I've just found out that Noddy Holder has an MBE, and it is for "services to music" rather than anything charity related. It is true that he has enriched the musical heritage of this country in his own small way, but why him in particular when there are so many other great unhonoured pop stars?

"Cool Britannia", innit.

New Labour were meant to come in in 1997 and dismantle the anachronistic honours system, and if anything they've done everything possible to perpetuate it. Like doling out OBEs to all of the 1966 England squad (and knighting Geoff Hurst) just before the 1998 finals.

Superficial reforms of outmoded institutions, rather than a genuine reconstruction, are very much the NuLab way.

It still says a lot about the differences between the new elite and the old that so many pop people have been honoured at all. Just because NuLab aren't ultra-radical reformers doesn't make them the exact same as the old elite. I personally have a theory about the regular honours for those who started in pop between 1964 and 1967 being a codified apology for Old Labour's attitude to offshore radio (without which there might never have been such a thing as Thatcherism).

2/1 Justin
evens Robin

.


I'd like to have a beer (or 12) with Noddy Holder.


.