'Absolutely outrageous' if Stanley Johnson given knighthood, Sir Keir Starmer says
Every outgoing prime minister gets to draw up a list of people they think should be given a peerage or other honours, with Boris Johnson's said to include up to 100 names.
"Sir" Keir is right. The whole business has been debased and we should get rid of all knighthoods. "Sir" Tony Blair and "Sir" Chris Whitty may disagree, but "Sir" Keir should stick to his guns - reform is long overdue. Apart from which, Boris is probably doing it to poke a stick at the establishment and we can't have that.
7 comments:
Sir James Savile would be turning in his grave if he knew Boris had nominated his own father. It debases the honour.
Something needs to be done about the House of Lords. It's now dominated by retired politicians and retired civil servants, and the sorts of people who toadied to them earlier in life. This means it has no inclination at all to bring independent views or analyses to the business of government - which is the point of a second chamber.
We should either (i) Sack the lot of them and return to an all-hereditaries House, or (ii) Choose the membership by drawing lots among the qualified part of the population e.g. British Citizens who are aged between (say) 35 and 85, resident in the UK, without a criminal record, not currently in a loonie bin or care home, who pay income tax, speak English, and can read. Or (iii) some combination of (i) and (ii).
And this job lot of citizens would be in charge of awarding knighthoods should we decide to continue with them. e could have a referendum on that.
Quite right, Sir Adrian.
Sam - it does debase the honour. We can expect a huge number of people to reject their knighthoods now. It's merely a matter of time...
dearieme - yes, the House of Lords is part of the rot. I'd go for (ii) because we can be fairly sure it would work if the new peers manage to preserve their independence.
James - I knew you would agree, Sir James.
Sir Tammly here. I'd love a chance to be chosen as a member of a new second chamber, where do I sign up? Oh wait, that's far too democratic, the country might get more results like Brexit, the elites wouldn't wear it.
Sir Tammly - unfortunately you are right, the elites wouldn't wear it.
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