THE eminent scientist Colin Blakemore has again been overlooked for a knighthood in the forthcoming new year’s honours list.

Professor Blakemore, head of the Medical Research Council (MRC) and one of Britain’s leading scientists, disclosed the snub last week.

He confirmed that he had not received a letter from Downing Street asking if he would accept an honour. Invitations to accept honours in the forthcoming list are sent out by the end of November.

The Oxford University scientist was famously refused a knighthood last year after a committee of Whitehall mandarins said his work on animal experiments was too “controversial”. They apparently feared a backlash from the animal rights lobby.

That contradicted the government’s public position which is to support scientists who engage in animal testing. It also cast doubt on the legitimacy of the selection procedure, which is carried out amid great secrecy by officials who never have to justify their decisions.

The disclosure, in a memo from the main honours committee leaked to The Sunday Times, infuriated Blakemore. He and his family have been the target of repeated violent attacks by animal rights extremists.

Blakemore threatened to resign his position at the MRC, although he later withdrew the threat after receiving a personal apology from Lord Sainsbury, the science minister.

The leaked honours papers showed that more than 300 well-known people had turned down honours, while other candidates, such as Tim Henman, the tennis player, were considered primarily to “add interest” to the list.

The disclosure prompted a parliamentary investigation and a government review. The Cabinet Office is expected to announce limited changes to a system which has been criticised as being outdated, secretive and subject to political spin.

Earlier this year, a committee of MPs called for the system to be modernised and made more accountable.

The public administration committee said the Order of the British Empire (OBE) should be replaced with an honour more in keeping with modern Britain. The MPs said the medal was “insensitive, an inappropriate symbol for today’s Britain”.

They said the number of honours should be trimmed to four and added that the prime minister should be stripped of all power of patronage over the honours.

In evidence to the committee, John Major, the former prime minister, called the existing system “distasteful”.

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