Here is the introductory blurb–
Caroline Cox was made a peer by Margaret Thatcher back in the 1980s, and since then she has been using her seat in Britain’s House of Lords to speak out against injustices around the world on issues ranging from slavery in Sudan to the persecution of Christian minorities around the world. When she isn’t sitting in the Lords, the ‘battling Baroness’ is traveling the world on behalf of HART – The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, an organsiation she founded several years ago.
A nit picking point of correction. Margaret Thatcher (herself now elevated to the Peerage) did not “make” anyone a peer or nobleman/woman. Only H.M. The Queen does that. Yes, in practical terms it is the party in power which submits a list each year of persons recommended for Honors. But it is The Queen’s signature and seal which confers the Honor.
There has always been a certain amount of political back scratching with Royal Honors. Sadly though, it is only under the recent Labor governments that the process became blatantly political with an obvious effort on the part of Mr. Blair and later Gordon Brown to pack the Lords with their supporters. The so called “reform” of the Lords in an effort to make it more “democratic” has simply turned a venerable (albeit rather undemocratic) institution into an even more undemocratic joke.
Of course the truth is that Britain really doesn’t need two Houses of Parliament. I just can’t think of a decent way to fix the Lords and get rid of the Commons.
AdOrientem,
I remember back in the 1980’s (1987 to be precise) when I took British Government (well it was supposed to be World Government but we did Germany, Australia and France in one week and spent the other 15 on Britain) that we discussed the superiority of the British “Royal Honors” scheme over American Political “paybacks.”
In the British System, if someone does something good (like donate) to the correct politician, they might get a knighthood or even a life Peerage. Neither of which does any real damage to the nation’s welfare. In the American System, if you donate a big amount, you get either a Government Job (often an ambassadorship) where you can do real damage to the country.
So, it was not just the Labor party which politicized the Royal Honors.