Why philip and not Theresa?

[Sorberret]

So the husband of Theresa May, Philip, has been awarded a knighthood by Boris Johnson for political services, as a result Theresa will now be known as Lady May - because of husband. Ok so I know he has been involved in politics but no where near as successful as his wife. It's reminiscent of John Major making Dennis Thatcher a baron.
Please tell me if I'm being ignorant here because after I read this in the paper this morning I was left baffled.

Very bizarre

Maybe they are thinking she will get a peerage when she steps down (or gets voted out) as an MP? Isn’t that usual for ex-PMs?

She won't get one because they haven't given Tony Blair, Gordon Brown or David Cameron one. It seems to have stopped whereas before it was routine up until John Major.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. It just sounded very odd reading it this morning like Johnson was making a point.

(That was in response to Aesopfable)

I was just saying this to dh

Just feels like its taking the piss

A bit ‘oh poor man playing second fiddle to his wife what can we reward him with’

The wives of the pms didnt get anything did they? And they seemed to do quite a bit

I may be completely and utterly wrong though

Did Sam Cam or Cherie Blair get anything? If not this smacks of misogyny.

Well he did put the bins out didn’t he?

Honestly I despair.

Rufus....
That's exactly what was going through my mind

I think they should change the rules so women can be knights. That would be cool!

I think, though someone might correct me, they have given him the title & so she gets a title but if they made her a peer, she would be in the House of Lords and I think Teresa wants to remain as an MP.

I don't think it's misogyny (I am saying that with a smirk) I think they are awarded the Order of The Garter by the Queen, and this is their entrance into the House of Lords. I don't think Tony Blair wanted to be in the House of Lords, so declined.

Idk what to say

But the point is that she is gaining a title through him not by her own merits but as his wife. She may well have turned down a damehood to remain a mp because her career came first and was more important to her than a title. This makes it look as though, despite her education and career, that she'll turn giddy over a title!
Apologies I think I may be getting a bit worked up over this 🤣

Have never ever heard of the female spouse of a former PM being given a knighthood.

Anyway these honours really mean nothing to most people, and are an anachronism these days. Just because the elites want to keep tradition going. Sigh almighty.

Oh and Johnson's brother was granted one too. Quelle Surprise.

Isn't he the one the press wrote about with porn videos in the bins or am I mixing it up?

I presume she hasn't been given one because she is still an mp & couldn't continue to be so if she'd received a peerage. Didn't Margaret Thatcher become a Baroness once she was no longer an mp? I dont why her husband has been knighted though.

You can be knighted and still be in the House of Commons, it’s not a peerage. So they haven’t done it so that May doesn’t get kicked out.

I think this is most likely a pay off to Philip for whatever he’s done to the Conservative party directly, not some kind of twisted attempt to give kudos to Theresa through him. The title she gets (Lady) isn’t a title in. Any case. You and I have as much right to call ourselves Lady as she does, it’s just a ”courtesy” to call the wives of entitled men by an equivalent (or, in this case, greater) title than their husband. It has no standing in law.

The big example of entitling a man to reward a woman’s work was when they gave Dennis Thatcher an hereditary peerage because there was no way to award it to a woman and have it be hereditary. But with knighthoods it doesn’t work that way.

All these titles are just ridiculous. I doubt anyone cares really.

Who pays for all this privilege anyway, or should I say is there a taxpayer involvement in their elevation to such titles?

Just to mention, does anyone remember who was "knighted" last year, lol.

Keep your distance, wear a mask, and wash your hands. Sorry now.

I'm still laughing at Claire Fox, who was a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party being chuffed at her seat in the House of Lords. She is only accepting it on behalf of the little people, of course.

sorberret

I’ll join you in the irritated corner

I don’t get it, i feel like someone is pulling a fast one and I’d quite like someone to explain it to me...in words of one syllable ideally as its nearly time for bed

I suspect there were behind the scenes negotiations re TM and any Honour. And I think she would probably rather resign than take anything from Boris. She probably just said to whichever flunky was sent to talk to her, tell him to piss off, but if he wan'ts to do something give it to Philip.

As to Clare Fox it is extraordinary how some individuals can just say oh I am part of the Institute of Ideas (which in fact is just me and my bloke) and the media starts inviting you onto programmes to comment. But it is her Brexiteer stance that got her this reward. But as this article points out it seems everyone who was in the RCP (only ever about 5) have all got a Tory hand out. www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/01/why-johnsons-tories-fell-for-a-tiny-sect-of-libertarian-provocateurs-rcp

This is probably Cummings' idea of thinking outside of the box.

I think what with Trump and now Boris which are into an era when intergrity and conviction will just wither away