as an “ideological aide-memoire”.

The row comes as the prime minister heads to Brussels to seek approval for her Brexit deal at a special EU summit on Sunday amid fierce opposition both at home and abroad.

In a colourfully-worded letter, obtained by LBC radio, Mr Francois said: “It is encouraging to note that, even now, after all these years in parliament, you have not succumbed to the cynicism which sometimes affects colleagues and that, to this day, you still maintain an irreducible core of passionate political principles, which I understand you now keep jotted down on the back of an old postage stamp, as an ideological aide-memoire.”

He described the award as a sign of “absolute desperation” by the government to stave off defeat in the Commons, when MPs vote on the Brexit deal in the coming weeks.

Mr Francois, a staunch Brexiteer, added: “It’s entirely up to you but could I cheekily suggest a crest with an utter cock rampant on one side and a big chicken on the other.

“As you have spent your entire career as a staunch Eurosceptic, I cannot adequately put into words, really I can’t John, how much I think of what you have done for your country – and I am sure that many of your colleagues now feel absolutely the same.”

Sir John, a former minister who supports bringing back the death penalty, has expressed his doubts over Ms May’s withdrawal agreement but has not revealed whether he would vote against it.

The MP for South Holland and the Deepings is not believed to be among the Tory MPs calling for a no-confidence vote in the prime minister – an attempt that now appears to have stalled.

Ms May still faces an uphill battle to get her deal through the Commons, as Labour, her DUP allies and Brexiteers in her own party are among those threatening to vote it down.

Labour MP Jo Stevens, who backs the Best for Britain campaign, said: “This stinks of cronyism. It seems that in order to pass its unpopular Brexit deal, the government is willing to hand out knighthoods left, right and centre.

“Instead of sneaking out rewards for loyalty on a Friday, the government ought to come clean with the public and tell them that Brexit will leave us poorer and more isolated on the world stage.”

Labour’s former director of communications and strategy Alastair Campbell described the decision to hand out a knighthood as “corruption”.

“In a developing country we would call it corruption. Because it is. Disgusting,” Mr Campbell tweeted.

The awarding of a knighthood to an MP outside of the usual New Year’s and Queen’s birthday honours lists is rare but not entirely unprecedented.

After the general election in 2017, ex-defence minister Mike Penning and ex-whip Robert Syms were removed from their roles and received knighthoods months later.