Baroness’s ‘dear friend’ stripped of knighthood
ONE of Baroness Scotland’s closest allies has had his knighthood revoked, following an investigation by The Mail on Sunday.
Anthony Bailey, a PR adviser and ‘dear friend’ of the embattled Commonwealth Secretary General, was informed by the government of Grenada that his knighthood from the island nation was to be rescinded after questions of its legality were raised.
Opposition leaders on the island reacted in shock after it emerged that Bailey arranged four knighthoods for himself and allies in one day from the country, despite only two being allowed per year by law.
Following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Grenadian foreign minister Nickolas Steele announced that the award had been rescinded following ‘legal evaluation and interpretation’.
Bailey was given the knighthood in July 2015 when travelling to Grenada to reveal a raft of donations from his unrecognised Catholic order, the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George.
This trip followed meetings between Bailey, Baroness Scotland and the prime minister of Grenada, during which investment on the island was promised by the order.
The award had remained unknown until the Foreign Office received a request earlier this year, on behalf of Labour Party donor Bailey, for his knighthood to be recognised. A spokesman for Baroness Scotland insisted she was ‘not involved in any decisions about honours’.
Bailey lists a startling 31 honours on his website. He still holds a knighthood from nearby Antigua, despite it being ‘under review’ for almost three months.