Not since King James 1st and Prime Minister Lloyd George sold honours has the system been so discredited by the nation's leader. I have tabled the following edm:-
That this House believes that awarding honours as consolation to failed male former ministers, creating a whips-dominated committee to distribute honours to Hon Members and the plan to prostitute honours politically to resuscitate the collapsed Big Society project are three unique Prime Ministerial acts that bring the honours system into contempt and ridicule.
A senior MP who believes he is on the ball told me this morning that he was astonished by the news that Cameron has set up a whips' committee to give gongs to obedient MPs. 'Why haven't I read about this in th Guardian?' he asked. Why indeed?
Lloyd George had contempt for the honours system, his "crime" was to be open and honest about the sales which had always gone on - and when he was in coalition with the Tories for every pound he took for the Lloyd George fund he gave one to the Tory party....
Posted by: Lyn David Thomas | September 14, 2012 at 09:42 PM