Departing Prime Minister Theresa May’s resignation honours list appeared in the London Gazette, the official Crown newspaper. on September 10 2019. It is the prerogative of every British Prime Minister who is bequeathing office to honour deserving individuals for personal achievement, bravery, or meritorious service. May’s list appears, however, not to have been well received by the media and the wider public, given the inclusion of several advisers and officials who were actively involved with her unsuccessful Brexit machinations. To add to the controversy, a knighthood for former Yorkshire and England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has been widely criticised by campaigners against domestic violence.
Resignation honours lists have long had a controversial history, with many allegations of political cronyism and links with “cash for honours” scandals. Several influential people have recommended the abolition of such lists. Back in 1922, Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George’s resignation honours list led to the setting up of a Royal Commission and culminated in the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act in 1925. The Act made the sale of honours for “any gift, money or valuable consideration” illegal. In 1933, Maundy Gregory, Lloyd George’s “honours broker,” became the first and only person to be prosecuted under the Act. He was fined £50 and was sentenced to six months in prison, serving only two.
Then came the resignation honours lists of Harold Wilson in 1976 and, more recently, David Cameron in 2016. Wilson’s list was nicknamed the “Lavender List” by his press secretary Joe Haines, given his belief that the first draft of the list had been written by Marcia Falkender, political secretary to Wilson, on lavender-tinted notepaper. Haines notably refused a peerage at the time, on the grounds that he did not wish his name to appear on the same list as some of the other recipients . Cameron’s list was criticised for its inclusion of political aides, Conservative Party donors, and leading supporters of the referendum campaign for Britain remaining within the European Union. Similarly, May’s resignation list honoured many of her close political associates, despite their failure to achieve an orderly British exit from the EU.
So, what then is the honours system all about? The potential recipients of honours, decorations and medals are nominated by public or private bodies, government departments, or by members of the public. Honorary awards to foreigners are recommended by the Foreign Secretary. The system is overseen by the Cabinet Office Honours and Appointments Secretariat. All candidates are scrutinised by various honours committees, which then make recommendations to the Prime Minister and thereafter to the Queen. The automatic entitlement for the holders of certain posts to receive awards was abolished by Prime Minister John Major in 1993. Hereditary awards, such as peerages and baronetcies (hereditary knighthoods), are no longer awarded, with rare exceptions.
Honours are split into orders and graded to recognise different levels of achievement or service. The most recognisable grades are those of the peerage and the knighthood. A peerage is a particularly sought after honour, as it comes with lifetime membership of the House of Lords, parliamentary voting rights, and various perks such as a £305 flat rate daily attendance fee and travel expenses.
The six orders of chivalry, in order of precedence, include the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Order of The Bath, the Order of St Michael and St George, the Royal Victorian Order, and the Order of the British Empire. Appointments to the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Royal Victorian Order, as well as to the Order of Merit are made solely at the discretion of the Queen.
Honours are listed twice a year-in the New Year and during the Sovereign’s Official Birthday on the second Monday in June, her actual birthday being in April. The insignia of the honours, which include robes, badges and ribbons, are presented by the Queen or her representative during investiture ceremonies at the Ballroom in Buckingham Palace, the Waterloo Chamber in Windsor Castle, and at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Investitures are also held at various overseas locations. Some recipients may choose to refuse honours for a number of different reasons. Some recipients may have a previously granted honour withdrawn, usually for misconduct, such as Fred Goodwin, once of the Royal Bank of Scotland. .
For a deserving recipient, being nominated for an honour is a considerable personal achievement- a matter to celebrate. As with any system of awards, the somewhat subjective nature of decision making will inevitably lead to controversy. Some awardees are likely to be widely regarded as unworthy recipients. It is likely that generous political donors will continue to feature in honours lists, unless the way in which political parties and electoral campaigns are funded changes significantly. In a tradition-bound nation, the honours system is likely to be around for a while yet. Reform, particularly in the way by which peerages are awarded, is necessary, while some feel the honours system is outdated and irrelevant and hence should be abolished.
Ashis Banerjee