New Year Honours list: Your reaction

'I think all the awards were rubbish, I don't care and yet I'm posting this comment'.

No surprises there then. The usual batch of high profile 'celebs' and oh, what a surprise, some political awards. It is about time we did away with all this nonsense and recognised those people who really give altruistically, not showbiz types who already have their rewards of extreme wealth.

They're just a bunch of celebs! Gosh. Come on Queen Lizzy, I thought such Honours would be more suited to those serving in the army/navy/air force serving the country.

I mean come on, a football referee getting a Queens honour!?

You're having a laugh!

Howard Webb ?
The mind boggles.

WOT! No Brucie?

In the same vein as oscars emmys and the like, more rewards for the rich and famous who often have had a long (and lucrative) career, and are now rewarded by palace toadies, along with a few lesser awards for ordinary individuals!

Aww, just read that David Suchet received a CBE and can't help but grin at what 'Hercule's' reaction would be. Perhaps a classic trapped expression, pleasure revealed only by that particular 'Poirot' twinkle in his eye. Miss Lemon would enthuse profusely, while Captain Hastings would definitely say, 'jolly good show Poirot!' in his absent-minded way, from behind whatever newspaper he's reading haha

It'd be great to have an episode written round a storyline of his receipt of the CBE. Congratulations to all, especially the silent and getting on with it, whose work and dedication is acknowledged with whatever 'gong' they received.

What an honour and all well deserved.

But why no Knighthood for Brucie?

I wonder who in the establishment doesn't like him?

The only members of our society worthy of a Knighthood, are those who wear or have worn the Queens Uniform and have fought or are prepared to fight for our Country, anyone else’s is insignificant.

A lot of self congratulatory awards for those in the establishment favour and or top of society at this time. Mostly aribitary decisions like all government.
I did have dealings under Peter Bottomly as Under Sec. for Transport in Thatchers day. Always a Gentleman and decent comitted individual. One of the few politicians who came over as very genuine. Maybe why he didn't last very long as a Minister. My congrats to him at least.

As a rule I do not care a jot about the so called "honours list" as it is nothing more than "gongs" for the has beens etc,indeed this year is par for the course. However, I am very pleased to find that Forsyth has not been included, to see his name would,in my opinion, been just too much to bear. It is time that this country got rid of this silly system of awards seemingly given in the name of an unelected head of state. These people are rewarded ,in the main, with more than adequate salaries and those in the so called "community service" sector are in that sector in the hope of getting an "award".Let us sweep the whole thing into the dustbin of history.

The honours system is now discredited with it's political and elitist bias!

I understand that HM the Quenn can refuse to honour anyone.
If she goes ahead with these disgusting awards then she does so with my utmost contempt

9. At 08:58am on 31 Dec 2010, Steve wrote:

The only members of our society worthy of a Knighthood, are those who wear or have worn the Queens Uniform and have fought or are prepared to fight for our Country, anyone else’s is insignificant.
-----------
Oh now hang on. While I am of the opinion that the awards are a waste of time these days there are plenty of civilians who do great work in the community that deserve some kind of recognition. Members of the military are deserving of such awards but so are many ordinary people.

U8860545 wrote:

They're just a bunch of celebs!

#########

But just in case no one else read the actual list it also includes 120 millitary figures, MPs like Anne Begg for services to disabled people, Holocaust survivor Hermann Hirschberger, plus police, charity workers, writers, mountaineers, business leaders, people in sports, the arts, the sciences ....

So, no, not just a "bunch of celebs"

This happens every year - the honours list is torn apart basically because the headline writers pick one or two people they recognise and no one reads the actual list!

No Sir Brucie?

What about all our heroes' who fought and lost parts of they bodies, in Afganistan They should all get a Knighthood and their familys. Old singers, and actors, actress, do Charity work in somecases' to get free airtime {Helps shifting the old records} and get a few gigs. They need the extra money????

With a few very small execptions like the post mistress who has worked in the post office for 60+ years, the list is all lovies, civil servents and business big wiggs patting them selves on their backs.

Bob wrote:

I understand that HM the Quenn can refuse to honour anyone.
If she goes ahead with these disgusting awards then she does so with my utmost contempt

######

Which disgusting awards? Those given to people who have served the community for their entire lives perhaps? Those given to people who have fought for rights for disabled people? Those who have excelled in sport maybe?

998 awards have been given and the VAST MAJORITY are to those who work in the community FOR the community - people you would never have heard of other wise.

The award system in this country is just one way to say thankyou to people. Nearly all those who recieve are immensly proud to be honoured in such a way, as are their families and those who have benefitted from what these people have done.

Our system of awards may have one foot stuck in the past - but for my money, it is all the better for it!!

Is there any actor, sportsman or pop star that DOES NOT have some sort of bauble?

Getting tired of the usual suspects getting these awards - the system has been denegrated and now means little to ordinary people.

Even the military stuff is dominated by the regular forces, with little consideration of the community based territorial forces - surely they deserve some recognition for doing two jobs?

The Government needs to refresh the awards system and recognise more deserving folks that are not highly paid celebrities

Lewis Fitzroy wrote:

What about all our heroes' who fought and lost parts of they bodies, in Afganistan

-----------

120 military figures are recognised (remember that troups also get awards for bravery and so forth that are not part of the New Years Honours system)

########

icewombat wrote:

With a few very small execptions like the post mistress who has worked in the post office for 60+ years, the list is all lovies,
------------

Quote from the article:

"As usual, the majority of the 998 honours go to ordinary people for work in their community."

Yes, Hastings, #15, you are so right ! Every year there is another HYS on the Honours List. And every year those who've not even looked at the list scream and shout about it being all " celebs". If people bother to check out even their local area they will see a good many ordinary people, with a long record of public or community service, who have been honoured. However, people on this site will continue to scream on no doubt.
I'm not sure if I agree with Honours or not, but I do think there are a good many people out there who do a very fine job in their particular sphere and perhaps deserve recognition.

From what I have seen there seem to be less celebs and more ordinary folk awarded this time round.

I'd love to know the criteria for giving an award.
I've written twice to nominate my uncle, he has spent a lifetime being a volunteer scoutmaster.
Hundreds of boys have learned valuable skills from him. The second letter had 46 signatures of support from his old boys.

No response and no award, but the regional fat controller for the scouts got an CBE a couple of years back. He was in post for less than 5 years.

I think that honours are more to do with who you know rather than what you've done.

It would be nice if awards were given to people for real work and effort. How about somebody who had spent thirty years working tirelessly for the community in a non paid charity role?

Politicians of whatever party usually don't warrant it and it smacks of the establishment rewarding itself.

13. At 09:05am on 31 Dec 2010, Bob wrote:
I understand that HM the Quenn can refuse to honour anyone.
If she goes ahead with these disgusting awards then she does so with my utmost contempt

And there was me thinking that it was The Queen who bestowed the honours.

Seriously though, the New Year / Birthday / Prince Phil has clipped his toenails again Honours Lists are usually a waste of time. They mean very little in the real world - especially as those who are most deserving of recognition, the people who normally work behind the scenes, usually get the most "junior" honours.

The top gongs normally go to "celebrities" who are already over-exposed and don't need the recognition to be honest.

I think (I may be wrong - feel free to correct me, and I'm utterly sure you will :)) that these specific honours are FOR civilians. Military personell have their own parallel honours system as I understand it, which are also awarded at the same ceremony. We just hear about the celebs, because that's all we seem to be interested in.

And to be fair, whilst I certainly do not begrudge anyone serving in the forces apporpriate recognition for their amazing work, I don't actually know their names because they are not in the limelight on an individual basis. Telling me that Corporal Andy Smith was awarded the gallantry medal will make me feel 'good for him! Well deserved!' but it won't have the same emotional impact as hearing that someone I am aware of is getting a CBE or whatever. That's why it's not reported - from a purely objective point of view, it's not an attention grabber of a headline.

Anyway - personally, although I do think that these are outmoded, I also think they are relatively harmless. I'd like to wish everyone (including the people who'se names we do not know) all the best, congratulations and well done.

So there. :)

"120 military figures honoured"

That tells you all you need to know about what our country has become - a country where being at war is the norm and worshipping people trained to kill fellow human beings is a statement of national pride.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

With the like of Roger Martyn Carr being on this list my stomach turns, and then I see a name that brightens my day,

Joe Brown, MBE For services to Rock Climbing and to Mountaineering.

Celebrities and politicians have cleaned up once again and it has the feeling of groundhog day.
Why are more deserving citizens of the UK not awarded??? I'd much rather see a long serving firefighter or charity worker selected for these honours rather than people who already have everything.
The whole honours system is a scandal and politically motivated. As in life, if your face does not fit, then no matter what you achieve, the establishment will not look kindly on you.
There needs to be a complete overhaul of how these awards are decided, maybe even a nomination system where the public vote who they feel are deserving.
Next we will be giving George 'Cutter' Osbourne a knighthood for his achievement of inflicting the greatest degree of misery on the poorest and most vunerable in our society in the shortest possible time.
Maybe we should even create a new award such as the 'Plonker of the British Empire' and we could abbrviate it as a PBE. I've got a few ideas for the first recipient in Government.

The person that REALLY deserves an award has AGAIN been passed over
This is typical
The public are asked who they think should get one and then they are ignored
Bruce Fotsythe is LONG overdue for an award HE has done MORE for the entertainment world than any other entertainer has today

9. At 08:58am on 31 Dec 2010, Steve wrote:
The only members of our society worthy of a Knighthood, are those who wear or have worn the Queens Uniform and have fought or are prepared to fight for our Country, anyone else’s is insignificant.

===============================

I completely agree.

I find this annual charade of self-congratulatory back-slapping by celebs and luvvies absolutely nauseating. They're all very well paid for whatever they do, so why on earth do they need to be given prizes like schoolchildren?

28. At 09:31am on 31 Dec 2010, Wu Shu wrote:
"120 military figures honoured"

That tells you all you need to know about what our country has become - a country where being at war is the norm and worshipping people trained to kill fellow human beings is a statement of national pride.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Blue touchpaper lit - cue fireworks.

28. At 09:31am on 31 Dec 2010, Wu Shu wrote:
"120 military figures honoured"

That tells you all you need to know about what our country has become - a country where being at war is the norm and worshipping people trained to kill fellow human beings is a statement of national pride.

What a patronising, ignorant attitude. The "military figures" are nothing more than human beings who have chosen a career which means they could be called upon to lay down their life, often in the name of causes which they may not themselves support or believe in.

No one pretends these men and women are gods to be worshipped, but their bravery, comradeship and willingness to serve is truly worthy of recognition. Perhaps if more people in this country (both indigenous and not) paused on that thought, it might be a better place.

now the tory boys are back in town i am surprised they are no bankers on the list.maybe next year boys,its about time arthur scargill was honoured,for is services to the truth,mind,i cannot see this getting passed the moderator,might be a bit of an embarassesment for the beeb,
the truth and coverage of striking miners is not quite in sinc with auntys telling of the event.never mind,i think iv'e strayed enough from the point to please the adjudicator.happy new year to one and all,may your problems be overcome and your wishes granted..ps.it's a pity they
were not chilean....

Dear Honours Judging Panel

Thank you for your understanding in not offering me something I'd have to refuse - again. Thank you for noting I did not turn up for auditions, that I do not have a lavish lifestyle, that I do not seek publicity or reward, and that there is no kudos in knowing me.

I mean no offence but I will not be available for auditions in six or twelve months time either. Not that I expect you to notice me in any shape or form but just in case one of my travelling companions on life's journey decides to play a joke on me.

Please continue not recognising me.
Yours very sincerely

The ones who get the headlines are the famous/rich. They've certainly had good careers in their chosen profession, and are talented people. Does this merit special recognition? Perhaps, perhaps not. I know people who are equally as talented at their chosen profession of plumbing, I doubt they are going to get any awards for that.

Anyway, I'm going to reserve my esteem for the selfless, caring and brave in our society (in whatever form those qualities manifest themselves - whether its the kids coping with neglectful/abusive parents, people fighting illness, or our nurses/firemen etc). Here's to those people.

28. At 09:31am on 31 Dec 2010, Wu Shu wrote:
"120 military figures honoured"

That tells you all you need to know about what our country has become - a country where being at war is the norm and worshipping people trained to kill fellow human beings is a statement of national pride.

Theres so much wrong with the above comment.

Your find that the armed forces are more concerned with saving life's and liberty than taking life, in 1939 were the armed forces worshipped for for killing human beings.....

So what do you do to for our country?

annie lennox well deserved for her hard work in the AIDS fight - and as for Sir Bruce have you ever wondered if he has REFUSED IT.

if it has not been offered then time they did.

Most are well deserved but, as usual, the usual batch of sports people. However, even worse is the traditional reward for failure given to top CEOs of "British" industry. Most of these incompetents should have been sacked for their dismal performance, alone rewarded with a knighthood!
Whilst these grinning lack of talents receive the highest honours this country can bestow, many jobs have gone, companies closed down or, even worse, sold to overseas bidders, whilst fortunes have been made for shareholders, and the so called "knights!" These people are a disgrace to society. Where are the rewards for those who add to society, and not take away from it! I had thought better of this present coalition.

My reaction is twofold. Firstly, a big congratulations to those who have been honoured, and secondly a big face palm at all the detractors who obviously haven't bothered to read the list and are now making themselves look like fools by posting their ravings on here.

For example:
"Why are more deserving citizens of the UK not awarded??? I'd much rather see a long serving firefighter or charity worker selected for these honours rather than people who already have everything."

The magic of reading would teach you that the majority of recipients are not "celebs" in any way shape or form and are thoroughly deserving people in exactly the mould you describe. Take any famous people out of the honours list and you cannot be seen to be treating people equally, besides which famous people can be just as deserving as anyone else. It is so typical that people take a headline and then base their opinion on it without reference to the facts.
Well done guys, your predictable whinging speaks volumes.

Boring who cares

Whatever I may have thought of in the past regarding the annual Honours List - I feel there are so many ghastly things going on in the world, that affect one and all in some way or other.

Courtesy, politeness, manners and the niceties of life are something many on here think exist only in some utopian world. I remember being chuffed to bits at school whenever my jotters came back with my diligent homework marked with a gold or silver star, big red tick or an encouraging comment from the teacher. I don't see the giving of such honours as being any different, other than it's for adults.

Keep treading those sour grapes, might make a nice whine ... oops, I mean wine, one day.

Why give honours to people who have led a privileged existence at the expense of the people of this nation ? Pop singers, actors and overpaid civil servants whose true contribution to the British people is nil. The time is long past to stop handing out these meaningless adornments , in the main , they are undeserved.

Don't mention the awards!

I did once, but I think I got away with it.

. . . From The Asteroid Belt, Peter de Meteor

Irrelevant, archaic, elitist, absolutely meaningless in the real world !

It is often the case that the people who receive these rewards and already very well known. What lasting benefit is a MBE or whatever to these folks other than an opportunity to lord it over peers that in many cases will be just as deserving? Why should stars of stage, screen, music, sport and politics find it so much easier to be "honored" in this way which marks them as being in some way supierior to the ordinary person who has just spent a lifetime doing a decent job as well as they can.

Personally I would not give any of these awards to entertainers, sportsmen etc . They are already more than amply rewarded for what they do and they have the chance to spend their life doing something they love, which people working in a call centre or mending washing machines probably don't.

Either turn them into awards for unsung heroes who would otherwise fail to break into public consciousness , or scrap them.

Hello.

Amazing list, and the Queen who is the head of the Church did not honour God.

Francis Baron gets an award for getting rich and ruining rugby for the real fans, why am I surprised.

No doubt many honours are well deserved but the Chairmen of BAA and Cadbury's ? Honours shouldn't be given to these highly paid officials they get their reward many times over. Honours should go to those who do something for little or no monetary reward

47. At 10:08am on 31 Dec 2010, doilookthatsilly wrote:
Irrelevant, archaic, elitist, absolutely meaningless in the real world !

But enough about David Cameron...

Why omit BBC have your say moderators? Hell a lot of work indeed. They should be made feel proud enough and loved equally, dont you think?
I also nominate every boring person writing here making my day to knighthood.The more they get boring, the higher their level will rise. They will just have to die with the shame of being plain boring yet they will have their title. Knighthood on sales..resonable prices, perfect deal. afterall, even if you could try you would hardly pass beyond being boring, baby. I dont know about the rest of the list, but I guess all titles need scapegoats.

why do people keep mithering on about Bruce Forsythe?
these awards are primarily for people who have gone above and beyond
for people who have worked voluntarily, without thought of reward
all Forsythe has done is turn up regularly for very well paid work

Brucie deserves a knighthood for his services to entertainment, there are lots of others who havew got them for the same thing.

Who cares?

Just goes to show that freemasons are still thriving in the UK

Yes, Brucie should have been top of the list, all the other great sugardaddies have already got theirs.

31. At 09:34am on 31 Dec 2010, Markj161 wrote

Next we will be giving George 'Cutter' Osbourne a knighthood for his achievement of inflicting the greatest degree of misery on the poorest and most vunerable in our society in the shortest possible time.

--------------------------------------------

No you have to look a little further back for that:

https://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/25/alistair-darling-cut-deeper-margaret-thatcher

Before posting I tried to read the full list of those honoured - but I got bored after 12 of the 57 pages!
It does seem to me that those who are either criticising someone on the list, or bemoaning someone not on it, are allowing their personal preferences/prejudices to come to the surface. I'm sure there are very deserving people not honoured; I'm equally sure that some of those honoured, received their award because of their connections. However lets all have some humility - I certainly have done nothing to merit an award, and probably never will; so I take my hat off to those that have and are recognised for so doing, irrespective of the reason for receiving it.

it is great news that this time around, most recipiants are worthy of their awards. however ther is one that stands out, and i for one cannot fathom how he was ever considered for an award. that is howard webb. after the debacle that was the world cup final, he should have gone back to his day job.

Delighted that Harriet Walters has been made a Dame, likewise pleased about David Suchet and Sheila Hancock.

Not pleased that the establishment have picked the utterly meritless parasite Antonia Fraser for a gong.

Brucie band wagon have been disappointed once again!!

Do we really need these so called celebs promoted to Knighthoods or Lords? No wonder these honours have been demeaned by the misdemnours of the people undeservedly bestowed.

These honour ought to be redefined or better still abolished al together.

I was quite shocked when I heard that one particular Recipient who I shall not name, after giving considerable amounts of money to a particular organisation, ended up with a nice little Award ! What also amazes me are the small number of people given awards who do 'real good' for Soceity are hardly even given a mention !

40. At 09:57am on 31 Dec 2010, braxious wrote:

annie lennox well deserved for her hard work in the AIDS fight
------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps not so well deserved. I recently read a report from a Harvard professor who specializes in the control of HIV and Aids, that Annie Lenox and her ilk may have actually done more harm than good to stem to spread of Aids in Africa and that the stance of the Catholic Church (often reviled for its stance against condom use as an effective deterrent against HIV and Aids infection and its promotion of monogamy and abstinence) is actually right!

Controversial? Definitely, given the almost religious zeal with which any argument against Lennox and the work that she does draws.

Is the professor correct? Given what I have read, I would suggest that his work and its results are more accurate and helpful and would produce better results than the work that Lennox has been doing.

That said, I am impressed with the zeal and enthusiasm she has displayed over the years in this field of work and that is to be commended. She has helped to highlight the awful situation in Africa and generated aid, just a shame it appears her stance on preventative measures is way off kilter.

Someone please explain how, on the one hand a lady that has served her community as postmistress for 50 years is awarded an MBE and, a 31 year old who has been paid in excess of $1,5000.000 this year for hitting a ball with a selection of sticks is also awarded an MBE. This is not a criticism of the individual as he did not play any part in his recommendation for the award, but the highlighting of an iniquitous award system that is not based on merit.

Sorry - couldn't care less!
If you look at the people who have "turned down" the "gongs" - that is more revealing than the people that accept them.
One good example I think is the cricketer Geoff Boycott who I believe has been offered everything! (He most definitely is a very worthy winner in my view).
I think that the major honours are now worth a lot less because of the way the honours system was 'bastardised' by Blair and New Labour.
(not one of Tony's best moments!)
That's very sad.

What does Bruce Forsyth have to do to be recognised for his services to the entertainment business.

I suppose they will wait until he kicks the bucket.

Once again the time is here for the Queen to adourn the rich and famous with awards for being just that.They are the lucky ones who need nothing. What about the Soldiers, Sailors and airmen and charity workers who really do deserve something like that. This is why our country is in trouble,This country need to get priorities right

15. At 09:09am on 31 Dec 2010, Hastings wrote:
U8860545 wrote:

They're just a bunch of celebs!

#########

But just in case no one else read the actual list it also includes 120 millitary figures, MPs like Anne Begg for services to disabled people, Holocaust survivor Hermann Hirschberger, plus police, charity workers, writers, mountaineers, business leaders, people in sports, the arts, the sciences ....

So, no, not just a "bunch of celebs"

This happens every year - the honours list is torn apart basically because the headline writers pick one or two people they recognise and no one reads the actual list!

================================================
I'm glad someone made this point.

Recommended

"56. At 10:40am on 31 Dec 2010, RicharddeLionheart wrote:
Who cares?"

Well you obviously do since you took time to comment...

Back to the subject in hand, I agree with people being honoured for doing lots of good work for their community. I think that they deserve to be recognised, however I think that too many pointless celebrities get on the list. I mean, a football referee I ask you

The Honours system has, and always should be, a means of recognising excellence in an individual's particular field. What it should not be (and has happened in the past and therefore discredited the whole concept), is a means of perpetuating political meddling in order to get your "mates" some degree of ill-deserved recognition, i.e. the cash-for-honours nonsense we had a few years ago.

Whilst I have personal preferences as to what I think does and does not constitute "importance" in this world, I still think outstanding contributions deserve recognition.

David Suchet is an outstanding example, although I must confess I would have preferred to see him as Sir David Suchet given his colossal talent on stage and screen.

I personally would also have liked to see the appearance of Sir Simon Cowell given his support and work with the Haiti crisis, as well as the generation of a (like it or not, personally I don't, but there you are) set of now household-name entertainment shows.

I have no doubt that in a few years we will also see Sir David Beckham, and as much as I loathe footballers, I do think that would be a fitting tribute to an individual who has excelled in his field (no pun intended).

I'm sure we all have our ideas as to what should be recieved by whom, but maybe we should simply applaud those who have received an honour rather than get our axes out for a good grinding.

mmmm

Was the win that retained the ashes too late?

look forward the the Cricket team getting gongs in the summer!

A dumbed-down, degenerate future UK is obviously in the post, if this annual farce in the ultimate back-slapping tedium for the undeserved and swivelling-eyed nonentities is anything to judge.

What a joke, an insult, and a seemingly relentless embarrassment to the people of this country.

66. At 10:56am on 31 Dec 2010, John wrote:
Someone please explain how, on the one hand a lady that has served her community as postmistress for 50 years is awarded an MBE and, a 31 year old who has been paid in excess of $1,5000.000 this year for hitting a ball with a selection of sticks is also awarded an MBE. This is not a criticism of the individual as he did not play any part in his recommendation for the award, but the highlighting of an iniquitous award system that is not based on merit.
=====================================
Yes - we should only reward people who no one's ever heard of. That way no one would be interested in any of the awards.

I would have thought that there is room for all kinds of people doing all kinds of things. People who've served the community, people in sport and entertainment who've raised the profile of the country. Does it only have to be one type of person acknowledged?

What happened to the gongs for millionaire popstars,over rated actors and autocue reading celebrities?????????

In response to a previous comment re Bruce Forsyth - maybe he turned it down?! (He obviously deserves one!).

28. At 09:31am on 31 Dec 2010, Wu Shu wrote:
"120 military figures honoured"

That tells you all you need to know about what our country has become - a country where being at war is the norm and worshipping people trained to kill fellow human beings is a statement of national pride.
========================================================================
Unfortunately, human beings wage war. Change that and you really do deserve the Nobel Peace Prize but acknowledging the professionalism and sacrifice of the Armed Forces is not worshipping war.

Besides, what about the military awards to bomb disposal teams or non-operational awards to Search & Rescue aircrew in the UK?

Thats about right give a knighthood to Roger Carr the man that has put Centrica prices up 7% and also oversaw the sale of Cadburys to Kraft resulting in hundreds of workers losing their jobs. Mind you he did not do too badly out of it, walking away with almost £1million in shares and a golden goodbye.

Just read the item to see if anyone knew why Bruce Forsythe was once again sidelined.

He is not my favourite entertainer but after so many years in show business it would at least be a courtesy to acknowledge him.

I guess he must have said or done something dreadful during his career to be left in the wilderness yet again.

In truth this antiquated tradition seems to have run its course. The general public have little interest in it and only celebs really care.

How about we let the celebs carry on awarding themselves accolades - there are no shortage of these. Leave the New Years Honour List to those who truly deserve to be honoured.

998 "ordinary" people get awards but the sub editors ensure the headlines are for a few "luvvies". Typical media.

I'll wait for the list in my local paper to see who rightly gets some recognition even though a number will be time serving members of the public services and quango members.

The reason why the system is such a joke is when you look at the people who get them - for example, Peter Bottomly for goodness sake! What has this guy EVER done for this country? He was never in any Cabinet for a start and is just a stuffy old Tory backbencher.
How does that qualify you for a knighthood exactly? Not much of a citation is it?
I think that's a good example of why people turn down knighthoods now.

I see a number of comments ask why no knighthood for Brucie. Heaven forbid; this chap has, like many others being grossly overpaid and must have the biggest self inflated ego of them all. He's unbearable as he is and a knighthood would make him totally unbearable.

Oh how excruciatingly embarrassing, no wonder the whole world laughs at us.

I'm just thinking: didn't we have this exact same HYS topic this time last year, and weren't the posts all identical to these? Does everybody save their posts in Notepad then just cut & paste them when the debate comes around again?
I am a bit disappointed that Wallace and Gromit weren't recognised. After all: quite a few of the recipients of these awards are little more than fictional characters anyway. . .

New Year Honours list: Your reaction
Outdated tosh to massage the enormous egos of Politicians and Bussinessmen who support the present Government.
There are knighthoods for the chairman of British Airways, Martin Broughton, 63, as well as for chairman of energy giant Centrica and former chairman of confectioner Cadbury, Roger Carr, 64, and the outgoing director-general of the CBI, Richard Lambert, 66.
So what did these people ever do for the average person?

81. At 11:20am on 31 Dec 2010, markmyword1949 wrote:
998 "ordinary" people get awards but the sub editors ensure the headlines are for a few "luvvies". Typical media.

I'll wait for the list in my local paper to see who rightly gets some recognition even though a number will be time serving members of the public services and quango members.
========================================================
Same here - I ignore the honours headlines about pop singers etc

Cameron continues where Blair and Brown left off!
It makes a total joke of the system when people like Bottomley gets a knighthood.
It is also a gross insult to those more worthy of this honour.
Bottomley has never achieved anything apart from being another "destructive" Tory. Not in Cabinet (albeit a minor ninisterial role!) this guy is as close to a political nobody as they come.
Disgraceful!

You would have thought that fame and fortune would be enough reward for these people. I'd like to see published the names of those who were offered these trinkets but turned them down. I have enormous respect for poet Benjamin Zephaniah who, several years ago, went public with his own refusal to accept one of these dubious honours. We need more people like him.

31. At 09:34am on 31 Dec 2010, Markj161 wrote:

"...The whole honours system is a scandal and politically motivated. As in life, if your face does not fit, then no matter what you achieve, the establishment will not look kindly on you.
There needs to be a complete overhaul of how these awards are decided, maybe even a nomination system where the public vote who they feel are deserving..."


It is already open to any member of the public to nominate someone for an award

If you know of some deserving person then nominate them....

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Honoursawardsandmedals/DG_067917

WELL WELL WELL!! THEY DONE IT AGAIN THEY HAVE MISSED OUT AGAIN MR SATURDAY NIGHT OR KNIGHT AS HE SHOULD BE BY NOW "SIR"BRUCE OF FORSYTH OR THE BEST ENTERTAINER TO EVER LIVE ESPECIALLY ON TV AS MR BRUCE FORSYTH . YET AGAIN ESPECIALLY AS THIS IS THE 100TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE LONDON PALLADIUM & THE 55TH OF THE SUNDAY NIGHT SHOWS STARTING THERE. WHY WAS HE THROUGHLY MISSED OUT ON THIS YEARS HONOURS LIST. PLEASE COMMENT AS I WILL START A ONLINE PETITION TO GET HIS NAME AS A TITLE NEXT YEAR MAYBE IN THE QUEENS HONOURS LIST IN JUNE 2011

an outmoded dinosaur - just like the UK establishment.

Congratulations to all those mentioned on the list, though I do notice there has been one omission, where is Bruce Forsyth's knighthood? The veteran entertainer deserves one I think! The time has come for Brucie to become Sir Bruce! He has been making us all laugh our heads off for as long as I can remember, and it is long overdue! I gather that there has even been a petition on the Downing Street website to get him knighted! So why hasn't it happened? So I am going to take the bull by the horns, and urge David Cameron(who I probably expect is a BBC News Online user), to use his influence to insure that Bruce Forsyth gets the knighthood that he so richly deserves! It's too late for Brucie to make the New Years list this year, but it's not too late to get him on the one for 2012!

How many donated to Cameron and his Cowboys?

Cant see why fighting poverty in Africa gets a reward. After it will always be there.

75. At 11:10am on 31 Dec 2010, Steve Edwards wrote:
"66. At 10:56am on 31 Dec 2010, John wrote:
Someone please explain how, on the one hand a lady that has served her community as postmistress for 50 years is awarded an MBE and, a 31 year old who has been paid in excess of $1,5000.000 this year for hitting a ball with a selection of sticks is also awarded an MBE. This is not a criticism of the individual as he did not play any part in his recommendation for the award, but the highlighting of an iniquitous award system that is not based on merit.
=====================================
Yes - we should only reward people who no one's ever heard of. That way no one would be interested in any of the awards."

Absolutely excellent idea! Unfortunately it's already been done: it's called "The Brit Awards". . .

(Or is it "The Mercury Prize"?)

The big thing about Honours surely(!) - is that you need to DESERVE it!
Otherwise, it just becomes a devalued joke.
When you look at the people who get them you'd have to say that you can agree with the people who turn them down, because of the current "rationale" by which they are currently awarded (political or otherwise).
Cameron's superficial and lightweight judgement must again be called into question (as was Blair's, to be fair) by recommending people like Bottomley (sorry for repeating myself again, but this has to be a good example!).
It does and should make you ashamed to be British, I'm afraid.
Very sad, but I now know why people turn them down and agree with them!
There is ALWAYS a choice (Mr.Cameron!).

Can I have an award for living within my means and not messing up the place
The award system is now totally diluted by so called celebs doing so called good deeds when all they are doing is keeping up their own egos.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Irrelevant.