Leave campaigners have accused David Cameron of abusing the honours system after awards were given to supporters of Britain’s EU membership.

Gisela Stuart, the Vote Leave chair, denounced the move as a “shabby stitch-up” and accused the prime minister of stooping to “a new low” in his drive to secure a remain vote in the 23 June referendum.

Remain campaigners have described Stuart’s language as “extraordinary” and point out that at least one prominent donor of the leave campaign has been given a knighthood.

The leave campaign said a total of 22 prominent remain supporters were named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, including Britain Stronger in Europe deputy chair Richard Reed, the founder of Innocent Drinks, who received a CBE.

Other awards went to financial donors to the remain campaign as well as people who put their names to a series of joint letters from businessmen, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors and the creative industries backing continued EU membership.

The honoured individuals made up only a tiny fraction of the hundreds who signed the letters warning of the dangers of EU withdrawal.

Actor Brian Blessed, who signed the creative industries letter, received an OBE; financier Damon Buffini, who reportedly gave £10,000 to the remain campaign, was given a knighthood; and hedge fund partner John Armitage, who gave £15,000 to the remain campaign, was awarded a CBE.

Stuart, a Labour MP, said: “David Cameron and George Osborne have used every single ounce of their power to try to bully and frighten the British people into backing their campaign to keep us in the EU.

“But abusing our honours system to reward campaign cronies and donors is a new low. People in this country are sick of the establishment doing these shabby stitch-ups and will view this as bordering on the corrupt. I think the British people are sick and tired of it and I am astonished that the Labour party are happy to be associated with this conduct.

She continued: “Enough is enough. This clique of over-privileged and out of touch men need to wake up to the change that is happening across the country. The British people simply aren’t going to tolerate being told what to do any more by Brussels, by Cameron, or by his newly-honoured accomplices.”

The honours list included three out of the 198 business leaders who signed a pro-remain letter to the Times in February, including Weir Group chief executive Keith Cochrane (CBE), Ocado CEO Tim Steiner (OBE) and Love Home Swap founder Deborah Wosskow (MBE).

An OBE went to Trevor Garlick, the regional president of BP, whose CEO Bob Dudley signed the business letter.

Along with Blessed, awards went to a further three out of the 282 signatories of a pro-EU letter from the creative industries in May – Punchdrunk artistic director Felix Barrett (MBE), artist Michael Craig-Martin (knighthood) and theatre producer Sonia Friedman (OBE).

Six of the 60 signatories to a remain-backing letter from entrepreneurs were given awards, with an OBE going to Zoopla co-founder Alex Chesterman, MBEs to the co-founders of Entrepreneur First, Alice Bentinck and Matthew Clifford, an OBE to LoveFilm founder Saul Klein and an MBE to Hassle.com CEO Alexandra Depledge.

Harriet Fear, CEO of One Nucleus, who was one of 92 scientists to sign an open letter warning of the risks of Brexit, was given an MBE, while one of around 200 signatories of a health professionals’ letter in April – Dr Ingrid Wolfe – received an OBE.

Vote Leave also highlighted the award of a CBE to Simon Blagden, UK chairman of Fujitsu and an MBE to Morna Cook of Universal Music, whose companies have voiced support for the UK remaining in the EU, as well as MBEs for Blue Skies chairman Anthony Pile, who has expressed personal backing for remain, and James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, another of whose co-founders has questioned the need for a referendum.

Remain say that at least one of the leave campaign’s most prominent backers has also received an honour.

posy,

You are right about the right wing of the Tory Party. They will do what they want, there is no opposition now and the Labour Party has lost all credibility with the voting public.

Whether you vote Conservative or Labour there should always be a strong opposition in Parliament.

Why is remain still favourite? Very strange. Anyone backing at 1.66 needs their head testing.

^^More influence and control over the decision making process of the Uk Goverment.

POSY. Invalidity benefits were used by labour and easy going doctors to reduce unemployment figures.
One Remainer spoke of an extra 500,000 unemployed after Brexit. No doubt civil servants and others working on EU generated laws and projects.
I've got a little list — I've got a little list
And who never would be missed — who never would be missed!

I'm IN. Can't see any mileage in voting for poverty.

The more immigration the better for me Mick. Immigrants only go to a strong economy. In 1975 we had more people leaving than arriving, and look at the state of us then.

What do
Farage,Duncan-Smith and Gove have in common with Adam Walker (BNP),Donald Trump,Keith Chegwin and David Icke ?

They all support Brexit.


Think about it.

A bit daft tbh, leavers would probably say the same about Cameron Blair Izzard and Geldof etc

* I wasn't copying your double post posy, it just did it.

Cameron
Osbourne
Jo Brand
Izzard
Geldof
Cumberbatch
Emma Thompson

Similar **** of a feather......proves nowt!

how many polls are there?stay is still 8/15 leave 7/4

8/13 6/4

I think people are realising its one chance in a lifetime to get out and they are taking it

the eu shambles over immigration has been tragic & farce

I never thought it,but brexit is a reality next Thursday

the major lesson of the recession should have been the avoidance of creating anything that is too big to manage.....

The EU is simply unmanageable....The US has shown this.

Britain will boom if they leave

brilliant cartoon sums it up







https://mobile.twitter.com/LordAshcroft/status/743362625145208832/photo/1

why would europe "rip off" britain and threaten them?  its a community ffs a common goal for the good of all memebers.and on immigration its too late now.enoch powells time was the time to be shutting the gate not now..!!

^^^^

I have wrestled with the issues but there are 2 that are non-negotiable for me.

Vote Leave

1 . We must not lose our democracy that generations have fought so hard for .

2 . It is total madness to have an open border policy . With terrorism and I.S. on the march it is 100% common sense to have an Australian style immigration system to check who is coming in .

For the protection of the citizens of this great proud multi-cultural country.

jollie, I couldn't agree more. Well said. LEAVE.