Apparently Nadine Dorries jumped the gun. It has been rumoured for weeks that she was going to be among a number of MPS named as new life peers in Boris Johnson’s resignations’ honours list. This morning she resigned as an MP but it turns out her name wasn’t down on the list after all.
The Johnson’s honours list has highlighted the banality of the system. A man who has resigned in dishonour cannot surely confer honour on others. In fact, what it does is bring dishonour onto the whole system and to public life.
You may be appointed as a life peer because you have a valuable contribution to make to national public life or simply because you were one of the last MPS to stab a forced out leader in the back. You may be given a knighthood to recognise your contribution to the arts, charity, the military or as a reward for supporting the Prime Minister.
I don’t have much more to say about this system except that it makes no sense. If there is to be an honours system then it should honour things that are truly of value. The system badly needs reforming.
There again, perhaps it is for the world to reward those that meet the world’s values. It is good to be reminded that there is a better hope and a better reward.
Faithroots 