Devon County Councillor Claire Wright called the move “jaw-dropping”.

Hugo Swire, East Devon MP, has come under fire for being named in the former prime minister’s controversial honours list. The reasons for his knighthood are cited as “for political and public service”.

But dozens of his constituents are challenging the decision, asking what Swire has actually done to deserve the title.

County Councillor Claire Wright, who stood against Swire in the 2015 General Election, said she found it ironic the politician was knighted just weeks after he was resigned to the backbenches. She said: “On July 19 Mr Swire blogged that he was joining his “close friends” David Cameron and George Osborne on the back benches.

“Ironically, just two weeks later Mr Cameron announces that our MP will be knighted. Quite a few people have been asking what Mr Swire has done to deserve this. To my knowledge he has never voted against the party line to support his constituents.

Some residents are also challenging the decision, asking what Swire has done for their constituency. One man challenged the decision publicly, and wrote to Swire: “Can I ask why you have received this?” One woman said: “I am disgusted. He has continually voted for cuts to welfare and benefits and yet he has the nerve to accept this,” Another wrote, on learning the news: “You have got to be taking the Michael.” Ian Humphries, who lives in Exmouth, wrote on Facebook: “He certainly doesn’t deserve it, he’s done nothing for East Devon.”

Swire himself said he would now have more time for his constituency after he was sacked from his ministerial post last month.

Beforehand he served as Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister of State for Northern Ireland which meant, he said, that he had less time for his constituency area.

Cllr Wright said she had seen no evidence that Swire had voted in favour of his constituency against his party in the past. She shamed the list as being “filled” with Cameron’s “old boy network of friends and Tory party donors.

She said: “The former prime minister’s honours list which is filled with his old boy network friends and Tory party donors corrupts the entire system of honours and reflects badly on the conservative government. I firmly believe that knighthoods, peerages and other honours should only be bestowed on people who have given exceptional public service for the greater good.”

Cameron has been widely criticised in the national press for showering a total of 46 former aides, advisers and ministers with honours in a resignation list. Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, said it was embarrassing.

“David Cameron’s resignation honours list is so full of cronies it would embarrass a medieval court. He is not the first Prime Minister to leave office having rewarded quite so many friends, but he would be the last.”

A Devon man who was keen to point out bizarre appointments of honours was Paul Baker. He wrote on Facebook: “Worst still, Sam Cam’s sister just for being her sister and the woman who suggested George Osborne went on a diet. True one nation Conservatism.”

Some on social media were not so critical of Swire’s knighthood. He also received dozens of tweets from those happy with his news. Ahmed Naseem, former foreign minister for the Maldives, wrote: “Congratulations sir, we in the Maldives value your efforts to bring back democracy we lost in the last four years.”