Sir, Courtiers in days of yore used to know that it was far better to be wrong in grand company than to be right on your own — so it is today.

The Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, a Gordon Brown insider, Nick MacPherson, gets a knighthood for presiding over the management of the economy that has led to the most dangerous financial boom in living memory and which has resulted in the present bust and deep recession. By contrast, the eminent economist Roger Bootle gets nothing, despite having many times warned us that deflation was a more dangerous enemy than inflation and that Mr Brown and the Bank of England should stop worrying unnecessarily about inflation and should, instead, take steps to stem the flow of irresponsible debt, which has fuelled the unsustainable property boom.

Stephen Porter

London NW6

Sir, You report that the former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury has been given a knighthood (Dec 31). It was not this that appalled me, but the way he was described as a “supporter” of the Prime Minister. It is not the job of a senior civil servant to “support” any politician; they are there to advise politicians and carry out the will of Parliament. The whole aim of the Civil Service in its long, and until recently, illustrious history was to be a neutral body of men and women. I fear this is yet another example of the corrupting effect this Government has had on the political life of this country. One has to wonder whether unless you visibly support this Government, any Civil Service career at senior level is as good as over.

B. Wylie

Bicester, Oxon

Sir, Is a knighthood really the appropriate honour to bestow upon Chris Hoy at this stage in his career? The 1966 World Cup football team were not so honoured until years later (Sir Bobby Charlton was knighted in 1994 and Sir Geoff Hurst in 1998) and those honours reflected a lifetime of achievement. The bestowal of knighthoods is devalued by scattering them around as if they were school merit badges.

Sandy Pratt

Lingfield, Surrey

Sir, Successive governments have ignored loyal and steadfast service by many Armed Forces personnel.

The unofficial Veterans Badge is barely visible and is no substitute for a medal. Many veterans believe that we should follow the Australian lead with a national defence medal.

Our award system is unfair, archaic and anachronistic, and diminishes military service. The great British public should now rally round and support this laudable campaign, since some servicemen and women have nothing to show for years or even decades of service to our country.

Charles Lovelace

Liphook, Hants

Sir, Robert Plant is appointed a CBE after 40 years in the music business. Comparing this with the relative youth of our honoured Olympians, it is clear that the establishment prefers “throwing the discus” to “throwing the television out of the hotel window” as a choice of sport.

Ian Wright

Isle of Man

Explore Letters

• Feedback