Thursday 6 March 2014

Thoughts on Knighthoods

Madge's honours list is an archaic system of awarding disreputable gongs and like Madge is now long past her sell by date. Charlie is the longest serving crown apprentice who should be on the Interpol list for going equipped with an ugly wife. The award of a knighthood is now a time and care worn system for sycophant proles to be pleasurably brown nosed by the political team in charge.

Take the skinny lad with a yellow tee shirt. Seen from time to time on a bike - he's now a Knight of the realm. (whatever the realm happens to be today) So, Wiggo is given a knighthood for joy riding a bike round the country of our ancient enemy France. Well that and a few laps of honour performed in London. When I was a lad, I rode a co-op bike all around the town, delivering groceries and in all weathers. I got a whole eight bob a week for doing all that, and I had to buy my own bike clips.

Mrs Cherie Blair, wife of Tony Blair that well known warmonger. Cheery Cherie, gets a gong for, services to Women's Issues and to charity in the UK and Overseas. I choked on my toasted crumpet when I read that one. 

There is a knighthood for Michael Heller, a businessman who made a fortune through selling monkey nuts. The award had nothing to do with the money donated (£100,000+) to the Tories. The knighthood is for his philanthropic work in education and the arts. Talking of arts, Kate Bush, said it was a "great surprise" to be awarded a CBE for her services to music. It wasn't as big a surprise as it was to me. Have you heard her voice - its as annoying as my old teachers nails being scraped down a blackboard. 

Another Tory donor to get an honour CBE for “charitable services”. Is Terry Bramall who has donated more than £60,000 to the Conservatives. Very charitable and laudable donation if you ask me, on second thoughts maybe its best not to ask.

Sir Christopher Kelly, the knighted chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, last year said handing knighthoods and other honours to financial backers of major political parties risks bringing the system into “disrepute”. 

Lord Oakeshott a senior Liberal Democrat, criticised the fresh award of honours to Conservative donors. “It’s Arise, Sir Donor, as usual,” he said. “We’re well past halfway with not a sniff of progress on the Coalition agreement to reform party funding and remove big money from the politics.”

Michael Dugher MP, vice-chairman of the Labour Party, also condemned the honours for big business. "By doling out knighthoods and other honours to big money Tory Party donors. David Cameron shows once again how out of out of touch he is and how he always stands up for the wrong people."

But there are people who provide a heads up on the real value of a gong! Ken Livingstone, has revealed that he had turned down a CBE for his role in securing the London Olympics.  Gongs which can be bought have no value to people who can't be bought at any price.

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