Article by Cllr Dick Cole published in Cornish Guardian newspaper (3rd January 2024)
A wide range of people have been recognised through the latest New Year’s Honours List. As in previous years, many of the “great and the good” are again among those receiving awards – surprise, surprise – as are numerous media professionals, celebrities and sportspeople.
I am trying not to sound too cynical and I agree that many people being honoured have done amazing work in their chosen professions or for charity or their local community. How can we not be inspired by individuals such as former Rugby League players Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield? Rob is battling MND (Motor Neurone Disease) and, working with him, Kevin has raised millions of pounds for research into the disease by running multiple marathons and ultra-marathons on consecutive days.
But it is all being undermined by the blatant political cronyism at the heart of the honours system. It is only six months since former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “resignation honours list,” through which he gave various rewards to some 40 allies and staffers.
Included within the latest list of honours was another “resignation” list – this time for Liz Truss, who only managed to stay as PM for 49 days. And yet she has been able to hand out 11 awards and I find it particularly galling that some three of her main supporters have been given peerages.
The Daily Mirror has reviewed the full list of recipients and, overall, “identified ten donors or partners of donors who have contributed a massive £7.8 million to Conservative coffers between them.” One of the beneficiaries of a seat in the second chamber – thanks to Liz Truss – was Jon Moynihan, who is reported to have gifted some £700,000 to the Tories. This included £20,000 donated directly to Truss’s campaign to become leader of the Conservative Party in 2022.
Frankly, the whole thing stinks and it is hardly surprising that there has been such widespread condemnation. Political opponents and others have certainly been forthright with their views – farce, disgrace and scandal are common refrains.
In particular, I find myself in total agreement with Hannah White from the Institute of Government who described the practice of “former Prime Ministers honouring political allies for services” as “grubby,” while noting that allowing some of them a “lifelong right to legislate as a reward for past donations or political support” undermines politics and the “reputation of the House of Lords.”
It is all so shameful and there needs to be an end to political awards for “cash and favours.”