Fairness needed in honours system

To maintain the integrity of the British royal honours system Freddie Goodwin, the former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has been relieved of his knighthood by order of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Honours Forfeiture Committee, a statutory body of senior civil servants and government lawyers with the powers to recommend rescinding an honour, recommended the relegation of Sir Freddie to plain Mr Goodwin for bringing the awards system into disrepute over his actions as RBS boss.

Mr Goodwin had been deemed partly responsible for costing British taxpayers £45 billion and therefore the retention of his knighthood could not be sustained.