DEFEATED Liberal Democrat minister Danny Alexander has been nominated for a knighthood in the long-awaited Dissolution Honours List, it has been reported.
A key figure in the anti-independence Better Together campaign and one of the architects of his party’s coalition with the Conservatives at Westminster, the politician lost his seat to the SNP at May’s General Election.
Last night the move to award him a knighthood was criticised by Pete Wishart, the SNP Westminster group leader, who said Scots viewed the system of political patronage in the UK with “growing contempt” and called for a review of the awards.
“Not content with stuffing the absurd House of Lords more full with his cronies and donors the Prime Minister now feels obliged to reward his former LibDem helpers with gongs,” he said.
“Not that they would need much encouragement. The LibDems have long been partial to a bit of arising to the call of the sword on the shoulder. In the last Parliament they had as many Knights of the Realm as they did female MPs.
“Danny’s Tory knighthood I’m sure will offer a bit of comfort to losing his seat to the SNP and will assist him into the board rooms of high finance. It is usually how it works.”
He added: “I think that the Scottish people are just observing this circus with growing contempt and the whole Lords, Ladies, Knights, patronage nonsense, is becoming something they see as beyond ridiculous. Yet we will soon have almost a thousand unelected Lords and failed LibDem politicians with lucrative Knighthoods. It is surely time for a rethink about how all this patronage is doled out in this country.”
The former MP turned down a peerage after his May defeat, but yesterday The Sunday Times reported that the former chief secretary to the Treasury was in line to be knighted within weeks after being nominated for it by former LibDem leader Nick Clegg.
Alexander, 43, has not ruled out a return to politics.
He lost his Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat to the SNP’s Drew Hendry in the electoral bloodbath in May that left the LibDems with just eight MPs, including one in Scotland, former Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael.
During the election, Alexander was widely mocked for unveiling an alternative budget with a bright yellow box which fewer than ten LibDem backbenchers turned up to witness.
Two more of Clegg’s allies, former MP Annette Brooke and film producer Pippa Harris, a friend since his university days, will be given damehoods.
Clegg also nominated LibDem donor Anthony Ullmann for a knighthood, sources claim.
Fellow former LibDem leader Sir Menzies Campbell and Sir Alan Beith are also tipped to be among up to ten LibDems in line for peerages, as a reward for their coalition partnership with the Conservatives.
David Cameron is expected to reveal about 50 new lords, with up to 40 Tories, when the list is announced in the next days, taking the number of peers past 800.
It comes amid fears the Prime Minister does not have the support in the Upper House to win crucial battles on Europe and welfare.
Although Cameron has a slim majority in the Commons, meaning he can get most of his business through the Lower House, he faces a much tougher challenge in the Lords.
During the Coalition Government,wishart the Tories and the Lib Dems combined enjoyed a majority of politically-aligned peers. On their own, the Conservatives now fall far short.
The present tally is 227 Conservative peers, 213 Labour, 102 Lib Dem, 26 bishops and 38 from other parties or non-affiliated, as well as 180 crossbenchers.
New Tories in the Upper House are expected to include multi-millionaire donor and investment banker James Lupton and lingerie entrepreneur Michelle Mone.
Demands have grown for the Upper House to reform after disgraced Lord Sewel admitted many members received money for doing ‘f*** all’. Members who are not paid a salary can claim a taxpayer-funded daily allowance of £300.
During an undercover rant recorded by a newspaper, Sewel said this was routinely abused.
The National View: Spare us any more on this irrelevant title for an irrelevant man
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here