Wilson had no shame about giving a gong

HOW t i mes h ave c h a n ge d . Dav i d Ca meron’s r u moured re s i g n a t i o n honours for friends, stylists and donors may h av e go n e d ow n b a d ly b u t compared with his predecessors they seem a bit tame. No such stinginess from Harold Wilson in his 1976 resignation honours — which became known as the “lavender list”.

In his diaries the former headmaster of Westminster School, John Rae, rec alled an evening when Wilson managed to keep an entire Chelsea dinner party on tenterhooks as they waited to hear what gongs they might receive. Among the guests were Jimmy Goldsmith, who did become Sir James — though his son, Zac, the Conservative London mayoral candidate is sadly overlooked this time. Lew Grade became a life peer as did John Ernest Vaizey, father of ex-culture minister Ed — also sadly seemingly overlooked this time — and Wilson’s host for the evening, George Wiedenfeld.

“The list has been altered so often no one knows whether the honour he has been promised will in fact materialise,” Rae wrote. “It is a bizarre and fascinating evening at which I am an observer from a different world.”

Wilson came in for some criticism but Roy Jenkins noted Wilson’s freedom with the honours system was always a little eccentric. In Wilson’s first resignation honours in 1970 Joseph Kagan won a knighthood chiefly because his company manufactured Wilson’s favourite brand of raincoat. The PM’s family GP, Joseph Stone, was similarly honoured and, in a classy touch in the 1976 list, No 10’s telephonist and cleaner were both given British Empire Medals.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that they have been replaced by hairstylists and image consultants?