Whitty, Van-Tam and Blair knighted
 

Prof Chris Whitty and Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, who became household names during the Covid-19 pandemic, have been knighted in the New Year Honours list.

Both men - who will now have "Sir" before their name - have regularly briefed the nation from Downing Street.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, and Dr June Raine, head of the vaccines regulator MHRA, are both made dames.

And Tony Blair is knighted, being appointed to the Order of the Garter.

Unlike the main New Year Honours list, which is advised on by the prime minister's office, the Order of the Garter is a royal appointment.

The former prime minister said it was "an immense honour" and he was "deeply grateful to Her Majesty the Queen".

On the main list, actresses Joanna Lumley and Vanessa Redgrave are made dames.

In sport, husband and wife Jason and Laura Kenny are made a knight and a dame for services to cycling, while Jody Cundy - who has won multiple Paralympic golds in swimming and cycling - is appointed CBE.

Tom Daley, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo in the summer, is appointed OBE for services to "diving, LGBTQ+ rights and charity". His diving partner and fellow gold medallist, Matty Lee, gets an MBE.

Swimmer Adam Peaty and gymnast Max Whitlock also become OBEs, while shock US Open winner Emma Raducanu is appointed MBE.


more at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59809682

Disgraceful

How did Tony Blair get knighted now, something must have gone down

I just don’t get that one…

Blair? He can **** right off

Why shouldn't a war criminal be knighted?

Services to Diving?

What about Alf's services to window cleaning?

Window cleaning is a far more valuable service to the community than diving into a swimming pool is.

It's one big club and you're not in it.

Arise Sir Adolf

Now you're getting it.

Hmmm. Whilst I'm not all that surprised that Blair was knighted, I do have to query why he was knighted now, it seems a bit odd.

that's my thoughts, there has to be a specific reason it happened now. It's years since he was PM, he hasn't done anything special that i am aware of recently. Something must have driven it

He's become a wealthy person. He wasn't that wealthy when he became a public servant so he's done very well financially from public service. He's a millionare.

his wife was one of the top barristers in the country, he was also a lawyer, they were buying and selling property like it was going out of fashion. They have been very wealthy going back before he was PM

The Likelyhood he made a trip to Epstein Island is very high.

Doesn't surprise me.
That extremely high honour to Blair is given directly by the Monarch.

No surprise at all he would be someone in high favour with the Monarch.

Just a further demonstration to me, as to all that's wrong about the honours decisions.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIAXfbLX...g&name=240x240

Sir Blair and his Mate

Hmm… so to go back to what I said in the Maxwell thread - there will have been many powerful individuals who didn’t necessarily “take part” in all of the, erm, trafficking and rape BUT who saw and knew plenty and kept it to themselves. Thinking about timeframes here, when Blair was PM etc., might there be a reason that the Royal Firm might want to keep him on side… :whistle:

of all the people in the UK who could have been honoured....

Blair??

I mean wtaf is going on?

i disagree with the honours system strongly. I just dont see why some people should be given an accolade for basically doing what they are paid to do. For those that make a difference outside of their career then i think it possible to justify it, but Blair? It just shouts out suspicious

For me it is paying for the silence on Andrew or Diana's death, it's one or the other

For some reason I had the impression that all outgoing PMs are offered knighthoods or damehoods?

That said, the last PM who was "elected"* and then served a full term without stepping down was ... Tony Blair :joker:

* I know PMs aren't actually elected, but I was just using it as a shorthand for leading a party that wins a majority.