Cash for Coronets
±«Óãtv News is reporting that a head teacher has been following a police investigation into an honours for cash allegation. A piece of legislation has been dusted off and invoked in the case: the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act of 1925. When was the last time you heard that Act mentioned in the press?
But the arrest, and our continuing coverage of honours-related corruption allegations (let's call it the Cash for Coronets Affair), raises deeper questions about the place of gongs in a modern society. Is it possible to have a British-style honours system that doesn't have a corrupting influence on society? It's a pointed question for journalists: is it ever appropriate for a journalist (particularly one covering politics) to accept a government-approved honour?
Curiously enough, while the UK is starting to have a serious conversation about the use and abuse of honours, the Irish government of Bertie Ahern appears to be looking into the development of an equivalent honours system for the Republic.
Comments
the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act of 1925. When was the last time you heard that Act mentioned in the press?
Can I resist saying that it did crop up recently in , which is very edifying and generally good? (Full disclosure: er, I did it.) :)