I don't like boxing, I think it is a nasty brutish sport, but I do have a bit of a soft spot for Naseem Hamed, partly because he came from Sheffield and partly because of his sheer exuberance and confidence when he was in his prime. With his extravagant entrances into the ring he seemed to acknowledge how much boxing is entertainment and could disconcert his opponent at the same time. When in his prime he was so light on his feet and moved almost balletically it appeared a wonder that a punch was ever landed on him.
But self belief can turn to arrogance and just because someone is/was an supreme sportsman doesn't mean that they can't be an arse in other areas of their life. While I'm sure that he deserved to do time for dangerous driving, he should pay damages to the poor couple he injured I'm not so sure that stripping him of his honour does any good.
Especially when you have a convicted perjurer like Jeffrey Archer swanning around without such censor.
I know that dangerous driving can kill but it was not a deliberate act, but Hamed didn't seek to pervert the course of justice, he didn't, as far as I'm aware, pressurise friends into giving him a false alibi.
So what I want to know is when Jeffrey to be stripped of his peerage?
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Apparently, the Queen cannot strip anyone of a life peerage without a special act of parliament (it's all in the Life Peerages Act 1958). Honours like OBE's etc are in her direct gift, which means they can be revoked whenever.
ReplyDeleteThe government had planned to ban ex-criminals from the House of Lords back in 2003, but that fell by the wayside and they've never tried to bring it back.
Ta Ian, I had forgotten about that. Fairly shameful though that they can't strip peerages though, brings dishonour to the system.
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