Honours row grows after claim Charlotte Owen ‘worked as maternity cover’

The youngest life peer in UK history at the age of 29, the former assistant to Boris Johnson was covering maternity leave in his office

Concern is growing within Whitehall over Boris Johnson's decision to make a former political aide the UK's youngest ever life peer, amid claims that she only entered Downing Street's political office to cover for another official's maternity leave.

The former prime minister's resignation honours list caused months of angst within the government as a result of some of the names that Johnson intended to either place in the House of Lords or award with another gong. It has already been confirmed that eight people that Johnson had wanted to place in the second chamber were rejected by the commission tasked with vetting new peers.