Rishi Sunak under fire for giving knighthood to Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin

30 December 2023 , 21:16

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PM Rishi Sunak (Image: PA Wire)

Rishi Sunak was last night under fire for handing knighthoods to pub boss Tim Martin and ex bank chief Stephen Hester.

Labour and the Lib Dems were joined by the TUC in attacking the Prime Minister for giving gongs to a pair of multi-millionaires who have been embroiled in controversies. Brexit-backing pub tycoon Martin, 68, is to be knighted for services to hospitality while Hester, now chair of easyJet gets the honour for services to business and the economy.

But Tory donor Martin became infamous for being less than hospitable to his 40,000 staff in the early days of Covid – refusing to pay staff at his 875 pubs shut in lockdown until a government rescue package covering 80% of worker wages came through. And Hester, 63, caused uproar in charge of publicly-owned RBS in 2012 when he tried to cling to a near £1million bonus having overseeing 33,000 job losses in 40 months. He gave in and fell back on his £1.2m salary and £420,000-a-year pension.

Tim Martin (PA)

Stephen Hester (PA)

Lib Dem MP Daisy Cooper said: “Honours should be for those who people who put others before themselves and work tirelessly for the good of our society. Martin and Hester have no place receiving awards.”

Martin came under fire after telling his worried workers in a video message that supermarkets were desperate for pandemic staff wishing them the “best of luck” if they left his firm but he did add that if they wanted to return later he’d give them “first preference” and accepted they were in ”a terribly difficult position”. Hester insisted in 2012 that RBS was “in a vastly better position” than when he arrived and described the debate over bonuses as “damaging”. Ian Hodson, president of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers union (BFAWU), said in the early days of Covid: “Tim Martin’s selfish approach says unless the Government puts money into my bank account today he’ll let workers who made him rich suffer.”

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His pubs in Nottingham and South London were plastered with messages to “pay your staff” while 95 MPs signed a letter pleading with Mr Martin to “serve your country”.

Mr Martin soon bowed to the pressure. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak posted on X: “Giving an honour to the likes of Tim Martin devalues the work of those who truly contribute to their communities.

Sarah Woolley, general secretary of bakers union the BFAWU, added: “The system is corrupt.” Former Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said: “It’s despicable. No one with a poor track record on employment rights should receive an honour.” Wetherspoons yesterday insisted all its staff were paid throughout the pandemic.

John Siddle