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Ireland's political and cultural magazine
78 July 2022
Tony Blair’s resignation honours list was the
first that was submitted for approval by theHouse
of Lordsappointments commission but collapsed
because the Crown Prosecution Service was still
deciding whether charges should be brought
against anyone after an earlier “cash for honours”
investigation. It had highlighted a loophole
whereby loans to political parties from subjects
who were later ennobled, as opposed to
donations, did not have to be declared. Blair was
interviewed three times as Prime Minister,
though only as a witness and notunder caution.
A number of proposed recipients of David
Cameron’s resignation largesse were blocked on
ethical grounds.
I draw attention to all of this in consideration of
what ‘The Boris List may look like. Remember this
is a man who, as a ludicrous Foreign Secretary,
did a flit on his security detail to fly alone to a
weekend bunga at the Tuscan Villa of a former
senior KGB autocrat. And once installed in
Downing Street and before you could say Boris
Godunov, had put the KGB man’s son in the
House of Lords as Baron Lebedev of Siberia.
Will there be something for Carrie’s decorator?
How can Andrew Neil be overlooked? Nadine
Dorries, so staunch?
And since he has already put his banker brother
Jo in the House of Lords surely there must be
something for Dad, Stanley?
And how long can it be before public (or at least
future-prime-ministerial) forgiveness gives us Sir
Boris and then Lord Johnson of Little England, or
wherever?
in 1976 after just two years of his third period as
Prime Minister, he suddenly resigned in
circumstances which still provoke speculation.
For many years Wilson and his closest political
aide, Marcia Williams, whose mother was
rumoured to be an illegitimate child of Edward VII,
were joined at the hip and in later years she
dominated the inner workings of Downing Street.
Wilson appeared to be either unwilling or unable
to rein her in and there were frequent shouting
rows and tantrums.
The infamous ‘Lavender List’ which formed the
basis of Wilson’s Resignation Honours List, was
so-called because it was drafted on the lavender-
coloured notepaper used exclusively by Marcia
within Wilson’s private office. This rather
notorious document was given its name by
Wilson’s Press Secretary, Joe Haines.
Like all such Lists, the finished article did
include very many worthy recipients of the
various Honours conferred. It also included to be
quite clear, out and out crooks, and some who
were simply very chummy with Wilson and had
been of some use to him. The ‘moral outrage’
which went positively viral in the aftermath now
seems, though less than half a century ago, to
have had the fervour of the reign of Bloody Mary
or the Spanish Inquisition. Wilson never
recovered personally from the backlash. From
1974 Marcia Williams faced the world as Lady
Falkender though she never made a speech in the
House of Lords and Private Eye called her
“Forkbender” (something to do with Yuri Geller if
you’re wondering).
W
hile British print and broadcast
media have almost consumed
themselves over the last days
and weeks with the
unwholesome but compelling
subject of Boris Johnson and those who live in the
real world have never doubted that ‘Boris’ is a
complete shit, who would boil his Grandmother
down for glue if the end product would pay for a
knees-up in a Five–Star resort in the Maldives,
the present writer has not yet noticed much
awareness of the delights to come.
I do not refer to the inevitable tax-deductible
pulp autobiography in one or more volumes that
will be inflicted on the budget of every public
library, the ‘exclusive’ television interviews or
even the ‘Tonight with Boris’ TV show on some
loony tunes channel that may well span the
Atlantic. One thing remains certain, Boris will be
available for the grand opening of an envelope,
as long as it contains lots of lovely cash.
What this spectator looks forward to with some
relish, is the inevitable brouhaha when as retiring
Prime Minister he produces, as is his prerogative,
his Resignation Honours List. Make no mistake it
will be a corker!
The going rate for a peerage over the last few
years seems to have been a donation of three
million quid to the Tory party (to be fair, instalment
payments have been accepted).
But opportunities on this round are now only
available in The Last Chance Saloon and not even
a gold-plated tricycle for young Wilf will suce.
Traditionalists will be reassured to hear his name
is safely and securely down for Eton and fees will
not be an issue.
Lloyd George charged £10,000 for a
knighthood, £30,000 for a baronetcy, and
£50,000 upwards for a peerage. But that carry on
was reduced by legislation in 1925. Those of us
who have knocked about a bit will recall how the
late Harold Wilson allowed his reputation to be
eviscerated by way of ‘The Lavender List’, when
Harold Wilson’s
Lavender List
included out
and out crooks.
Tony Blair’s list
collapsed because
of an earlier ‘cash
for honours’
investigation
What Boris Did Next
Gave out
ennoblements
and then got some
himself
By Kevin Lalor Higgins
INTERNATIONAL
