I am in total agreement with Ruth Wishart that the discredited UK honours system should be consigned to history and that we should have new Scottish awards untainted by party politics or preferment (The honours system has no place in a democracy, Comment, April 24).
Her article brings to mind the latest Lotto advert, "Please not them" , where "celebrities" send themselves up as they make a plea for a lottery win to sustain their frivolous vanity projects.
Unfortunately we have a UK honours lottery which delivers for such people year after year.
What is often missed is that the misuse and abuse of the honours system has an importance far beyond merely ingratiating the rich, the famous and opinion formers.
It is a deeply important process of co-option guaranteeing that the recipients are tied into the current UK power system and an incestuous device through which the British State ensures that its legitimacy is consistently reinforced.
By all means let’s have the Saltire Society Awards as the basis for a new Scottish honours system which only rewards those who through integrity, dedication or bravely fighting adversity illuminate the humanity of the Scottish people and leave the tainted UK system for the vain and conceited who need a bauble to sustain their feelings of self-worth and sense of importance.
Iain A J McKie
Ayr
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