Updated: 08 June, 2006

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The complete list (BBC) (Jun 02)

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Honours List 2002: (10 Downing St)  Word Format   PDF Format

Queen's Birthday Honours List (Times Online)

The 2003 New Year Honours List has been announced. The Prime Minister's recommendations to the Queen for the Honours List are available below in either: 

  • Word format (357kb) or PDF format (647kb)  

  • Briefing from the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman on 2003 Honours List (Jan 03)

  • New Years Honours (In-depth coverage by the BBC) (Images) (Jan 03)
  • Medal for bomb bid hero A PSNI officer who helped foil a loyalist bomb attack on the Auld Lammas Fair has been honoured by the Queen. Inspector Noel Lusty, who received a Queen's Police Medal, is among seven Ulster police officers included in the New Year Honours List. Four officers have been awarded the MBE. Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Mervyn Hood, currently heading up the Regional Crime Squad in Londonderry; Chief Inspector John Barr, currently deputy commander in Enniskillen District Command Unit; Sergeant Elvin Leech, who has been in change for the underwater search unit which was commended for its work in the search for the missing Kilkeel fishing vessel the Tullaghmurray Lass and Detective Constable Paul Bennett, who along with a colleague, set up the first locally based CID post at Castlederg in 1990. Receiving the Queen's Police Medal along with Inspector Lusty are Detective Sergeant Trevor Currie, attached to CID in Craigavon and Detective Sergeant John McIlveen, who has been attached to Crime Department in Belfast for more than 23 years and has been involved in a number of major crime investigations. (Jan 03)
  • Out-going police chief honoured with medal Chief Superintendent Mike Layton, will receive the Queen's Police Medal, while Trevor Poxon gets an MBE. (Jan 03)
  • New Year honours for community stalwarts London residents from across the civil service, volunteer and education sectors were among those named in the New Year's Honours Lists. Those honoured include Elizabeth Winter, of Putney, who was awarded the OBE for her high profile work with Irish and British charities and non-governmental organisations in Afghanistan and among Afghan refugees in Pakistan and India, through the British Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG). (Jan 03)
  • Residents rewarded in New Year Honours List Redditch and surrounding areas were well represented in the New Year Honours List. Top award locally went to Tanworth-in-Arden's Michael Saunders, who landed a CBE for services to the water industry in his role as director of consumer affairs for industry watchdog Ofwat. (Jan 03)

  • Queen honours Forty years in the meat and livestock industry has been rewarded with an MBE in the New Year Honours list. Tony Blackburn started his career with Maff before joining the Meat and Livestock Commission in 1969 as a Fatstock Officer for the Welsh Region. (Jan 03)

  • Lawrence parents in New Year Honours The parents of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence are named in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Neville and Doreen Lawrence each receive an OBE for services to community relations. The couple are co-founders of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Their son was stabbed to death by a gang of racists in an unprovoked attack. (Jan 03)

The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2004
HM The Queen's Birthday Honours list for 2004 has been announced.

New Year Honours List 2004 PDF (631 kbs)

New Year Honours List 2005 PDF, 640kbs

Briefing from the Prime Minister's Spokesman on the 2005 Honours List

The Diplomatic and Overseas list

Awards made to members of the Armed Forces

UK Armed Forces Operational Honours and Awards Lists

NOTE: This is a series of articles on the controversy surrounding the selection of recipients for British Honours as a result of allegations, which led to the review of the British Honours System:

  • Government accused in honours row The Government has been accused of abusing the honours system after leaked documents showed that Tim Henman is being recommended for an OBE to "add interest" to the list. The revelations came in minutes of the main honours committee which vets people for knighthoods and other awards. The secret document also suggested that eminent Oxford scientist Professor Colin Blakemore is being excluded because of his "controversial" work on vivisection. But a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office, which is responsible for administering the Honours system, said: "While we do not comment on the specific contents of leaked documents, we totally refute the claim that honours are rewarded on anything other than merit." IC Berkshire 15 Dec 03

  • Leak Reveals Honours Balancing Act A Whitehall “whistleblower” has leaked documents which suggest civil servants failed to find a member of Rangers football club worthy of a New Year honour to match one being awarded to Celtic, it was reported. The leaked minutes of the main honours committee, which vets people for knighthoods and other awards, described discussions about the merits and demerits of 38 people being considered for the list. News.Scotsman.com 14 Dec 03

  • Honours Based on 'Patronage and Good Headlines' The British honours system is a political behemoth, long revered by the Establishment but hated by campaigners who brand it the symbol of unacceptable elitism. It acted as the very apex for Britain’s upper echelons until recent changes allowed ordinary people to also receive gongs. But despite these changes, suspicions still linger that the awards are based on patronage and generating good news headlines. News.Scotsman.com 14 Dec 03

  • Honours system to be reviewed after embarrassing leaks A review of the way honours are awarded is to be conducted urgently by the Government after a series of embarrassing leaks showed some candidates are rewarded simply to "add interest" to the list. The Cabinet Office confirmed yesterday it would overhaul the approval system by next year and would bring in a new "independent" element to ensure greater openness. Independent 23 Dec 03
  • Mandarins behind honours system One of Whitehall's most closely guarded secrets was facing intense scrutiny last night as pressure intensified for root and branch reform of the honours system. The focus is shifting to the identities of the "guardians to the establishment", the senior mandarins who secretly compile 1,500-name lists to be rubber-stamped by the Queen twice a year. Guardian Unlimited 23 Dec 03
  • Honours system shakeup Whitehall is poised to launch the most thorough review of the honours system for nearly 100 years amid a growing backlash against the secretive way recipients are chosen. The Guardian has learned that Sir Hayden Phillips, the permanent secretary in charge of the system, has decided that the secrecy surrounding honours lists should be ended and the historic titles linked to an empire long vanished should be re-examined. Guardian Unlimited 23 Dec 03
  • The honours system creates more happiness than heartache Overnight, we seem to have uncovered a gallery of heroes. They are the 300 or so men and women who, according to records leaked by a Whitehall mole, have declined the offer of an honour in the post-war years. As a Guardian headline expresses it: "The ultimate honour - impressive list of those who refused to bow to the system.'' "Bow to the system" is good. It conjures a vision of brave folk like David Hockney, Vanessa Redgrave and Bernie Ecclestone being threatened with an honour, but standing firm against any such injustice. A note of reassurance is needed here; there are no penalties for turning down an honour. And because in a better regulated Whitehall the identity of those who turn down honours is normally kept private, the refusal causes no offence. Telegraph 23 Dec 03
  • Secret Whitehall files on honours list refusals are leaked Kenneth Branagh and John Cole are among the famous Ulster-born people who have snubbed the honours system by refusing knighthoods and other awards, according to a newly-uncovered list. The actor and the former BBC political editor are included in a series of secret Whitehall files leaked to a Sunday newspaper. The reasons for refusing are not recorded. The list, in documents marked "refusals" are not even released under the 30-year rule after which many Government papers are made public. Branagh rejected a CBE in 1994 and Mr Cole refused the same honour the year before. Also named on the 300-strong list is the former Belfast Telegraph editor Roy Lilley, who turned down an OBE in 1984. Mr Lilley accepted the honour 14 years later after he retired. The Belfast Telegraph Digital 22 Dec 03
  • Is the Honours system outdated? The honours system is to be investigated by MPs in the New Year following disclosures about the selection process. This comes after the Sunday Times newspaper revealed a secret list of top figures including singer David Bowie and comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders who have refused honours. The 400 page file covers all those who have rejected awards offered by prime ministers on behalf of the Queen since the Second World War although reasons for refusal are not recorded. Read about readers comments on this subject. BBC News 24 Dec 03
  • What do you want, a medal? After a string of recent controversies the honours system will be reformed, the government has announced. But is a gong the best way to show our appreciation anyway? BBC News 22 Dec 03
  • The ultimate honour - impressive list of those who refused to bow to the system It is an impressive list of the great and the good, packed with scholars and sportsmen, authors and artists. Many of the most eminent names of the last 50 years are there. Yet the leaked Whitehall documents do not detail Britain's knights and dames, but almost 300 top figures - from David Bowie to Isaiah Berlin and from Helen Mirren to Lucian Freud - who snubbed the establishment by rejecting honours. Guardian Unlimited 22 Dec 03
  • Britain to Cast Light on Honors System Sir Mick Jagger was delighted to become a knight. Keith Richards called it a disgrace. As with the Rolling Stones, so with British society: Some crave titles, some refuse them, some consider it all a joke. Still others, like Winston Churchill, change their minds - perhaps when later offered a higher rank or from a government more to their taste. The Sunday Times this week published a list of 300 people - including singer David Bowie, comedian John Cleese and actors Albert Finney and Kenneth Branagh - who declined honors since 1945. Guardian Unlimited 23 Dec 03
  • Honours Review Sparked by Damaging Leaks The honours system has taken some buffeting in its time, but the current revelations about the bizarre reasons why some recipients are chosen and other likely candidates are rejected is probably the most damaging blow it has suffered yet. Although over recent years more and more “ordinary” people – those “at the sharp end” as Downing Street likes to call them – have been included in the lists it still remains, in the public mind, a secret bastion of Establishment privilege. The Cabinet Office has therefore had no option but to mount a review of the structure and membership of the honours committees, now that the whole system has been blown open by documents leaked to The Sunday Times. Scotsman 23 Dec 03

  • New look honours system faces nationalist headache Reform of the honours system faces a constitutional hurdle after senior civil servants proposed the replacement of the Order of the British Empire, mainstay of the honours system, with the Order of Britain. sunday herald online 28 Dec 03

  • Professor Tells of Anger over Honours Row The Government scientist who sparked controversy over the honours system said the row had been a “real blow” for British science. Professor Colin Blakemore was reportedly not put forward for an honour because of his support for animal experiments. Prof Blakemore was giving evidence to the House of Commons public administration committee which is conducting a review of the honour system. Prof Blakemore also called for a major shake-up of the honours system. He said it must be clear they were awarded for selfless contributions to the community or exceptional work that brought distinction to the country. News.scotsman.com 13 Jan 04

  • Tories Warn on Honours Review The Government was urged to move “cautiously” in its review of the honours system. Lords Leader Baroness Amos confirmed that the Cabinet Office’s ceremonial office was looking at ways to “improve” the honours system. news.scotsman.com 12 Jan 04     

  • Blanket award devalues honour Handing out gongs to the entire England Rugby Squad The Herald 1 Jan 04

  • Knighthoods face axe in review of honours system Knighthoods would be abolished and the Order of the British Empire replaced with the Order of Britain under proposals published by MPs, The public administration committee floated the ideas in a consultation paper suggesting radical reform of the honours system. Telegraph.co.uk 3 Feb 04

  • Major: end 'tasteless' honours lobbying John Major, the Brixton-born Tory who advocated a "classless society" as prime minister, described lobbying for honours as "tasteless" and "quite prevalent" and called for the awards system to be reformed. Giving evidence to the Commons public administration committee, Mr Major recounted how he had been lobbied for an honour by "one great public figure known to everyone here", and had been pressurised into making the late Denis Thatcher a baronet by "powerful representations". guardian.co.uk 20 May 04

  • Peer pressure - The tackiness of the honours system was criticised last week by John Major, the former prime minister. Yet it has long been accepted that a cunning game plan can improve a person's chances of a 'gong'. Andrew Alderson and Charlotte Edwardes reveal the many political tricks of the trade. Telegraph.co.uk 23 May 04

  • MPs say OBE should be scrapped The order of the British Empire should be scrapped and replaced with an honour more in keeping with modern Britain, a cross-party committee of MPs will tell Tony Blair next week. The MPs say that the reference to the Empire is outdated and the honour should be renamed the Order of Britain or something with more meaning. The committee, chaired by Dr Tony Wright, a senior Labour backbencher, will call for a radical shake-up of the awards system after leaks revealed that Professor Colin Blakemore, the eminent scientist, was excluded from honours because of his "controversial" use of vivisection. In evidence to the Commons Public Administration Committee, John Major, the former prime minister, called the system "distasteful". The Commons committee will urge Mr Blair to reform the system, with fewer automatic honours for the "great and good", including civil servants. indenpendent.co.uk 8 Jul 04

  • Iraq 'Honours List' Provokes Fresh Controversy Prime Minister Tony Blair provoked fresh controversy over the war with a “special Iraq Honours list”. Mr Blair’s plans to reward civil servants for their work are revealed in a Whitehall memo leaked to The Sunday Times. Officials who worked on the flawed weapons dossier could be in line for awards, the paper reports. However, No 10 said Mr Blair wanted to recognise the sacrifice of those working “at the sharp end” in Iraq. The Prime Minister believes some 50 non-military officials should be given knighthoods, OBEs, MBEs and other awards, according to the memo. The names are expected to be announced in the New Year honours list after being decided by a secretive Whitehall committee. Sir David Omand, the national security co-ordinator responsible for overseeing the intelligence services, is reportedly among the recommendations. Jane Marriott, who was at the centre of Government assessments about Saddam’s arsenal as head of the Foreign Office’s nuclear proliferation department, is said to be another. news.scotsman.com 10 Oct 04

  • 'Empire' tag on honours is facing axe The word "Empire" could be abolished from all British honours under new plans announced by the Government. Civil servants will also be stripped of their control over deciding who should get knighthoods, OBEs and other awards, Tony Blair told Parliament. Other reforms include creating a new lapel badge to allow those with honours to show off their achievement. The proposals emerged when the Prime Minister used a written Commons statement to publish his long-awaited response to two reports calling for reform. The Commons public administration committee had urged revolutionary change, including scrapping knighthoods, CBEs and MBEs and creating a new "Order of British Excellence" instead of the " Order of the British Empire". Downing Street's command paper said it would look "without prejudice" at removing the word "Empire" because of its connotations - the Government is aware "it feels anachronistic to some people". The paper stresses ministers have decided not to abolish OBEs straight away. With a general election only weeks away, it may be that scrapping "Empire" immediately was too politically explosive. But a Cabinet Office statement said: "It will consider the matter further, without prejudice as to whether there should be a change." The Government also rejected MPs' calls to abolish knighthoods and damehoods, but wanted the honours system to be "more open, diverse and easier to understand". One reform that will go ahead immediately is the removal of control of senior civil servants over the award of honours. The Prime Minister has agreed that the selection committee should be chaired by someone from outside government and, in future, the majority of the people who make up the committee will not be civil servants. thisislondon.co.uk 22 Feb 05

  • Order of the boot as politically correct honours are rejected The Order of the British Empire will not become the Order of British Excellence, the government said yesterday, resisting pressure to purge the honours system of its imperial roots. Ministers rejected the more politically correct wording for the order, despite admitting that the word empire was "anachronistic". Dames and knighthoods will also remain, and a pin, badge or brooch is being considered for those who are awarded honours, the government said in its response to two reports on modernising the system. "The government does not believe that the case has been made for the change to the Order of the British Empire," it said. "It is regarded with affection and respect by very many people, not only in the UK. news.scotsman.com 23 Feb 05

  • Should honours be modernised? Knights, dames and the OBE are set to remain according to a government response to two reports on modernising the UK's honours system. The shake-up could also see recipients being given Blue Peter-style badges as well as traditional medals. And committees that decide who gets honours will be headed by people from outside the government with posts advertised in national, regional and ethnic minority media. What do you think of the proposals? Are you happy that references to "Empire" are to remain in the honours system? Should recipients be given Blue Peter-style badges? news.bbc.co.uk 22 Feb 05

  • Government announces new Honours Committees The full membership of all eight new honours committees was announced. For the first time, the Government has published details of the committee membership. In another new move, all appointments have been made through open competition. This is to improve transparency and accountability in the honours system. Full membership details of all eight new honours committees [PDF 112KB, 10 pages] cabinetoffice.gov.uk 5 Sep 05

This is another set of news stories related to the awarding of Honours to wealthy individuals who provided loans to the Blair Government: 

  • Peerages to four Asians on hold A cronyism inquiry has spoilt the joy of proposed 28 new peers, including four Asians, Sir Gulam K.Noon, Dr Chai Patel, Sandip Verma and Mohamed Sheikh. In an unprecedented move the official Honours Watchdog has stopped the Government approved list of 28 nominations, after its publication provoked fresh allegations honours for cash. The House of Lord Appointments Commission headed by Lord Stevenson and including Lord Navnit Dholakia is doing a lengthy scrutiny and checking the suitability of the nominees to counter allegations of political favouritism and the suggestion that generous donation can secure a peerage. This inquiry is seen as highly embarrassing for Tony Blair and other leaders of the Conservative and Lib Dem parties. The list had been due last month but now has been delayed. A recent survey showed that nearly one in 10 of the 292 life peers Blair has created were people who had contributed an estimated £25 million to Labour. Mohamed Sheikh, nominated by the Tories, allegedly donated £38,000 to the party. Labour nominee Dr Patel is said to have been on various advisory committees for reforms and privatisation of health services. Sir Noon had donated £200,000 to Labour, but as he has always maintained that he has been donating to the party and various charitable institutions for years. Many others, including two or more Asians who are peers, had also been donors. hindustantimes.com 27 Dec 05

    • Lords Inquiry Delays Honours Ulster'ss next appointees to the House of Lords are being made to wait for their seats, as an investigation into "honours for cash" is carried out. Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, Ian Paisley's wife Eileen, DUP chairman and MLA Maurice Morrow and DUP Lord Mayor of Belfast Wallace Browne were all expected to be made working peers earlier this autumn. An announcement never came, however, and theories as to why this was includedthe idea that Mr Trimble could have used his influence to strengthen the revolt against the On-the-Runs legislation in the upper house. There was also an initial minor problem over Mrs Paisley's selection, as Lords cannot be nominated by their spouses. But this was sorted out. Now it has emerged the hold-up is because an inquiry is being carried out by House of Lords Appointments Commission. The honours watchdog has moved in to examine all proposed 28 working peers, after their names were leaked to the media in October and concerns were raised about the number of life peerages going to people believed to be millionaire donors to Labour and the Conservatives. The inquiry does not involve any of the proposed Northern Ireland peers, but it is holding up their appointments. The watchdog is headed by Lord Stevenson of Coddenham, chairman of the publishing firm Pearson and a cross-bench peer. It has representatives nominated by the political parties, including former Tory foreign secretary Lord Hurd, Lady Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde (Labour), a former union leader, and Lord Dholakia (Liberal Democrat). The new appointees include Sir David Garrard, a property developer, and Sir Gulam Noon, who has made millions from ready-made curries. Both gave more than £200,000 to Labour and Sir David gave £70,000 to the Tories when William Hague was leader. Chai Patel, another high-profile donor, who runs the Priory celebrity rehabilitation clinic, is also on the list. newsletter.co.uk 28 Dec 05

    • Every £1m Labour donor has been given honour When Paul Drayson joined the House of Lords in 2004 he became the latest in a long line of Labour donors to be handed a peerage, knighthood or other gong, writes Robert Winnett. Drayson, who has given more than £1m to the party, joins Lord Sainsbury, Lord Bhattacharyya and at least six other donors who have joined the Labour benches in the upper house since 1997. A recent analysis found that every Labour donor who has given more than £1m has received a peerage or a knighthood. These include Sir Christopher Ondaatje, Sir Gulam Noon, Sir David Garrard, Sir Ronald Cohen, Sir Frank Lowe and Sir Alan Sugar.  Since 2001, when the Electoral Commission began detailing political donations, the government has bestowed honours on 12 of the 14 individuals who have given Labour more than £200,000. Of the 22 who donated more than £100,000, 17 received honours — including Bill Kenwright, the impresario and Patrick Stewart, the Star Trek actor. In total, 80% of the money raised from individuals is from those who have received honours. timesonline.co.uk 15 Jan 06

    • City academies adviser resigns after cash-for-honours accusation An adviser to the government's £5bn city academy programme yesterday resigned after it was revealed that he had promised that wealthy individuals who agreed to make large donations to expand the programme would be rewarded with knighthoods and even peerages. Des Smith, a secondary headteacher who was also a council member of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), which helps the government to recruit sponsors for the academies, stepped down from the advisory post after admitting that he had been "naive" in comments he had made to an undercover reporter. The Sunday Times reported that Mr Smith told a journalist posing as a potential donor's PR assistant that "the prime minister's office would recommend someone like [the donor] for an OBE, a CBE or a knighthood". Asked if this would be just for getting involved in the academies, he responded: "Yes ... they call them services to education. I would say to Cyril's office that we've got to start writing to the prime minister's office." For a donation of £10m, "you could go to the House of Lords". Earlier the defence secretary, John Reid, speaking on ITV's Jonathan Dimbleby programme, said: "I don't know who Mr Des Smith is ... He doesn't speak with any authority for the government at all. As far as I'm aware, he doesn't speak for the Labour party either." Six sponsors who have made gifts since the programme to establish academies was launched in 2001 have been honoured under Labour. Downing Street said: "It's nonsense to suggest that honours are awarded for giving money to an academy." politics.guardian.co.uk 16 Jan 06

    • Conservative got Labour honour A Westminster insider has described how Labour used the honours system and a network of senior figures in an attempt to entice one of the Conservatives’ main backers. John Beckwith, 59, a millionaire property developer, was given his knighthood at a time when Labour hoped he would spend millions on a city academy, a key policy initiative. The nomination for the old Harrovian — who had donated £500,000 to the Tories — was backed by a senior minister, quango bosses and a former prime minister. Sir Hayden Phillips, the senior civil servant who retired in summer 2004, had lunched with Beckwith to discuss giving him a job at the helm of a quango. Last week Phillips was entrusted with the task of reforming the honours system. In a signed statement, the insider says the story of how Beckwith got his knighthood in 2002 illustrates Labour’s tactics. timesonline.co.uk 19 Mar 06

    • Labour 'to name future lenders' The Labour Party says it plans to reveal the names of people who give it commercial loans - as it fends off "cash for peerages" claims. Tony Blair has denied he nominated the trio for the House of Lords in return for the loans. But he told reporters at his monthly news conference he wanted a shake up of the honours system and the rules covering party funding, saying "the buck stops with me". The changes would include renouncing the right of the PM to nominate people for honours such as OBEs and knighthoods and instead pass that role on to the Cabinet secretary. news.bb.co.uk 16 Mar 06

    • Honours for sale? The way honours are handed out is to be investigated by an influential group of MPs. It follows allegations at the weekend that a businessman who loaned the Labour party one and a half million pounds was later put forward for a peerage. >>Watch the report channel4.com 14 Mar 06

    • Tycoon rejects peerage after probe into honours launched A property millionaire who made a loan to the Labour Party before the last general election today asked Tony Blair to stop moves to give him a peerage. A spokeswoman for Sir David Garrard said that he thanked Mr Blair for having nominated him for a peerage, but no longer wished to be considered as a possible member of the House of Lords. She confirmed that he had made an unspecified loan to the Labour Party "on commercial terms". timesonline.co.uk 15 Mar 06

    • Cash for honours mocked by Salmond Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond called for a debate on what he described was the “marketplace for honours which has been established by this Government.” Mr Salmond claimed that 80p of every £1 donated by individuals to Labour Party coffers came from people who were subsequently ennobled or knighted. eadt.co.uk 9 Mar 06

    • Straw says honours 'not for sale' Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has insisted that peerages are not for sale under the Labour Government. He spoke out after Chai Patel, the head of the Priory rehab clinics, revealed he had loaned Labour £1.5m weeks before being nominated for a peerage. The Lords Appointment Commission, which vets nominations for peerages, is said to be against Dr Patel's candidacy. Mr Straw backs Electoral Commission calls for a change in the law to force political parties to declare loans. news.bbc.co.uk 13 Mar 06
    • MPs examine system of granting honours MPs have launched an investigation into whether the current system of scrutinising honours and appointments to the House of Lords is working. The public administration committee announced the three-month inquiry in the wake of claims that the Labour government is handing out peerages to its big donors. Ministers have denied any suggestion of a 'cash for honours' scandal, but committee chairman Tony Wright said it was important to establish that safeguards were in place. politics.co.uk 15 Mar 06

    • 'Cash for honours' scandal hurts Blair's reputation British Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing growing criticism over a series of secret loans made to the Labour party during the last general election. At least four individuals each made loans worth more than $1 million Cdn, and were later included on a list of names being recommended for a peerage. The affair is hurting Blair politically. Newspapers have started to openly ask for his resignation and half of Britons polled in a recent survey said he should leave within a year. "Selling" titles has been illegal since 1925, when it was discovered that Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George and his cronies even had a price list for such honours. London's Metropolitan Police Service says it has received three complaints against Blair's Labour party and is investigating the matter, which has been dubbed the "cash for honours" scandal. cbc.ca 22 Mar 06

    • Dishonourable Honours System A History. The current sleaze row engulfing the Labour Party over the offer of peerages in return for party political donations is the latest manifestation of a scandal which has dogged the honours system for centuries. James I kickstarted the game by putting a price-tag on baronetcies in the 17th century, but there was a major escalation in the practice in the 20th century when David Lloyd George, the Liberal, and subsequently Coalition, Prime Minister (1916-23), came to power. Lloyd George shamelessly lined his own pockets and those of the Liberal Party with cash-for-honours deals. As one contemporary wrote: “Anyone could buy a barony for £50,000, a baronetcy for £25,000 or a knighthood for £15,000 – ‘payable to party funds’, which meant Lloyd George’s own kitty.” The Liberal leader even had a new order created – the Order of the British Empire (OBE) – for his illicit activities, to give those of lesser means a “democratic” chance to have letters after their names. Shockingly, his corruption was not highlighted by newspapers at the time because they had been bought off too. Lloyd George conferred baronies on newspaper owners, thus ensuring their silence. sundayhearld.com 19 Mar 06
    • UK police probing Blair's Labor over honors British police said they were investigating Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labor party in response to complaints related to the country's age-old honors system. "The Metropolitan Police Service has received three complaints about the Labor party under section 1 of the Honors Act 1925," the police said in a statement. "These allegations are being investigated by the Specialist Crime Directorate." It was not immediately clear who had made the complaints or what the implications of the probe might be. today.reuters.com 21 Mar 06
    • Charges not ruled out' in honours probe The senior Scotland Yard detective leading the inquiry into the so-called Labour Party cash-for-honours affair has warned that he has not ruled out corruption charges. In a letter to MPs who are also investigating claims that peerages were "sold" for political donations, Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates said that prosecution was "the only credible deterrent for any briber". He added: "Whilst it may be too early for us to widen our investigation into the arena of corruption, I certainly have not ruled this out." In his letter, Mr Yates said that his inquiries were at a "very early stage" and that charges were "not imminent". He accepted that the matter could not be considered sub-judice and that Parliament was entitled to carry out its own scrutiny of the issues involved. However he went on to quote from a 1999 report by the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege, which concluded "corruption, a serious and insidious offence, could only be dealt with effectively by using the police and the courts. The Public Administration Committee said in a special report last night that it had agreed to a "short pause" in its inquiry to give police a chance to say whether there was a "realistic prospect" of charges being brought. dailymail.co.uk 28 Mar 06
    • Honour probe now a cross-party investigation The police inquiry into the alleged sale of political honours has been widened into a cross-party investigation, Scotland Yard said today. In a statement, the Yard said that since it launched its inquiry into the alleged award of peerages by Labour in return for loans to the party, it had continued to receive fresh allegations. "These allegations are being investigated by the Specialist Crime Directorate. This is now a cross-party investigation," the statement said. dailymail.co.uk 30 Mar 06

    • PM admits defeat over 'cash for peerages' and drops Labour nominees Tony Blair is to admit defeat over the "cash for peerages" affair this week and publish the next honours list without the names of the controversial millionaires who made loans to the Labour Party. news.independent.co.uk 8 Apr 06

    • Tycoons face police on cash for honours Millionaire businessmen who secretly lent money to the Labour Party have been warned that they will be questioned by Scotland Yard in the criminal investigation into allegations of peerages for sale. The Times has learnt that 12 businessmen, including four whose peerage nominations were blocked by the House of Lords Appointment Commission, have been told by Labour to expect the police to approach them after Easter. The revelation comes after detectives yesterday arrested Des Smith, 60, a head teacher and former adviser to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), which recruits sponsors for the city academies, specialist schools partly funded by the private sector. Mr Smith resigned after being taped by an undercover reporter apparently promising potential donors OBEs, knighthoods or peerages in return for funding an academy. timesonline.co.uk 14 Apr 06

    • Blair faces police quiz over 'cash-for-honours' scandal - report Prime Minister Tony Blair faces the menace of being questioned formally by police over the 'cash-for-honours' scandal that has implicated his government. According to the Sunday Mirror, officers from Scotland Yard's Specialist Crime Directorate contacted his office last week asking for an appointment with the premier. The decision to interview a sitting Prime Minister as part of an on-going criminal inquiry is thought to be unprecedented. It comes after one of his former advisers, Des Smith, was arrested last Thursday but later released on bail. It is also believed that Blair's chief of staff Jonathan Powell and Labour's chief fundraiser Lord Levy, will be quizzed by detectives as potential witnesses. Levy, who also acts as the Prime Minister's special envoy to the Middle East and raised funds for Israel's Labour Party, has previously insisted that he will not be the fall guy in the scandal. The Sunday Mirror reported that detectives had already entered the Cabinet Office to seize documents. It said police are also demanding access to telephone records, emails and documents relating to the awarding of honours and donations to the Labour Party. irna.ir 16 Apr 06

    • Miliband named in honours row A key ally of Tony Blair has been drawn into the 'cash for honours' furore, currently derailing the government's anti-sleaze credentials. David Miliband, local government minister and the man tipped as a potential future Labour leader, was named by Des Smith, the former government adviser who arrested last week, in a conversation with an undercover journalist for the Sunday Times. Mr Smith, a former headmaster, suggested to a businessman - named as Malcolm who was interested in sponsoring a city academy - that he might look for a knighthood by approaching Mr Miliband, according to the Sunday newspapers. news.monstersandcritics.com 17 Apr 06
    • Blair to go on honours offensive Tony Blair is preparing to go on the offensive in the "cash for honours" row, it has been reported. The Prime Minister was said to be ready to argue that it was right that wealthy businessmen who sponsored city academies were given seats in the House of Lords. Last week Des Smith, a former Government adviser, was arrested by police over remarks he made to an undercover reporter suggesting that academy sponsors could be rewarded with knighthoods or peerages. Meanwhile, a Downing Street aide has told The Daily Telegraph that people who were prepared to donate money and expertise to education should be "celebrated". dailymail.co.uk 17 Apr 06

    • Lords watchdog 'in dark on loans' Scotland Yard's Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who is leading the police probe, says his inquiry has made "significant progress" but is still at a relatively early stage. The investigation remains focused on whether peerages were offered in exchange for loans to political parties or sponsorship of the government's flagship city academies. It covers the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, as well as Labour. The police have been careful not to leak information but BBC political editor Nick Robinson said one person familiar with the inquiry had said documents had produced "pretty significant evidence". news.bbc.co.uk 16 May 06

    • Yard to quiz minister over honours The trade minister and former Labour chairman Ian McCartney is expected to be interviewed by police investigating the loans for honours affair. It is thought he will become the first minister to be questioned by Scotland Yard over the affair since the police launched their investigation into allegations that the party had offered peerages in return for loans. It is understood he was unaware that those being nominated for peerages had lent money to Labour only months before. A well placed source close to the inquiry said it was likely that McCartney would be interviewed, possibly as early as this week, for the purpose of “information gathering”. There is no evidence that the minister did anything illegal. One of the millionaire businessmen nominated for a peerage revealed the role the prime minister and Cherie Blair played in securing a loan for the Labour party from him. Sir David Garrard, a property developer, said Labour’s chief fundraiser Lord Levy introduced him to the couple at a party at his north London home in 2002. Garrard said each of the dinner guests had been given 10 minutes to speak about their favourite subjects. He talked about an idea for providing housing for low paid public sector workers. “Blair listened but asked me how I knew it could work,” he said. “I said he ran the country — he could surely get this to work as well.” Garrard, who was already a sponsor of a city academy in Bexley, south London, was recognised for his services to charity with a knighthood in the 2003 new year honours. Later that year the self-confessed Thatcherite made his first formal donation to Labour of £200,000. In 2004 he received another invitation from Levy to meet the Blairs for dinner. In April 2005, after retiring as chairman of his property company Minerva and cashing in £40m worth of shares, Garrard met Levy again and agreed to lend the party £2.3m. Garrard said: “It was Tony Blair I was supporting. I always expected it to be paid back with interest, I had absolutely nothing to hide. I resent the suggestion they were ‘secret’ loans. timesonline.co.uk 28 May 06
Titled rewards that are not always an honour Helen Mirren turned down a CBE, but accepted the offer to become a Dame of the British Empire. news.scotsman.com 28 Dec 03

 

Units

Miscellaneous

Dog of war collars 'VC for animals' A springer spaniel will join the select group of dogs, horses, pigeons and a cat awarded the Dickin Medal, the highest award for animal bravery in wartime. Buster, a sniffer dog trained by the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, will receive the medal for locating a hidden cache of arms, explosives and drugs during service in southern Iraq earlier this year. The five-year-old dog is the 60th recipient of the award, created 60 years ago and sometimes referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross". He will receive his medal from Field Marshal Lord Inge, a former Chief of Defence Staff, at a ceremony at the Imperial War Museum in London. He will be accompanied by his trainer and handler, Sgt Danny Morgan. Telegraph 1 Dec 03
Medal for 'bomb sniff' dog A dog has been awarded the animal "Victoria Cross" for sniffing out hidden bomb-making equipment in Iraq. Buster, a five-year-old springer spaniel, broke an armed resistance cell in the southern Iraqi town of Safwan with his discovery in March. The Army search dog received the People's Dispensary for Sick Animal's (PDSA) Dickin Medal from Princess Alexandra at the Imperial War Museum. BBC News 9 Dec 03 War medal for canine hero Horse and Hound9 Dec 03 

Canine war hero cocks a snook at tradition Buster the nation's bravest springer spaniel could do no wrong on the day he was awarded the Dicken Medal, the highest award for animals aiding British and Commonwealth forces in war. The six-year-old-dog was presented with the award for his exploits in Iraq earlier this year, when his nose did what a hundred searching soldiers could not, uncovering a hidden cache of weapons and explosives destined for use against British forces. Buster received his medal from Princess Alexandra, patron of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, which issues the award. Telegraph 10 Dec 03

Medals, Honours and Awards

Gives details of the honours and medals awarded to the female members of the Special Operations Executive in WWII

 

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