Past prime ministers have fared a lot better than Tony Blair’s knighthood

Usually, it is the people prime ministers or the palace nominate for honours – cronies, relatives, crooks, some falling into all three categories – that stoke the controversies. Tony Blair knows that very well, because in 2007 he was questioned twice at No 10 by police officers during a previous “cash for honours” scandal (no further action taken, mind you).

Now it is Sir Tony Blair KG, as he will soon be styled, member of the most noble order of the garter, who is the centre of attention. Though you never know, it does seem that almost 15 years after leaving office the offer of a knighthood came as a genuine surprise to the still-sprightly former Labour leader – but he welcomed it all the same, and in gracious terms. It was much less pleasing news for his many critics, arraigned against him on the right and the left. With scarcely a pause, smartphones and keyboards were commandeered and the words “Iraq”, “war criminal” and “Bliar” attached themselves predictably enough once again at the very mention on social media of his name.

Conspiracy theorists supposed it was part of a Tory distraction plot, an attempt to stir up old Labour hatreds; or that Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May were getting increasingly bored waiting in the rather exclusive queue. The Commons speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, voiced the magnanimous view that all hard-working former prime ministers should get the honour (which you might think would rule out the present incumbent). Hoyle’s support was to no avail.

Such is the opposition to the routine, if late, honour given to Blair that more than 600,000 people have signed a petition asking for it to be rescinded (it won’t be). Columnists argued that if Blair had a shred of dignity he’d refuse the K (which would of course also make for great copy). It even provoked an uncharacteristically intemperate response at the present Labour leader’s press conference, who was asked if he thought Boris Johnson should someday be Sir Boris. Although Sir Keir was supportive of Blair getting his gong, he snapped at the notion of Johnson receiving one: “No, I am sorry, I don’t think that this prime minister has earned the right to have an honour. I do think Tony Blair has.”

Even being generous to Blair, it has to be said that not even ex-premiers have a “right” to a knighthood. (It should also be pointed out that Sir Keir was given his K as standard procedure in 2014, after his time as director of public prosecutions, and he is “only” a KCB – a knight commander of the most honourable order of the Bath. If Sir Keir does become PM and receives a garter he’ll be just like the fryings at a fish and chip shop - twice (k)nightly).

It probably isn’t much consolation to the Blair-haters, but past prime ministers have done much better from a grateful monarch than “Sir” Tony has. Until the 1960s, a hereditary earldom was the usual reward, and thus, for example, the third Earl Attlee sits today in the House of Lords, a Tory but with an uncanny resemblance to his socialist-and-proud-of-it grandad.

He followed Earl Lloyd-George, Earl Baldwin, the Earl of Balfour and many others, not to mention the Salisburys/Cecils and Derbys/Stanleys and others with more ancient service to the crown. The 14th Earl of Home, Sir Alec Douglas-Home was a rare traveller in the opposite direction, as he and to renounce his peerage to stand for the commons and become prime minister – later he became a life peer. Harold Macmillan was the last ex-PM to be given a hereditary peerage, ironically for the man who devised the life peerage.

After the war, and on his retirement in 1955 the Queen offered Winston Churchill the even grander rank of Duke of London, which he declined, and was content with the garter and being plain Sir Winston.

Different times, but just imagine if the Queen had decided to create Earl Blair of Sedgefield, with Cherie becoming Countess Cherie and young Euan enjoying the courtesy title of Viscount Blair, as is customary. Twitter would probably melt, and it would be almost worth it.