Nick Clegg to receive knighthood in New Year's honours list

The honour is in recognition of his five years serving as deputy prime minister in the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition under David Cameron, according to senior party sources cited by the Daily Mail.

However the move is likely to be controversial as Mr Clegg was a prominent Remain campaigner in last year's EU referendum and has been an outspoken critic of Brexit.

Since losing his Sheffield Hallam seat in the June general election, he has infuriated Leave supporters by publishing a book entitled How To Stop Brexit (And Make Britain Great Again).

Nick Clegg interview: ‘There’s no gentle way of fighting back against Brexit’The latest apparent leak follows reports that the former Beatle Ringo Starr is also in line for a knighthood when the honours list is published on Saturday.

Mr Clegg will become the latest senior Lib Dem to be knighted, alongside the present leader Sir Vince Cable and the former energy secretary Sir Ed Davey, despite the party having been reduced to just 12 MPs in the House of Commons.

A Lib Dem spokesman declined to comment on the report.

The report comes after the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage complained last week that he had missed out on an honour because of his support for Brexit.

He told The Daily Telegraph: "Of course I have not got an honour of any kind - I am not a Remainer.

"Every one of them got CBEs, they got knighthoods, quite extraordinary."