Why is it Sir Nick Clegg, and not Sir Tony, Sir David or Sir Gordon?

[TheFoodtheFadandtheFugly]

Genuine question - is it a protocol thing about Prime Ministers? A sneaky queen making her point? Philip going eenee meanee miney mo?

I also know that it has been a while since he was knighted! Just still weird seeing him and Facebook in the same sentence!

I always wonder this, especially about Tony Blair. He must be so pissed off! Also Vince Cable is a Sir. Suspicious!

Yes, exactly! I wondered whether it had to be from different parties to be fair, or maybe if someone couldn't be knighted if they were in another role.

I am surprised (or not?!) he is not Lord Blair or Sir Tony by now. Will have do some research on Wikipedia.

That's an interesting question, I've just been googling to try to find out but haven't got very far. It says somewhere that prime ministers are offered peerages rather than knighthoods. Someone also said that Labour PMs tend to decline them, but that wouldn't explain Cameron.

So who knows!

Tony Blair and David Cameron were not exactly popular at the end of their tenure - I can imagine public uproar if they were given a knighthood! I expect Gordon to get one some day.

Well Cameron did the country the most enormous disservice by masterminding the most disastrously designed referendum, resulting in division and discord. This is true whichever way you voted and whatever actually happens. That man should never ever receive a knighthood or a peerage.

I would be very surprised if any of the former PMs ever get peerages. Cameron fucked up by calling the referendum, Brown was in office for a relatively short time and wasn't that popular, Blair is tainted by his involvement in the Iraq war. Major has been knighted already - I don't think it's a peerage but I could be wrong.
Basically I think the days of former PMs sitting in the Lords are long gone - can you imagine Lady May?!!

People often privately decline them.

It is interesting about Cameron - not him, but Nick! They were in charge at the same time, so it must be different protocols apply to Prime Ministers? And it is interesting that it would be about how popular they were - given that technically David Cameron delivered what the country wanted* and voted for, even if he had to resign.

*remainer myself

I read some time ago that Gordon Brown etc couldn't be given a knighthood as their predecessor as PM,Tony Blair, hadn't been given one. Nick Clegg was deputy PM.

I wonder if any of them have secret ambitions to go back into politics. I think it took John Major a while to be knighted...

Christ imagine Cameron getting knighted. There'd be bloody uproar!

Cameron should be tried for treason, never mind knighted.