Last year they gave a bloke a knighthood for having a bike ride round France for three weeks. Now they want to give one to bloke for winning a game of tennis ffs Wonder if Cal will get one for winning one race. Thought not DoNt tell me doesn't put the same effort in
Ah yes, the knighthood is becoming as easy to get as the American Purple Heart was rumoured to be. I was told they got one for sitting on a cold toilet seat . It does seem to me that you can become a "sir" for doing something you enjoy doing and get well paid for e.g. Bruce Forsyth. Should only get one for doing something truly good for the country, in my opinion.
The honours system is anachronistic and should be scrapped. It is part of the currency of buying and selling favours.
Prince Charles has been made a Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force in the Honours list by his mum. My mum made me a cardigan.
Meanwhile : Carl Foggerty ( only person to have been WSB champion 4 times ) and John Surtees ( only person ever to have been world champion on two wheels and four wheels ) don't get a knighthood, despite - in John's case - decades of tireless charity work. Motorsport is always the poor relation when it comes to awards. Others come to mind - Richard Burns, first English WRC champion... Colin McRae, first British WRC champion... Dougie Lampkin, multiple trials champion... John McGuinness - needs no introduction... There are many more.
I Woz finkin dat yoos cud get nited for big wurdz un stuff ........who is this Anna you speak of ?????
That would be Colin McRae MBE, Dougie Lampkin MBE, John Surtees OBE, Carl Fogarty MBE all ignored by the honours system.......oh
Can I has a night hood pewees? Two a penny now a days... Does it actually mean anything anymore? If we were to go to war, does it mean that all those knighted have to raise troops from the serfs that work on their land?
Do knighthoods cost the Taxpayer anything? If not,and theres no law that says anyone has to defer to them,I don't give two hoots Much more irritating is that the bunch of Parasites at Buck House are reproducing,which no doubt will cost us a fortune. And they rub it in by swamping the airways with the news......"Woman has Baby",ffs....
The PM is quick to jump on a bandwagon, keeps the plebs from spotting stuff he doesn't want them to see. Such as how we paid to take his passport to him after he forgot it when going on holiday: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10094175/Police-make-30-mile-dash-to-airport-after-David-Cameron-forgets-passport.html
Shadow - yes, I agree about the MBE's and OBE's. But when people as irritating and pointless as Bruce Forsyth or Paul Mcartney can get a knighthood why has John Surtees not got one ? The system is biased towards what is deemed "newsworthy" or what is popular at the time - and therefore biased against motorsport... Bradley Wiggins - top bloke, don't get me wrong, I've got a lot of time for him - but he won the Tour de France once... Foggy won the World Championship FOUR times... The system is not exactly fair.
The honours system is not there to provide "fairness" and whether you or I find the recipients annoying is not the arbiter of who should or should not receive an award. If you accept a system should exist then there will by definition be inequities in the system, although I did read a report in the paper one new year saying if there's someone you think is utterly deserving that has been in the public eye for a few years then the chances are they've had one offered and declined it.
I happen to know that Peter Tatchell has been offered honours three times, but has refused each time. That's his decision, but in my view it's rather ungracious. No-one asks for or expects an honour, but if offered it should be accepted with gratitude - even if you don't think you deserve it much, or dislike the honours system.
