Will Straw, the executive director of Britain Stronger In, was lavished with a CBE by David Cameron in one of the former prime minister’s last acts in Downing Street.
The Remain chief’s gong was among a whole host of honours and peerages given by Mr Cameron to his close aides, cronies and even his wife Samantha’s stylist.
The controversial list, which was roundly criticised as showing ‘contempt’ for the honours system, included a number of top awards for Remain campaigners and pro-EU fundraisers.
Labour MP Paul Flynn, who has previously compared the recent awarding of honours as being handed out “like goody bags at a children's party”, asked Mr Straw if he knew why he had been given his honour.
Mr Straw admitted: “I don't know why I was given the award. I didn't ask for it.”
He added: “The Prime Minister made, as I understand it, his recommendation of people who should receive awards to the civil service committee.”
Mr Straw responded: “As I say I didn't ask for the award but when I was offered it was I wasn't going to turn it down.
“Not least because I had been, as campaigners on both side of this question and people engaged in politics are, away from my family for a lot of the campaign.
“I wanted to have an occasion to take my wife to the Palace as we will be doing in the near future and to have something to remember the hard work that I and others put into the campaign.”
But some Tories are understood to be sympathetic to the idea of acting Ukip leader Nigel Farage soon being rewarded with a place in the House of Lords after playing a leading role in the successful Leave campaign during the EU referendum.
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