Tories accused of ‘corruption’ with Boris Johnson’s honours list which rewarded Brexiteers

The New European’s Editor-at-Large appeared on the James O’Brien show when he accused the prime minister of doing ‘what they do in places we used to call developing countries’.

Johnson has drawn fierce criticism for nominating Brexit advocates and other controversial figures such as the son of a former KGB agent Evgeny Lebedev and his brother, Jo Johnson, to the House of Lords.

MORE: Claire Fox and Kate Hoey amongst Brexiteers to receive peerages

O’Brien asked Campbell, who was Tony Blair’s former political advisor, if Friday’s list was different from another other before it.

‘What we’re seeing, I’m afraid, is the normalisation in British politics of a level of corruption that we as a country have for years condemned in the countries of others,’ Campbell told the LBC presenter.

The former communication director for Downing Street called the nomination of Lebedev ‘a bit weird,’ and insisted the appointment of the prime minister’s brother was ‘what they do in places we used to call developing countries.’

He went on to suggest Johnson only appointed Labour MPs who helped him defeat Jeremy Corbyn in last year’s election.

‘The ones that really get my goat,’ he added, ‘are the ones that spent all their time campaigning against Brexit because they hate the idea of power by unelected bureaucrats and suddenly being an unelected peer in the House of Lords…becomes very attractive.’

‘The whole thing absolutely stinks, but so much of what Boris Johnson has brought to our politics absolutely stinks.’

Among those to receive a nomination include Michael Spencer – Chairman of IPGL (Holdings) Ltd and Centre for Policy Studies – who Campbell said has been previously rejected for the House, former DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds and former Tory chancellor Kenneth Clark.