Leaks - New Year Honours 2009
This gap period between Christmas and New Year traditionally sees speculation on the forthcoming New Year Honours.
However, this year, on 28 December, 2008 we are already reading apparent statements of fact.
Here's a brief checklist of the Leaks:
Knighthood
Chris Hoy, Olympic triple gold medallist
Dame
Jane Collins, CEO Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
CBE
Bradley Wiggins, the Beijing Olympic double gold medal cyclist
Ben Ainslie, the Beijing Olympic gold medallist sailor
OBE
Rebecca Adlington, the Beijing Olympic double gold medal swimmer.
MBE
Eleanor Simmonds, the 14-year-old Disabled Olympic double gold medal swimmer. (youngest ever person to receive an award in the New Year Honours!)
"Tipped"
Sara Payne, children's campaigner, mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne.
Alan Rickman, Actor.
Tipped Out
Bankers
'In the eyes of many, they bear much of the blame for what has happened and do not deserve any kind of honour'.
Are the leaks to diffuse this?:
Bruce Forsyth, the entertainer, is thought to being passed over again for a Knighthood according to Buckingham Palace sources on Boxing Day. This is despite a House of Commons motion which called for his Knighthood for "outstanding contribution to British culture", "brought about general happiness" and for his "unstinting work for charity" in 6 decades in Entertainment. More than 25,000 people have voted on several online campaigns to get Strictly Come Dancing host Bruce Forsyth knighted.
The recent complaints about the voting on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing will pale into insignificance compared to the public backlash there will be if Bruce Forsyth is passed over again for a Knighthood.