SECRET documents have revealed the names of almost 300 top people who have privately snubbed the honours system by refusing to accept knighthoods, CBEs and other awards. More than 40 of them have rejected honours from the government of Tony Blair alone.

The documents, obtained from Whitehall sources by The Sunday Times, show that the rock star David Bowie, the celebrity cook Nigella Lawson, the playwright and novelist Michael Frayn, and the comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are among members of Britain’s “A list” who have refused to accept honours under new Labour.

The novelist JG Ballard, James Bond leading lady Honor Blackman and jazz musician George Melly have also turned down honours under Blair, according to more than 400 pages of internal government files revealed for the first time today.

The disclosure that so many prominent people have rejected honours will add to growing demands for reform of the system.

It follows claims by a government whistleblower that the 700-year-old system has been tainted by an obsession with secrecy and spin and no longer functions as a credible way to recognise achievement and service to the country.

The documents include the names of scores of famous people who have privately declined honours offered by prime ministers on behalf of the Queen since the second world war. Compiled by the Cabinet Office’s ceremonial branch, the list of almost 300 names includes Graham Greene, David Hockney, John le Carré, Robert Graves, Francis Bacon, Aldous Huxley and Evelyn Waugh.

Other luminaries from the worlds of the arts, literature, drama, sport and the media include J B Priestley, Anthony Powell, Roald Dahl, Philip Larkin, Trevor Howard and Alastair Sim. LS Lowry, the painter, appears to have turned down more than anyone — a total of five awards including a knighthood, CBE and OBE.

The actor Albert Finney not only rejected a knighthood in 2000 but the documents show he also turned down a CBE in 1980. Even Alfred Hitchcock refused a CBE in 1962, although he accepted a knighthood shortly before he died.

According to insiders, the list is used to warn officials that “refuseniks” should not be approached again because of their rejection of honours.

The Cabinet Office is already conducting a mole hunt after a leak of internal minutes of the main honours committee, published by The Sunday Times last weekend. The committee is led by Whitehall’s most senior civil servants under the guidance of Sir Andrew Turnbull, the cabinet secretary.

Those minutes showed that Tim Henman, Britain’s top tennis player, was to be honoured only to “add interest” to the forthcoming new year’s list and that Colin Blakemore, an eminent scientist, has been excluded because of fears that his “controversial” use of vivisection might upset the animal rights lobby.

Blakemore, who was recently appointed chief executive of the Medical Research Council, responded to the snub by launching a furious attack on the government. He is now considering resigning his position.

The latest leaks, including secret Whitehall files marked “restricted — honours” and “refusals”, comprise one of the Establishment’s most closely guarded secrets. They are not even released under the 30-year rule after which many government papers are normally made public.

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