Political honours
Sir: It is to be hoped that by now even Sir Harold Wilson will admit that in recent years there have been grave misapplications of political rewards. The reason for the distortion of the honours system is the persistent failure of the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee to do its work conscientiously. It is difficult to believe that certain recent elevations had the approval of the entire committee. If their advice was ignored, members of the committee should have been seen publicly to express their disapproval by resigning.
Now, however, a member of the committee has been appointed to the Order of Merit. Thus do our political masters reward negligence or lack of moral courage. Could it be that, since British public life has become so paltry, the scrutineers themselves now deserve not honours but scrutiny?
George Huxley Department of Greek, The Queen's University, Belfast
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