Who is more deserving of a gong then?

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

The temptation is to jump straight on the Outrage Wagon:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/keep-the-flame-alive/9488513/Keep-The-Flame-Alive-Olympic-medallists-to-lose-out-to-mandarins-in-honours.html

So who deserves an award from the nation more?

Bradley Wiggins? Ben Ainsley? Mo Farah? Or Jeremy Farquhar-Peckforton-Gap Tea boy in Whitehall?

I know who my vote would be for, what say you?

Jimps

 

[SORRY CJ]

I don’t give a flying fook…I think the idea of the giving out these gongs is a complete and utter farce anyway.

SCJ

 

[FOMz]

Unfortunately, the honours system is effectively run by the Farqhuarr-Smyths of this world in the civil service for the Farqhuarr-Smyths of this world in the civil service and no johnny come lately Olympic athlete who went to a secondry modern in inner London is going to get a foot into their world.

Demonstrating wider community work... where do civil serpants fit into that then? can't be having one rule for one and one riule for another now can we?

 

[vim_fuego]

Two trains of thought here...I'll use Mo Farrow as my example:

A. Mo trains hard for years and wins a gold medal at the Olympics. His victory was hugely embellished by BBC coverage followed closely by the worlds press as he is a likeable chap, modest and because of his gutsy performance running around a tartan track the nation thinks he's a good egg and some kids now want to start running. He is now very marketable and regardless of his desire to run he will make money out of this endeavour (and who could blame him). He has been part of a team that has restored some pride, momentarily perhaps, into a nation in need of it.

B. Mo trains hard for years and wins a gold medal at the Olympics. He was funded through Sport UK to do this otherwise he would have had to work and train so maybe wouldn't have been nearly as good or even made the Olympics. Sport UK gets funding from the National Lottery and government. The BBC a wee while ago claimed that the Olympics cost each and every tax payer £400 each. Mo has had his moment and gotten his reward (with the above mentioned potential bonuses). We may see him on the telly at the world champs/commonwealth in the future but essentially even if we didn't the world wouldn't stop turning.

C. Civil Servent (CS) has worked in the same department for 25 years. He has diligently carried out his duties beyond the T and C's of his contract, endeavoured to make savings where others have frittered, given unwavering loyalty and service to the British public who have no reason to know his name because he is nose to the grindstone not thinking of personal greater glory.

D. CS has worked in his department for a length of time, has used his position to make himself known to all and is a self publicist with a flare for public speaking. He has smoozed all the right people, tapped all the right shoulders and is a face you could recognise in a crowd. His results aren't half bad but he leaves you shuddering slightly with his actions.

All of those categories will be in the mix but I know which one is the only one I would like to see getting something.

 

[True Blue Jack]

I think "quota" is a deliberately evocative and misleading word in this case and I think it highly unlikely that the Government would limit the number of Olympians to be rewarded in the next honours list by such means. Indeed, the 'mandarins' are generally considered for a different category of award anyway (usually the Order of St. Michael and St. George rather than the Most Excellent Order of the British Empre) For example, Bradley Wiggins was made CBE after the 2008 games and has now exceeded the achievements which got him that award so the only way to go is to elevate him to a knighthood. The same thing happened to Matthew Pinsent who was made a CBE the same year Steve Redgrave got his knighthood and was elevated 4 years later. In the same vein, Kelly Holmes was made a dame after winning 2 gold medals in one games so in the interests of fairness Mo Farah, Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott and others should also be similarly honoured although I think that's probably going too far and Rebecca Adlington was 'only' made an OBE after Beijing so I think the honours committee probably felt that way also. What about Ben Ainslie whose achievements rival even those of Steve Redgrave? For my money, the next honours list will see a fair spread of awards to Olympians including: Sir Ben Ainslie, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Dame Victoria Pendleton and then a whole load of other "lesser" awards such as, Nicola Adams MBE, Mo Farah OBE, Nick Skelton CBE, etc. And Lord Brendan Foster obviously. All this and the Paralympics yet to come!!

 

[rest have risen above me]

As far as I can see it's a bad thing giving the sport billys Peerages.
If they get to be a Sir/Dame then they get into the House of Lords therefore giving them political power. These people will then restrict the booze as that's not good for you, smokes will be totally outlawed, lard and cheese will be taxed out of the market, followed by a concerted attack on sugar then finally salt will be a goner (as if you eat more than 1kg a day it causes high blood pressure). Next there will a move to bring in AFT into schools with all failures being made to live in Scotland.

I'm sorry but just because someone can run around a track why give them power?

Devils advocate mode off....

 

[FOMz]

Lets not forget here the likes of the Bradley Wiggins foundation.. not only is the guy an Olympian, but he is also 'giving back' to the community....

I am sure there are other Olympians out there doing similar (I just can't be arsed to look DT_Xtremez_42

 

[justintime129]

As far as I can see it's a bad thing giving the sport billys Peerages.
If they get to be a Sir/Dame then they get into the House of Lords therefore giving them political power.

Devils advocate mode off....

House of lords. Peerage yes plain knighthood no. Pedant mode off.

 

[Tango_Lima]

I'm sorry but just because someone can run around a track why give them power?

Isn't that how the army works?

 

[stereolab]

Awards

Awards

Isn't that how the army works?

The ability to run fast should not be grounds for any awards, some individuals I met during
my time were almost unable to read or write, but, were lauded by the RAF as marketable individuals, promoted ahead of their peers, and in some cases, commissioned.

 

[fed_up_scribbly]

A good post Vim, I think that I am probably of the same mind as you as to where the awards should go in an ideal world. Unfortunately as we all know this is rarely the case and there will be a (small) number of those who fully justify the honours they receive and a larger number of those who don't. Rewarding actors, pop stars and sportsmen/women who are already massively rewarded by virtue of sponsorship deals and/or royalties etc is the practice that should immediately stop - in my personal opinion of course. I would also like some transparency as to what exactly all recipients have done in order to be honoured - nothing too detailed but certainly enough to justify the decision.

 

[Flybynight]

Would Bradley Wiggins or Jessica Ennis know how to wipe Camerrhoid's @r5e to perfection or apply his veruca cream just so? Ah, no, that's Clegg's job. However, I do think Boris should get a wee gong for keeping his mouth shut and not embarrassing the nation during the Games.