MPs urge reform of honours system rewards

Too many politicians, celebrities and civil servants are receiving honours for simply “doing the day job” according to MPs who are calling for an overhaul of the system to reward people who devote time and effort to their local communities.

The Commons Public Administration Select Committee is today urging the process is stripped of all political influence and for the creation of an independent honours commission, in order to restore credibility in the eyes of the public.

In its report, the committee said honours should only be given for “exceptional service above and beyond the call of duty”, amid a lingering perception that celebrities and sports stars were more likely to be honoured than those who put in years of service to communities.

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There was also evidence that honours were not being awarded evenly across the UK, with the devolved nations – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – as well as some English regions receiving more than is “proportionate for their population size”.

The committee expressed concern the lack of transparency about how the system operated had created an impression honours could be “bought” – undermining credibility of the whole process, and there was also still a belief honours were used to thank donors to political parties, or were received “automatically” by senior civil servants.

“We believe that no-one should be honoured for simply ‘doing the day job’, no matter what that job is,” it said. “In particular, honours should not be awarded to civil servants or businessmen unless it can be demonstrated that there has been service above and beyond the call of duty.

“It is distasteful and damaging for people who already command vast personal remuneration packages for doing their job, to also be honoured for simply being at the helm of large companies. This must stop.

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“All who get honours must be judged on whether they have done things above and beyond their normal duty, shown extraordinary leadership and shown extraordinary service to the community.”

The committee rejected assurances by the head of the Civil Service, Sir Bob Kerslake, that there were no “automatic honours” for certain senior officials.

The Cabinet Office denied the honours were dominated by politicians and celebrities, with 72 per cent of the awards in the last list going to people actively involved in charitable or voluntary work.