«Breaking News» Theresa May in cronyism row as Brexit deal backers are handed gongs in New Year Honours List

Theresa May is caught in the midst of a cronyism row after business leaders who backed her Brexit deal were announced in the New Year Honours list.     

It has fueled speculation that the system might be used to encourage influential persons to support the withdrawal agreement and 'toe the establishment line'. 

Among those to receive an honour is Juergen Maier, chief executive of Siemens' British business, and Katherine Bennett, senior vice-president of Airbus in the UK. 

Juergen Maier, chief executive of Siemens' British business, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours list. He has previously said of the withdrawal agreement: 'My gut feeling is that we need to get behind it and we need to make this deal work because what we need is certainty.

Katherine Bennett, vice-president of Airbus in the UK, earlier this year told MPs the deal would allow the company to emerge from a 'holding pattern' that has seen it hold back from big investment decisions due to uncertainty

Both received CBEs and have previously spoken out in favour of Mrs May's withdrawal agreement.

Mr Maier has previously said of the Brexit deal: 'My gut feeling is that we need to get behind it and we need to make this deal work because what we need is certainty.' 

While Ms Bennett earlier this year told MPs the deal would allow the company to emerge from a 'holding pattern' that has seen it hold back from big investment decisions due to uncertainty. 

She has been vehement in her opposition to a no deal Brexit, saying: 'We don't deal in idle threats. We seriously believe a no deal Brexit would be catastrophic.'

Richard Tice, the founder of pro-Brexit group Leave Means Leave, was critical of the news.

He told the Financial Times: 'This sounds like a continuation of the establishment rewarding people from the world of politics and business who toe the establishment line.'

Other business leaders to receive honours include Ann Gloag, co-founder of Stagecoach and Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the former chief executive of Virgin Money - who both become dames.  

While Donald Brydon, who is set to step down as chairman of the London Stock Exchange in May, is knighted.   

Jayne-Anne Gadhia, the former chief executive of Virgin Money, has been made a dame in the New Year Honours list

Leading Brexiteer Sir Edward Leigh (pictured) has been made a privy counselor, alongside Tories Philip Dunne and Sir Roger Gale who have been appointed to the Privy Council

With the crunch vote on Theresa May's EU Withdrawal Agreement due within the next three weeks, Westminster has also been buzzing with speculation that honours may be deployed as a means of luring MPs to back the Prime Minister. 

Leading Brexiteer Sir Edward Leigh has been made a privy counselor, alongside Tories Philip Dunne and Sir Roger Gale who have been appointed to the Privy Council.  

While Tory MP Gary Streeter, who backed Remain in the 2016 referendum, has already made clear that he supports the Prime Minister's deal. 

'I am deeply honoured,' said Mr Streeter. 'As far as I am concerned, I want to dedicate the award to my wife and family for supporting me through the last quarter of a century at Westminster, which has involved sacrifice on their part.' 

And John Redwood - one of the Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers branded 'bastards' by John Major as he fought to ratify the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 - was made a knight in the New Year's Honours list.  

Some have accused Theresa May of weakness after John Redwood - one of Parliament’s most prominent Brexiters - was made a knight in the New Year Honours list 

Tory MP Gary Streeter (pictured), who backed Remain in the 2016 referendum, has already made clear that he supports the Prime Minister's deal

A leading supporter of the Best for Britain campaign, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, said the announcement brought 'dishonour' on the honours system.

'I cannot see how it is anything but a desperate attempt to blunt criticism of the Prime Minister's Brexit deal by dangling a knighthood or two in front of MPs,' said Ms Moran.

'All this does is erode trust in politics. Knights of the realm are meant to represent the best of being British, not backstabbing Brexit extremists like John Redwood.

'It just shows how weak Theresa May is that she is seen to be rewarding him for his behaviour.' 

This year's honours list includes the likes of best-selling author Philip Pullman, 72, creator of the His Dark Materials trilogy, and Michael Palin, 75.

Others also to be honoured include children's author Julia Donaldson, 70, whose works include The Gruffalo and Stick Man, receives an upgrade from MBE to CBE. 

Film maker Christopher Nolan, 48, whose work includes the Dark Knight trilogy as well as Dunkirk, receives a CBE.

Actress Thandie Newton, 46, who starred in the highly praised BBC series Line of Duty, receives an OBE for services to film and to charity.

And Scottish classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, 31, receives a CBE for services to music, as does Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, 74.

Full list of knighthoods and damehoods in New Year's Honours 

KNIGHTS BACHELOR 

Richard John William Alston, CBE. Dancer and Choreographer. For services to Dance. (London)

William Blackledge Beaumont, CBE, DL. Chairman, World Rugby. For services to Rugby Union Football. (Lytham, Lancashire)

Ian Craig Blatchford. Director, Science Museum Group. For services to Cultural Education. (London)

Donald Hood Brydon, CBE. Chairman, London Stock Exchange, Sage Group plc and Medical Research Council. For services to Business and to charity. (London)

Rt Hon Alan Campbell, MP. For political service. (North Shields, Tyne and Wear)

Alastair Nathan Cook, CBE. For services to Cricket. (Bedfordshire)

Professor Jeremy James Farrar, OBE. Director, The Wellcome Trust. For services to Global Health. (Oxfordshire)

Professor Michael Anthony John Ferguson, CBE, FRS. Regius Professor of Life Sciences and Academic Lead for Research Strategy, University of Dundee. For services to Science. (Dundee)

Professor Melvyn Francis Greaves. Director Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research. For services to Childhood Leukaemia Research. (London)

Alastair Cook (left), England's all-time leading run scorer in cricket, and former England rugby captain Bill Beaumont (right) are among sports stars honoured with knighthoods

Professor Alexander Norman Halliday, FRS. Formerly Professor of Geochemistry. University of Oxford. For services to Science and Innovation. (London)

Professor David Klenerman, FRS. Professor of Biophysical Chemistry. University of Cambridge. For services to Science and to the Development of High Speed DNA Sequencing Technology. (Cambridge, Cambridgeshire)

John Henry James Lewis, OBE. For services to the Arts and to Philanthropy. (Dorset)

James MacKey. Chief executive, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Health in England and to the community in North Tyneside and Northumberland. (Ponteland, Northumberland)

Professor Jonathan Robert Montgomery. Chair, Health Research Authority and Professor of Healthcare Law, University College London. For services to Bioethics and to Healthcare Law. (Southampton, Hampshire)

James Henry Leigh-Pemberton, CVO. Chairman, UK Financial Investments. For services to Financial Services, to British Industry and to Government. (London)

Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman, CBE. Author. For services to Literature. (Oxfordshire)

The Rt Hon John Alan Redwood, MP. Member of Parliament for Wokingham. For political and public service. (Wokingham, Berkshire)

Roy Alexander Stone, CBE. Principal private secretary, Government chief Whip's Office. For parliamentary and public service. (Essex)

Gary Nicholas Streeter, MP. Member of Parliament for South West Devon. For political and public service. (Plymouth, Devon)

Dr Patrick John Thompson Vallance. Government Chief Scientific Adviser. For services to Open Clinical Science. (London)

ORDER OF THE BATH: Knights Commander 

Richard Heaton, CB. Permanent secretary, Ministry of Justice. For public service. (London)

Jonathan Michael Thompson. Chief executive, HM Revenue and Customs. For public service. (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) 

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Main photo article Theresa May is caught in the midst of a cronyism row after business leaders who backed her Brexit deal were announced in the New Year Honours list.     
It has fueled speculation that the system might be used to encourage influential persons to support the withdrawal agreement and ‘toe the ...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

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