Sir Brendan says his honour is for union movement

Sir Brendan spent almost a decade as general secretary of the TUC before leaving at the end of last year, following a 37-year career at the union organisation.

While unflinchingly advocating the case for trade unions, his approach to the job earned him respect from figures across the political spectrum.

An event to mark his departure from the TUC, which was attended by Labour leader Ed Miliband and many MPs, included a special message sent by outgoing Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King.

Sir Brendan said: “The trade union movement does outstanding work day in day out, making lives better for millions of ordinary people.

“I regard this honour very much as recognition of that major contribution to the life of our nation.”

In his earlier career, Sir Brendan worked as policy officer and headed the TUC’s press and information and organisation and industrial relations departments.

As general secretary, the 62-year-old gained a reputation as a skilled negotiator, helping to resolve a number of disputes, in between finding time to watch his beloved Everton football team.

In his last few years at the helm of the TUC he was heavily involved in negotiations with the Government over the coalition’s controversial changes to public sector pensions.

He spoke at many rallies and demonstrations, fiercely criticising the changes, and marched with huge numbers of public sector workers who took strike action.

Since leaving the TUC he has taken up posts on the board of Transport for London, on the council of City University, where he was a student, is a member of a government advisory group on a British Business Bank and is studying the future role of the Police Federation.

Sir Brendan is joined in being awarded a knighthood by Charlie Mayfield, chairman of department and grocery store business John Lewis Partnership.

Since being appointed chairman in 2007, Sir Charlie has helped cement the group’s position as a UK retail giant, only recently delivering a 15.8 per cent surge in annual profits to £409.6m despite tough high street conditions.

Senior politicians have also held up the “John Lewis model” as an example for other businesses to follow in the way they work with staff. Known as partners, John Lewis staff are handed bonuses each year to share in the group’s success.

There is a knighthood too for former Liberal Democrat Minister Andrew Stunell, who helped negotiate the party’s deal with the Conservatives which produced the Coalition government.

The MP said: “Well I guess I am pretty impressed.

“I know it is a bit of a mundane thing to say but it is an obvious honour that Her Majesty thinks it is a good thing to give to me.

“It is a real honour and I would like to think that I would still have the opportunity to do more good work to justify it.”

One of Mr Stunell’s major achievements in Parliament was to get a Bill on energy-efficient and low-cost homes passed as an Opposition MP.

Mr Stunell served as Liberal Democrat chief whip in 2001 and 2005 before becoming a minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government in 2010, before leaving the role in 2012 and returning to the backbenches.

The 70-year-old former Baptist lay preacher has worked on overseas aid projects and has a strong interest in developing world issues.

Mr Stunell, who is married with five children, was awarded the OBE in 1993.