Boris Johnson wants royal honor for minister sacked after misconduct

As incumbent prime minister, Johnson has the right to ask King Charles III to bestow royal honors on those he deems eligible. Burns is considered a close ally of Johnson and previously served as Commerce Secretary in his administration. Burns resigned from the post in 2020 after finding out he had abused his position as an MP to bully someone. He returned to the post in September, after Liz Truss took office as the new Prime Minister.

Downing Street has not disclosed what gross misconduct Burns may have been guilty of. But the BBC reports he was fired as a driver and suspended from his MP duties after eyewitnesses saw him touch a young man’s thigh in a hotel bar on Monday night. The incident allegedly happened in the bar of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Birmingham during the Conservative Party Conference. Burns denies any allegations.