Knighthood does not buy support says John Hayes

Brexit-backing South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes is to be knighted, but will not be backing the Prime Minister’s current deal for quitting the EU.

Mr Hayes (60) refuted any claim that the announcement of his knighthood and the Prime Minister’s need for support for her Brexit vote next month were linked.

But he said he would also not sign any letters which could lead to a vote of no confidence against Theresa May from the Conservatives.

“Anyone who knows me or Theresa May will know I am not a crony,” said Mr Hayes.

He was responding to criticism to the news over the weekend, after the announcement of his knighthood was made by the government, outside the normal cycle of honours at New Year or the Queen’s Birthday.

“This will have no bearing on how I vote on this deal. I would urge the Prime Minister to go back and renegotiate this,” he said.

An MP since 1997, Euro-sceptic Mr Hayes worked with Mrs May when she was Home Secretary and he was a security minister in her department.

“When I took the call on Friday, it was out of the blue and I was in a meeting in Spalding when a friend telephoned me to congratulate me,” said Mr Hayes.

“I am incredibly honoured after having served in the government for so long and having been on the front bench for 19 years.

“I have had numerous messages of congratulations from across the house and it’s very much been for my family, constituency and local party. I would not have had a career in public service if I did not have their support,” he said.

“I have made it very clear that I want to embolden the Prime Minister to get the very best deal for Britain,” he said.

Mr Hayes added that the current deal could see the UK trapped indefinitely in a ‘backstop’ customs arrangement for Northern Ireland, without a unilateral right to exit – a deal he said he could never support.

Always a staunch supporter of Brexit, Mr Hayes was an advisor to then Prime Minister David Cameron.

“I went to him at the beginning of the referendum and said although I was loyal to him, I could not back him on the issue.”