Emperor Gaius Caligula showed his contempt for the legislature, it¡¯s rumored, by making his horse, Incitatus, a Roman consul.
In his resignation honors list, Boris Johnson, a keen student of the classics, has nominated his father Stanley for a knighthood for his work on environmentalism. We suppose Johnson thinks more highly of his father¡¯s talents than Caligula did of his trusty steed¡¯s, but the news has been greeted with a similar level of dismay. An opinion poll suggests that only 4% of voters approve of the new ¡°Gong for Dad¡± campaign.
Johnson, as a legion of titled and ennobled worthies have complained, has devalued the currency of their honors. He had already placed his serious-minded brother Jo, a former Conservative MP, in the House of Lords ¡ª a good nomination had it been made by anyone but his brother. The large and very public Johnson clan has many high-profile members dear to the former prime minister¡¯s heart, so it may be a mercy that Tory MPs ousted him last year before he could wrap more of them in the ermine fur granted to peers of the realm.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.