There are plenty of Boris Johnson hangovers to give Rishi Sunak a headache these days. The privileges committee investigation into whether the former prime minister misled parliament will soon be in full swing. This doesn’t just mean that ‘partygate’ will be back in the news. If the committee finds Johnson guilty then Sunak could face the unappetising prospect of deciding whether to whip his party to vote either way in relation to any recommended punishment (such as a suspension) and what to do himself.

For now though, it’s another Johnson legacy issue in the news: his resignation honours list. As I first reported in January, those privy to the full honours list – including knighthoods, OBEs and MBEs – say it has more than 100 names. That is roughly twice as many as were on David Cameron’s or Theresa May’s list. There were concerns among Tory MPs that it would be a Who’s Who of donors, hangers-on and members of the Johnson family. Those concerns appear to be well-placed – with the Times reporting this week that Johnson’s father Stanley is in line for a knighthood.

However, several expectant Johnson supporters could be left disappointed. There are reports this morning in the Guardian and Financial Times that Johnson has been ordered by Cabinet Office officials to slim down the list – from the original 100 mark to fewer than 60. The Spectator understands this advice was given some weeks ago.

When I wrote about this issue for The Spectator in January, there were Tory MPs – ‘at least three’, reported a party old hand – who feared that the former prime minister’s promise to include them on the honours list had not come to fruition. There were rumours that some MPs might try to work their way on to Truss’s resignation honours instead. Expect the number of concerned MPs to now grow.

Sunak will still have to sign off on the final list – a prospect that horrifies many of his allies. If he green-lights a list that is viewed as an example of cronyism, he’ll share some of the backlash. But were he to refuse to sign it off, Sunak would be souring relations not just with Johnson but many of his backers in the Commons. An intervention from officials ought to put him in a less difficult position. The list still needs to go through HOLAC – which vets the names – before finally going to the Prime Minister for approval. Sunak could approve the list (as is convention) but then promise his own system of reform.