Post by pchallinor on Dec 31, 2011 19:42:36 GMT
Slowly but surely, and with hardly any fanfare, David Cameron is reviving political honours.
Downing Street is delighted that few people appear to have noticed that, over the past year, Cameron has restored this important piece of prime ministerial patronage.
In the New Year honours list the political gongs are carefully balanced. Roger Gale, the veteran Conservative MP for Thanet North, and "Battling" Bob Russell, the Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester who invariably wears a yellow waistcoat, each receive a knighthood. Joan Ruddock, the Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford who first made her name as chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, is made a dame.
Cameron dipped his toe in the water on political honours in last year's list. Peter Bottomley, the veteran Conservative MP for Worthing West, was given a knighthood. Anne Begg, the Labour MP for Aberdeen South, was made a Dame. The honour for Begg, who is in a wheelchair, had a special dimension; the citation noted her work on behalf of disabled people and in promoting equal opportunities. *
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who had pledged to do away with political honours, did hand out the odd political knighthood. But they tended to go to MPs for specific services to parliament. Alan Beith, the Lib Dem MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Nicholas Winterton, the former Tory MP for Macclesfield, who were both awarded knighthoods, fitted into this category. Blair quietly circumvented his own rules by inventing a new political honour. Non-cabinet ministers were often appointed to the privy council after they were sacked.
Cameron wants to move at least some of the way back to the days when prime ministers kept sacked ministers – and veterans with no hope of achieving ministerial office – happy with a gong. There is a pressing need to do this because Cameron has fewer ministerial posts for his own side thanks to the coalition.
The baby steps on political honours have been taken ahead of one of the biggest moments in Cameron's management of his parliamentary party: his first major ministerial reshuffle which is expected to take place in the early summer. The plan is to hand out knighthoods to some of the older non-cabinet ministers as a way of showing they are retiring gracefully. One name doing the rounds is the defence minister Gerald Howarth, 64. 'Lady' Howarth is said to have a pleasing ring at Howarth Towers.
The old guard are said to be reasonably relaxed. Some were effectively told they would be gracefully retired after two years in office.
Cameron's greater challenge is with the younger generation of Tory ministers outside the cabinet who face two difficulties. It is more difficult than usual to make it to the cabinet because the Lib Dems have five seats. The impressive 2010 intake account for 49% of the party and will expect to be climbing the ministerial ladder.
The prime minister made a careful move on this front in May 2010 when he appointed every shadow cabinet minister who did not make it to the cabinet a member of the privy council. (Every cabinet minister is automatically appointed to this body.) This explains why David Mundell, who is a humble parliamentary under secretary of state at the Scotland Office, has Rt Hon in front of his name. He was shadow Scottish secretary in opposition. Damian Green, the far more influential immigration minister who is a minister of state at the home office, is not a privy councillor. This is because Green was not a member of Cameron's shadow cabinet.
Cameron will no doubt scoff at the idea that he is reviving the tradition of Tory knights of the shires. But in No 10 they are quietly delighted that they have slipped this under the radar with hardly anyone noticing.
* The citations for the latest honours are significant. Gale and Ruddock receive their honours for "public and political services". Russell receives his just for "public service", possibly because the Lib Dems feel uneasy about political honours. This contrasts with the citation when Winterton was knighted. This said the award was for services to parliament.
Guardian
Downing Street is delighted that few people appear to have noticed that, over the past year, Cameron has restored this important piece of prime ministerial patronage.
In the New Year honours list the political gongs are carefully balanced. Roger Gale, the veteran Conservative MP for Thanet North, and "Battling" Bob Russell, the Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester who invariably wears a yellow waistcoat, each receive a knighthood. Joan Ruddock, the Labour MP for Lewisham Deptford who first made her name as chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, is made a dame.
Cameron dipped his toe in the water on political honours in last year's list. Peter Bottomley, the veteran Conservative MP for Worthing West, was given a knighthood. Anne Begg, the Labour MP for Aberdeen South, was made a Dame. The honour for Begg, who is in a wheelchair, had a special dimension; the citation noted her work on behalf of disabled people and in promoting equal opportunities. *
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who had pledged to do away with political honours, did hand out the odd political knighthood. But they tended to go to MPs for specific services to parliament. Alan Beith, the Lib Dem MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Nicholas Winterton, the former Tory MP for Macclesfield, who were both awarded knighthoods, fitted into this category. Blair quietly circumvented his own rules by inventing a new political honour. Non-cabinet ministers were often appointed to the privy council after they were sacked.
Cameron wants to move at least some of the way back to the days when prime ministers kept sacked ministers – and veterans with no hope of achieving ministerial office – happy with a gong. There is a pressing need to do this because Cameron has fewer ministerial posts for his own side thanks to the coalition.
The baby steps on political honours have been taken ahead of one of the biggest moments in Cameron's management of his parliamentary party: his first major ministerial reshuffle which is expected to take place in the early summer. The plan is to hand out knighthoods to some of the older non-cabinet ministers as a way of showing they are retiring gracefully. One name doing the rounds is the defence minister Gerald Howarth, 64. 'Lady' Howarth is said to have a pleasing ring at Howarth Towers.
The old guard are said to be reasonably relaxed. Some were effectively told they would be gracefully retired after two years in office.
Cameron's greater challenge is with the younger generation of Tory ministers outside the cabinet who face two difficulties. It is more difficult than usual to make it to the cabinet because the Lib Dems have five seats. The impressive 2010 intake account for 49% of the party and will expect to be climbing the ministerial ladder.
The prime minister made a careful move on this front in May 2010 when he appointed every shadow cabinet minister who did not make it to the cabinet a member of the privy council. (Every cabinet minister is automatically appointed to this body.) This explains why David Mundell, who is a humble parliamentary under secretary of state at the Scotland Office, has Rt Hon in front of his name. He was shadow Scottish secretary in opposition. Damian Green, the far more influential immigration minister who is a minister of state at the home office, is not a privy councillor. This is because Green was not a member of Cameron's shadow cabinet.
Cameron will no doubt scoff at the idea that he is reviving the tradition of Tory knights of the shires. But in No 10 they are quietly delighted that they have slipped this under the radar with hardly anyone noticing.
* The citations for the latest honours are significant. Gale and Ruddock receive their honours for "public and political services". Russell receives his just for "public service", possibly because the Lib Dems feel uneasy about political honours. This contrasts with the citation when Winterton was knighted. This said the award was for services to parliament.
Guardian