New Years Honours

May I please make a suggestion?
I would like to nominate the person who came up with the idea of impregnating paper handkerchiefs with soothing Balm for those of us currently experiencing the dreaded lurge.
Oh the joy of not having a sore nose that resembles Rudolph.
I applaud You.
???.

Brexiteer’s knighthood ahead of crucial vote ‘brings dishonour to honours system’

Layla Moran MP, a Best for Britain champion, said: “I cannot see how it is anything but a desperate attempt to blunt criticism of the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal by dangling a knighthood or two in front of MPs. This is all happening just a couple of weeks before the critical Brexit vote.

“All this does is erode trust in politics. Knights of the Realm are meant to represent the best of being British, not backstabbing Brexit extremists like John Redwood. It just shows how weak Theresa May is that she is seen to be rewarding him for his behaviour.”

However, Redwood so far appears not to have been swayed by the gong, having published a blog days ahead of the announcement titled “8 things wrong with the Withdrawal Agreement”.

Former banker Redwood headed the 10 Downing Street policy unit under Margaret Thatcher from 1982-87, where he was deemed a champion of privatisation.

He entered Parliament as MP for Wokingham in 1987 and rose to Cabinet rank in 1993 as Wales secretary, where his most memorable moment came when he attempted to mime the Welsh national anthem despite clearly not knowing the words.

He continually clashed with John Major over Europe, and it came to a head in 1995 when the prime minister called on his critics to “put up or shut up”. Redwood resigned to permit a leadership contest.

He stood against the PM but received only 89 votes to Major’s 219. After being defeated in a second leadership contest in 1997, he returned to the Tory frontbenches from 1997-2005 under William Hague and Michael Howard.

He is joined in the Honours by former Tory minister Gary Streeter, who backed Remain in the 2016 referendum, but has already made clear that he supports the prime minister’s deal.

www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/theresa-may-awards-brexiteer-john-redwood-a-knighthood-ahead-of-crucial-brexit-vote-1-5833296

I have been expecting Joanna Lumley to be made a Dame.
Not that I think she should but she has tried so hard to get her name in the news.
First there was the Gurkhas then something to do with donating clothes to M and S for Oxfam I think.
Then there was the Garden Bridge.
Incidently somebody mentioned Andy Murray.
I thought he had been knighted.
Nothing to do with the previous two people but I would never give a knighthood to anybody who did not live in the UK but lived abroad to save tax.

Recognise people who do things above and beyond the call of duty if you want, but don't perpetuate the 'them and us' society by calling people sir this and lady that, it's divisive.

After watching the TV documentary on the RNLI (Saving Lives at Sea) I would give an award to every person who volunteers to do that. They are not paid, they are called out at times when any sane person just wants to stay indoors or in bed, and they face horrific challenges.

I don't like seeing "luvvies" awarded anything unless they have really done a great deal for charity. Some of them seem to get an award just because they are still around.

I felt so proud of the British cave divers with the boys in Thailand so they definitely deserve the highest award, plus they were so humble I cried.

I agree with Lancslass - only people who live and pay tax in the UK should be given any award at all. I hope no one ever relents and gives Beckham anything. He has shown his true colours already, plus his tax evasion.

And I think Chris Packham deserves his. Like someone else mentioned, I watched the documentary on his Aspergers and how he has coped, and I really admire him. We need more people doing the work he does in conservation. His love of nature shines through.

Didn't Twiggy set the trend for anorexia ?

I haven't read all the posts so apologies if this has already been said.

I don't see why people should be rewarded for doing a job that they are paid for. It should be for work that is entirely voluntary. What on earth has Twiggy done? Services to fashion? M&S is still going downhill.

Awards like this debases the honours system and makes it a joke.

To my knowledge my father-in-law has been nominated three times for an Honour for his pioneering work on behalf of carers. The impact of his work is being felt in every NHS Trust in the country, but obviously those who make the decisions decided that thirty years of unstinting (mostly unpaid) work that has been recognised nationally in a number of key policies and strategy documents is not worthy of note.

My father-in-law is a very unassuming man who would no doubt be very shocked to discover that he had been nominated for an honour several times. However, another large professional organisation did present him with an award in recognition of his work. He then, in typical fashion, used his speech of thanks to harry the listeners to do more to assist carers. He's a one of a kind and I couldn't be more proud of him.

Entirely appropriate for the Thailand cave boys rescuers to receive the George medal rather than a Sir. The George cross is an award for gallantry and bravery. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this than those brave men.

Hear hear gillyjp

Very pleased to hear that Ariana Grande "politelyrefused an honorary damehood" in the New Years Honours list .Someone with sense ...

I can't understand when someone, like a football manager for instance, gets an honour when they have already been well paid for being...a football manager.

Those who give their time and energy to helping others fair enough although I think the whole thing belongs to a different age

Its the 21st century for goodness sake...Kings and Queens and Knights and lords belong in the middle ages ..they are a medieval concept out of tune with the 21st century...the monarchy MUST die when Lizzie does ,there cant be that many folk who still believe in the divine right of kings? Or of the German monarchy that rules Britain .For heavens sake move with the times

The divine right of kings ended in 1688! Catholic James was sent packing into exile and replaced by his elder Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, who were constitutional monarchs as it is today. Kings and Queens etc existed long before medieval times, the Romans had their Empers, the Saxons, kings etc various, (remember king Alfred?)
I think you'll find that our present RF is very popular and the likelihood of any change in the foreseeable future just wishful thinking!!!!

The modern RF are no more German now than a lot of the population of the UK, so to sneer at them for that is just ridiculous!

What matters are the many people we don’t know, have never heard of who have been nominated for a honour by their own community , they have worked in many ways for their community and their community has said thank you

I agree, Anniebach - however, we know someone who has been nominated by the community several times for her tireless work for charity and has never received anything.

Or of the German monarchy that rules Britain
I think they have more Scottish blood than English in fact - so how come the Scots rule the English?

We have a democratic system of government. The Royal Family does not rule us, although HM could suspend Parliament if she so wished.

Exactly Jalima! Scottish kings/Queens began with James V1th of Scotland becoming James 1st of England!! This was the case until childless Queen Anne died, then Hanovarians, but now much more Scotland than German in the RF! Prince George is hardly German at all!!!
I totally agree with your post Annie.

German monarchy , that is so wrong , if queenie is German wonder how many of us are not English, Scots, Welsh or Irish but claim to be because of our grandparents. Parents and the Country of our birth.

I had my DNA tested and was astonished to find that I was only 5% English, and more Western European and Scandinavian. I blame those Roman and Viking invaders!!

Whoops ... and the Normans!

The Queen is half German, her father was German, her mother definitely Scottish!!! She is a constitutional monarch and doesn't rule anybody!

Wasn’t Prince Philip a Greek?

Yes, he's the Queens husband, so doesn't affect her nationality! He is in fact Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark.