He told London radio station LBC 97.3: "I don't believe politicians should get honours", adding that he "was paid very good money to be the mayor of London" and voters' recognition was reward enough for him.

BBC: Olympic heroes head New Year Honours

The honours system should not just be about the great and the good, he said, but about the "ordinary" men and women who underpin the voluntary sector.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Magazine | What makes a modern hero?