David Cameron swore the sacked ministers he was conferring honours on to secrecy before announcing the accolades last night at a dinner with the parliamentary party. If it was supposed to create some fanfare and fuss around the departing ministers, it backfired: senior Conservative MPs were unsettled and annoyed by the decision and its timing. Announcing honours outside the normal twice-annual cycle for the New Year and the Queen’s birthday would have been strange anyway, but this comes just weeks after the Public Administration Select Committee criticised the way politicians automatically receive the accolades, regardless of how well they have performed.
Lib Dems are unhappy, too. Bristol West MP Stephen Williams says:
‘Honours should be given at a fixed point in the year as a reward for public service. They certainly should not be a form of consolation prize. It’s also preferable if we see gender balance.’
That ‘gender balance’ comment refers to the fact that the two female cabinet members who were sacked – Cheryl Gillan and Caroline Spelman – did not receive any honours.
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