The UK Paralympians not honoured

Reading the list of honours it appears that every gold medal winner in the Olympics and Paralympics (who wasn't previously honoured) received some sort of reward in the New Years Honours. However, there are five gold medals from three individuals that appear to have gone onrecognised. Yeah the fastest Paralympian Jason Smyth, middle distance runner Michael McKillop and swimmer Bethany Firth have been left off the honours list.

Some people will argue that these people made a personal choice to compete for Team Ireland. But in the case of Bethany, without the Olympic sized pool being ready in Bangor, her nearest and most accessible facilities were in Dublin.

Jason Smyth was asked the question about why he chose Ireland on Channel 4's The Last Leg to which he responded:

"At the time, I had put it out there that is was Britain or Ireland. I gave them the opportunity, whoever was interested. At the time Ireland came back and were going to help and support and were able to help and Britain were just, whatever. Not really that bothered. And just that Ireland were going to look after me made the decision easy, cause I wouldn’t be politically one way or the other."

It is not always a choice that is down to personal circumstances, it is sometimes to the amount of support that the appropriate governing body is able to provide, even than can change depending on personal circumstances. For example a Northern Irish person who goes to higher education in London say is easier to tap into Team GB facilities than someone who stays at home.

Remember when the news broke that these three would get a golden post box.

Arise Sir Wiggo and other Olympic and Paralympic Honours

Top of the heap in the special list of Olympic and Paralympic honours in the New Year's Honours List have to be the Knighthoods for cyclist Bradley Wiggins and sailor Ben Ainslie, there will also be Dame Sarah Storey for the Swimmer turned Cyclist who had started swimming at the Paralympics 20 years ago to win a British record equaling total of 11 gold medals. Coaches Dave Brailsford (cycling) and David Tanner (Rowing) are also awarded Knighthoods. Tanner has been performance director of GB rowing for 16 years a similar length of time that Brailsford has been involved with British Cycling.

This does mean that Britian's five living most decorated in gold Olympians are all knights Sir Chris Hoy with 6 golds,Sir Steve Redgrave 5, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sir Ben Ainslie 4. Sarah Storey joins Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who became a Dame in 2005, but the other Brit with eleven Paralympic golds Dave Roberts remains with only a CBE, while Mike Kenny, the forgotten Paralympian, who won 16 from 1976-88 is only an MBE.

There are CBEs for gold medalists Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah and David Weir (athletics), Katherine Grainger (rowing) and Victoria Pendleton (cycling).

OBEs go to cycling's golden couple Jason Kenny and Laura Trott, equestrians Charlotte Dujardin and Sophie Christiansen, Andy Murray (tennis) and Ellie Simmonds (swimming).

While MBEs go to

• Nicola Adams, Luke Campbell and Anthony Joshua (boxing) and Jade Jones (taekwondo)
• Canoeists Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott, plus Ed McKeever. 
• Dujardin's dressage team mates Laura Bechtolsheimer and Carl Hester, Christiansen's team mates Natasha Baker, Deborah Criddle and Sophie Wells the show jumpers Scott Brash, Peter Charles and Ben Maher, eventer Mary King. 
• Triathlete Alistair Brownlee and gymnast Louis Smith
• Archery's Danielle Brown and Peter Wilson for shooting
• Heather Lucas in sailing
• Swimmers Josef Craig, Jonathan Fox, Heather Fredericksen, Oliver Hynd. 
• Cyclists Steven Burke, Mark Colbourne, Neil Fachie, Philip Hindes, Peter Kennaugh, Dani King, Craig MacLean and Joanna Rowsell
• Boccia player Nigel Murray
• Rowers Katherine Copeland, Helen Glover, Alex Gregory, Sophie Hosking, Pam Relph, Naomi Riches, James Roe, David Smith, Heather Stanning, Lily van den Broecke and Anna Watkins
• Athletes Jessica-Jane Applegate, Mickey Bushell, Hannah Cockroft, Aled Davies, Jonnie Peacock, Josie Pearson, Greg Rutherford and Richard Whitehead

People will have noticed that I haven't split this list  by Olympian or Paralympian because I think they all deserve equal recognition for what they achieved this year.

The Blank Dishonour List By Omission

The Queen's New Years Honour's list is out [link to PDF file] and there are some interesting honourees amongst them, from Sir Patrick Stewart, through Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi of Status Quo (obviously for long term service to three chords) to many of the unsung heroes in mundane but important jobs. But it is the omission of some of the biggest sectors of honourees that speaks volumes for 2009.

First up this is the last Honour's list before the dissolution of Parliament, of course there may well be dissolution honours handed out by Gordon Brown, but often in the past these have been increased for some of those known to be stepping down being honoured before then. With 121 MPs already announcing they are stepping down there is not a single Member of Parliament on the list.

The other big sector noticeable in its almost total absence is the bankers. Last year at this time there were none worthy of inclusion. This year there is but a solitary man Dyfrig John the former chief executive of HSBC one of the banks that did not request a Government bail out. But unlike all those knights of the discredited banks who apologised before committee, he is only getting a CBE.

On with the new year then Ma'am and in the words of Jean Luc Picard "Make It So".

Footnote for history: Civil Servants of course miss the Honours Crunch and take up 13% of the honours on offer.

They'll be Dancing in the Streets of Anhk Morpork

It may be Hogmanay but that means the announcement of Queen Liz's New Year's honours.

Those plucky British Olympians are adding to their Beijing honours with one knighthood, six CBEs, 13 OBEs and 35 MBEs in Queenies New Years Honour lists.


No prizes for guess who will be having the royal sword dubbed on his proud shoulders, it's Mister Chris for his three cycling golds. But Liz didn't take poolside advice from the Water Cube proffered by Miss Cassie by only making 'Dame' Rebecca Adlington only an OBE. Paralympian Miss Ellie Saunders becomes the youngest ever recipient of the MBE at just 14. F1 World Champion Mister Lewis picked up an MBE. Many of the tops coaches were also honoured as was Chris's mother Carol for their services to sport.

As the sunlight slowly moves across the Discworld to herald another dawn, the creator, known on our world as Mister Terry has been awarded a Knighthood.

Sara Payne who has battled for better safeguards against sex offenders following the kidnap and murder of her daughter Sarah was also awarded an MBE.

However, in the year that the economy took one hell of a pasting there is anger that the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury picked up his knighthood as part of the automatic promotion through the merit system that comes with rank not performance.