Theresa May vows to end ‘gongs for mates’ after cross-party fury at David Cameron’s exit list

AS the row over David Cameron‘s resignation honours list rumbles on, PM Theresa May vowed to end the “gongs for mates” culture her predecessor is accused of promoting.

She is determined to “do things differently” amid fears that public faith in the honours system is being destroyed.

Mrs May is refusing to tear up Mr Cameron’s exit list, saying it would “set a very bad precedent”.

But insiders expect her to “make a statement” when it is her time to make nominations for the New Year’s Honours list — and reserve them for unsung heroes.

Mr Cameron has sparked cross-party fury with his resignation honours list which includes an award for wife Sam’s glamorous assistant Isabel Spearman, knighthoods for rich Tory donors and baubles for pro-EU campaigners.

His bid to reward former Conservative treasurer Michael Spencer with a peerage was blocked by Whitehall watchdogs after the millionaire’s firm was fined for involvement in the Libor scandal.

More outrage is expected once details of Mr Cameron’s other nominations for places in the House of Lords emerge.

Key aides including ex-chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and policy chief Camilla Cavendish are thought to be among them.

One minister close to the PM said: “I’m a supporter of the honours system and think it’s important that we recognise people, but there does need to be some more control. Sam Cam’s stylist is a classic example – is that appropriate?

“When the time comes for the Prime Minister she will be the sort of person who will be extremely careful about the way she uses the honours system.

“It’s important we retain public confidence in the system and Cameron’s list suggests he has been a little slapdash.

“Theresa can make a statement. The sort of politician she is, she will have seen what has happened here and she won’t be making the same mistake.

“She will exercise due care and leave the system in a good place.”

Another minister who knows Mrs May well said: “If you look at how she ran the leadership campaign, she did not do deals and nobody was promised jobs.

“That would indicate a mind-set of somebody who will use the honours system for people who have earned it.

“Look at how she has put her Government together – it is the right people in the right jobs, which indicates a different mind-set to the gongs for mates.”

And a third said: “She is much more puritanical than her predecessor. Spraying honours around is just not something she would do.”

A senior Whitehall source added: “There won’t be the same kind of abuse we have seen recently.”

Mrs May has even been urged to launch a full scale review of the honours system amid claims rich donors are effectively able to buy gongs or seats in the Lords.

But a source close to Mr Cameron launched a robust defence of his resignation list as his friends grew increasingly angry at the row it has caused.

The source said there was “no-one on the list who doesn’t deserve to be there” and insisted: “The proper processes were followed and there is no difference from any other list.”

Much attention has focused on the decision to award honours to Ms Spearman and Thea Rogers – George Osborne’s adviser credited with putting him on a diet and transforming his image.

But the source vehemently defended the awards for Ms Spearman and Ms Rogers, saying they had been treated “incredibly unfairly”.

They went on: “Isabel worked very, very hard for Sam on a range of things. Sarah Brown had three assistants but Sam only had one.

“And Thea was George’s chief of staff – if this was (former chief of staff) Rupert Harrison it wouldn’t be getting the same attention.”