TORRIDGE and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox QC has been knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.

The new Sir Geoffrey Cox, who has been MP for the constituency since 2005, was given the honour for ‘parliamentary and political service’.

He served the Government as its top legal advisor, Attorney General, from 2018 until February last year, when he was sacked by PM Boris Johnson in a Cabinet reshuffle.

The fervantly pro-Brexit MP hit the headlines during his time as Attorney General when he advised the PM that it would be lawful to prorogue Parliament for five weeks in the autumn of 2019. This caused an outcry from Remainers as it was seen as stifling debate on the terms of the UK leaving the European Union.

The decision to prorogue Parliament was later declared unlawful by the Supreme Court and quashed by the president of the court Lady Hale in September 2019. That same month Mr Cox’s speech in Parliament attacking anti-Brexit MPs for blocking the Government’s Withdrawal Act went viral, with him using his oratorical skills honed as a barrister to declare ‘this Parliament is a disgrace’. Mr Cox is described as ‘a dedicated local constituency MP’ who has also enjoyed ‘a distinguished legal career’. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003.

Sir Geoffrey said: ‘It was a great privilege to serve as Her Majesty’s Attorney General and Advocate General of Northern Ireland, particularly at a time so critical to the nation’s future, and I am honoured to receive a knighthood from Her Majesty for that service.’