Rishi Sunak has issued a veiled rebuke of Boris Johnson’s plans to knight his father.

Asked if prime ministers should honour members of their family, Mr Sunak replied: “For me, a big success is remembering to get my dad a card on Fathers’ Day, so that is probably about my limit of it.”

Pressed if that should be read as a “no”, he said: “Yes, as I said if I am doing a card I’m doing well. Love my dad as I do.”

His comments came just hours after Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister and a close political ally of the Prime Minister, said it would not be “wise” for Mr Johnson to nominate his father, Stanley Johnson, a former Euro MP, in his resignation honours.

Mr Jenrick told BBC Question Time that prime ministers should “absolutely not” hand honours to family members.

Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list is reported to contain around 50 names under the convention that outgoing prime ministers can ask the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods and other honours on any number of people of their choosing.

There have been calls for Mr Sunak to block Stanley Johnson from being given a knighthood if his name is put forward. Labour has also called on Mr Sunak to block any such nomination. 

As prime minister, Boris Johnson nominated his brother - a former Conservative minister - for a peerage.

Stanley Johnson served as a Conservative member of the European Parliament for the Wight and Hampshire East constituency from 1979 to 1984. He also worked at the World Bank and European Commission, as well as writing a number of books on environmental issues.

'Everyone can relax'

It was reported on Friday that Mr Johnson has already had to slash the number of names on the list after he tried to include many of his allies from as far back as his time as London mayor. Cabinet Office officials are said to have told the former prime minister to cut his list down from about 100 to closer to 60.

Paul Dacre, the Daily Mail editor-in-chief, is said to have survived the cut as a recommendation for a peerage. 

Others listed for peerages include Nigel Adams MP; Nadine Dorries, the former Culture Secretary; Alister Jack, the Scotland Secretary, Sir Alok Sharma, the Cop26 president; and David Ross, the Tory donor, said one source who has seen the list.

One ally of the former prime minister was said to have claimed that “everyone can relax”, because the list was shorter than David Cameron’s or Theresa May’s resignation women. In 2019, Mrs May gave honours to 51 people, while in 2016 Mr Cameron gave out 59 awards.

Speaking on a visit to Paris, Mr Sunak said: “There is always comment and speculation about honours lists beforehand. I’m not going to comment on speculation. I don’t see these things until I see them so it is hard for me to say any more than that.”

Pressed again on the principle, the Prime Minister replied: “My dad’s going to get a card on Fathers’ Day and that is about that.”

Asked about the reports, Mr Jenrick - who served for two years in Mr Johnson's Cabinet as housing secretary - said: "Is it, as a principle, wise for a prime minister to nominate a member of their own family for an honour? No, absolutely not."

He added that "we'll have to see what ultimately is on this list and what the government chooses to do".

Boris Johnson has been contacted for comment.