MPs slam ‘ploy’ of honour for Bono
Traditionally, the list of those being honoured is announced on New Year’s Eve, but the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office broke with custom this year to publicise Bono’s inclusion a week early.
A number of politicians have criticised the timing, describing it as a “cynical ploy” by British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s press team to divert attention from the war in Iraq.
Liberal Democrat MP Bob Russell said the announcement was “an insult”. Referring to Colchester, an army town within his constituency, he added: “My town has lost many servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Mr Blair is more concerned about handing baubles to rock stars.”
Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe also saw the premature announcement as a stunt.
“I fail to understand why Bono should be singled out for an early announcement,” she said.
Other politicians, meanwhile, openly questioned why Bono was accepting the honour. Scottish National Party MP Angus MacNeil remarked: “Tony Blair is cynically trying to put some shine in a discredited honours system.”
And an MP from Mr Blair’s own party, Andrew Mackinlay, said: “I’m amazed at the way anti-establishment rock figures fall over each other to pick up gongs.”
Bono will receive his honorary knighthood at a ceremony in Dublin in January.
Britain said the award was being conferred in recognition of Bono’s “services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work”.
