Lost Horizon

by liberal japonicus

This quasi open post (aren't they all?) begins with a question. In this Guardian article, the title is King strips CBE from former Post Office boss Paula Vennells but the subtitle of the story says "Vennells had said she would return honour after fresh fallout over wrongful prosecution of post office operators", so I'm curious if King Charles took the step or if there is some usage here where no one can return an honor, it can only be stripped. It brings to mind Nadine Dorries, who resigned 'with immediate effect' in June of last year and finally sent the letter in August. Maybe some different in the British and US ideas of 'immediate'. Or Dorries doesn't do vocabulary nuances. Be grateful to anyone who can explain the details of honors and how they are taken away.

On the off chance anyone is unaware of the Horizon scandal, here is a the Guardian's explainer.

I've been watching various youtube videos of the inquiry and am at a loss for words. It seems that the testimony is full of evasions, half-truths, and ass-covering and it amazes me that it could have gone on so long and that the people testifying were able to get jobs. Though there seems to some aspects to ass-covering that are particularly British, especially when watching how Badenoch's firing to Henry Staunton is unfolding.

I have a few observations about it and my choice of title that I'll put in the comments, but any bits and bobs that have interested you from this particular dumpster fire, I would love to hear.

Comments

[wj]

My sense, from half way around the world, is that there are a lot of points in the British system of government where the forms act like the King/Queen is still running things, with advice (but only that) from the Parliament. But the reality is that the Crown merely voices (the "King's Speech") what the Prime Minister and his government intend/want to do.

There is an interesting question of what would happen if the monarch decided to act independently. In law, that could be entirely proper, if radically unusual. On the other hand, if the government and its policies were massively unpopular, the Crown might get away with it. I suppose part of the question would be how many members of the military, police, etc. would recall that their oaths are to the Crown, and not to the Parliament. (At least, I believe that is the case.)

Now all the folks in the UK can explain to me how totally I misunderstand the situation.

[wj]

I might also note (from, as noted, half a world away), that while I suspect Elizabeth could have pulled it off successfully, Charles would have a far tougher time of it.

[Girl from the North Country]

Fun fact: Paula Vennells was in the serious running to be made Bishop of London! Her candidacy was supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury, if I have understood it correctly - I bet he's relieved she didn't get it. I mean, many in the church have had their reputations seriously tarnished, but never in quite this way....

[Pro Bono]

There's a Forfeiture Committee which makes recommendations to the Prime Minister, notionally to be decided by the monarch. "King strips CBE..." is not an accurate representation of the constitutional position.

Fun fact: if the king or queen refuses to consent to an act of parliament, which hasn't happened for 300 years, the approved form of words is "Le Roy (or la Reine) s'avisera" - Norman French for "The King (or the Queen) will take advice".

[Girl from the North Country]

I saw Liz Truss at CPAC looking absolutely radiant. I read that she explained to the delegates that her brilliant premiership and perfect plans for the UK economy had been sabotaged by bureaucrats who are operatives of the deep state.

This performance sends genuine shivers down my spine. People say "when America sneezes, the world catches cold". America has been having a sneezing fit for a long time, and it looks like the virus is well and truly airborne....

[JanieM]

America has been having a sneezing fit for a long time, and it looks like the virus is well and truly airborne

Seems like the virus originated in a lab in Australia and was brought here and spread deliberately by Murdoch. ;-)

Too bad our immune system wasn't in better shape.

[GftNC]

Seems like the virus originated in a lab in Australia and was brought here and spread deliberately by Murdoch.

Fair point. And Murdoch is not the only Australian vector, come to think of it. There's also the appalling Lynton Crosby direct to our Tory party:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynton_Crosby

[Snarki, child of Loki]

...slowly tearing the Murdoch page out of my copy of Non-deadly Fauna of Australia

[ral]

... my copy of Non-deadly Fauna of Australia

A very short book.