A New Name For The British Honours System?

January 1 2016

It's that time of year when the new British New Year's Honours List of those who've mainly impressed the monarchy, government and major political parties, and Big Business, is published.

Whilst the Honours system has its critics, spare a thought for a suggestion proposed by Brent South (now Brent Central) MP Dawn Butler, who in seconding the 2007 Queen's Speech suggested the Honours be modernised by awarding it for British Excellence:
https://youtu.be/COZtEbBfuM

Perhaps Excellence, instead of Empire, may sit better with some people, like poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who famously turned down the prospect of an OBE in 2003:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/nov/27/poetry.monarchy.

Names on the latest Honours list include the likes of musician/DJ/actor Goldie, and actors Idris Elba and David Oyelowo.

However, now that the Daily Mail, of all newspapers, has lambasted the Honours system (click here), and there's apparently an investigation going on as to how a list of some who've quietly refused the Honours (click here), one wonders whether Butler's Excellence suggestion will be taken up in future deliberations on the Honours system.

Kwaku
TAOBQ co-ordinator