Page 3 | New Years honours list

Neron · 2022-01-01T10:50:06+00:00

Tony Blair. Honestly? What are peoples thoughts

Kite22 · 01/01/2022 18:08

Or perhaps scrap anyone who does their job exceptionally well and only give it those who contribute to society through voluntary work.
It would certainly stop awards for those who happened to be blessed with talent/ athleticism.
Definitely agree that the award for Emma Radacanu is OTT.

I'd agree with all this.

A crossing lady near us got an award a few years back. For turning up to work for an hour, twice a day - which she was paid for, and it was hardly groundbreaking work. I mean, most of us turn up for work. I do get annoyed at the number of civil servants who get them - again, for going to work. It is just bizarre.

I'd also like to see some sort of criteria for volunteering too. There have been numerous awards for people who stepped forward since COVID hit - which is admirable - but I know dozens of people who have been volunteering for decades (literally). Why does someone volunteering for 12 or 18 months get recognised, when thousands of people put in hours every week for 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 years never get acknowledged.

Someone always comes on these threads to say "You could nominate them" - but as mentioned above, it isn't always that easy. Maybe with more of a structure or framework to the system, more longstanding volunteers would be recognised and those who are turning up at work might not get so many awards.

Branleuse · 01/01/2022 18:09

Interesting that sir Kier and sir Tony. I wonder if her madge is secretly nu-labour

elelel · 01/01/2022 18:13

In his first six years in office, Blair ordered British troops into combat five times, more than any other prime minister in British history. This included Iraq in both 1998 and 2003, Kosovo (1999), Sierra Leone (2000) and Afghanistan (2001).

jgw1 · 01/01/2022 18:17

Ah, but Sir Keir is a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (one of up to 355) and was appointed in 2014 before he became an MP whereas Sir Tony is a Companion of the Order of the Garter and one of up to 24 Companions, currently there are 21.

sst1234 · 01/01/2022 18:23

@ScribblingPixie

Martin Lewis leaps out as someone who deserved recognition - he must have eased stress for so many people/families with his financial advice, and seems to be absolutely driven to improve lives.

And he talks sense, especially when he corrects those spreading propaganda calling student loans debt. It’s a graduate tax.

BasiliskStare · 01/01/2022 18:24

Ds has a theory that Tony Blair was the first Prime Minister not to be given Knight of the Garter to cut the precedent of giving it to every Prime Minster & he was an extremely controversial figure at the time. . That aside I can't abide the man and whatever he did which was good I think was outweighed by what was horrid. But that is just my opinion - others are available.

Rhannion · 01/01/2022 18:24

I would love to see Virginia McKenna become a dame to honour her work for animals and her classic films like Carve Her Name With Pride & Born Free, she is a classy lady.

BasiliskStare · 01/01/2022 18:25

I agree with Martin Lewis getting an award - helped a lot of people

Toktokboki · 01/01/2022 18:26

@luckylavender

I think the Kennys deserve it, what they've achieved is incredible. I think Whitty and Van Tam deserve it. And I think Tony Blair deserves it.

So did the other one not get one, Patrick Vallance?

sst1234 · 01/01/2022 18:26

Civil servants absolutely should not be given honours for doing their jobs. What out of the ordinary excellence have Whitt and Van Tam displayed. They did a job they were paid to do, someone else would have done it, if not them.

Sportspeople being recognized is a different matter. They are literally competing against others for their success. Jason and Laura Kenny were world beating. Not sure that could be said about career civil servants. They are usually as mediocre as they come.

Toktokboki · 01/01/2022 18:27

Oh ignore just realised he already is a Sir!?

flashy44 · 01/01/2022 18:38

Tony Blair needs to be tried for war crimes,i have signed a petition to revoke his knighthood,it is gathering signatures really quickly

noworklifebalance · 01/01/2022 18:40

@sst1234

Civil servants absolutely should not be given honours for doing their jobs. What out of the ordinary excellence have Whitt and Van Tam displayed. They did a job they were paid to do, someone else would have done it, if not them.

Sportspeople being recognized is a different matter. They are literally competing against others for their success. Jason and Laura Kenny were world beating. Not sure that could be said about career civil servants. They are usually as mediocre as they come.

Equally, you could say that all they did was beat someone on a bike going round in circles - really not worthy of an honour (and I say this as someone who loves sport). Whitty and Van Tam, pfff, what a waste space they are

elelel · 01/01/2022 18:46

@flashy44

Tony Blair needs to be tried for war crimes,i have signed a petition to revoke his knighthood,it is gathering signatures really quickly

I know! I'm absolutely stunned that there are posters upthread saying he deserves it

mobear · 01/01/2022 19:01

@elelel I agree with both of you and I am also very surprised by the number of people who think he deserves it.

viques · 01/01/2022 19:05

I am miffed about Blair, but not as miffed as I was when Thatcher got made a Baroness and then got Dennis a baronetcy (.?) and insisted it was made a hereditary one so her useless arms dealing son now has the title.

viques · 01/01/2022 19:09

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

I was far more surprised by Vanessa Redgrave accepting a Damehood. She and her brother Corin were stalwarts of the Workers Revolutionary Party and similar outfits for decades.

That one shocked me too, all that being the voice of a midwife must have softened up her principles!

LuluBlakey1 · 01/01/2022 19:13

@jgw1 Many PMs were offered honours which they turned down. They may or may not have been offered a different honour later on which they may or may not have accepted. It's a bit of a mixed system- often refused for political reasons at the time, or financial at the time or personal preferences or philosophical.

Churchill was offered a Dukedom- he refused it.
Antony Eden was offered an Earldom and refused it but accepted an offer of an Earldom 4 years later
Harold MacMillan declined an Earldom but accepted one about 25 years later. He also declined a Knight of the Garter.
Neville Chamberlain refused and Earldom and a Knight of the Garter
Tony Blair was offered a life peerage in 1999 and declined it.
Gordon Brown declined a life peerage.
Edward Heath was offered a life peerage and declined it - he disapproved of political honours.
John Major was offered a life peerage and declined it but accepted a Knight of the Garter some years later.

BooksAndGin · 01/01/2022 19:14

Tony Blair should be in prison! He's a war criminal!

LuluBlakey1 · 01/01/2022 19:15

I hope Gordon Brown is offered a KG soon and accepts. It's a role he would do very well.

LuluBlakey1 · 01/01/2022 19:17

@viques She has previously turned down a CBE and a dame-hood- I wonder what changed her mind?

Magnited · 01/01/2022 19:23

@BooksAndGin

Tony Blair should be in prison! He's a war criminal!

That's just your feeling. Not a fact.

If it was a fact he would be in prison.

35daystogo · 01/01/2022 19:26

@Magnited if we could get him into the Hague we could settle that debate once and for all.

Magnited · 01/01/2022 19:30

[quote 35daystogo]@Magnited if we could get him into the Hague we could settle that debate once and for all.[/quote]
Well do it and settle it.

Or don't go around accusing someone of being a war criminal. Rough Justice. Kangaroo Court. Etc.

Newyearoldyou · 01/01/2022 19:31

Absolutely appalling, dreadful awful man.