Dear Cabinet Secretary…

Today I have written to the the Cabinet Secretary on behalf of the #ExcellenceNotEmpire campaign, asking him to consider our proposal for an more inclusive honours system, and inviting him to meet us. Below is the text of the letter, and as soon as I hear back, I’ll post again and let you know!

Simon Case

Cabinet Secretary/Head of the Civil Service

Cabinet Office

Ground Floor 1

Horseguards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

10th June 2021

Dear Simon

I am writing on behalf of a group of over 100 leaders from civil society, public service and social change (the list is at www.excellencenotempire.co,uk), who have enjoyed the privilege of receiving an honour in recognition of our achievements – and in truth the achievements of hundreds of colleagues, partners and volunteers in our organisations – in trying to overcome social injustices and disadvantage in many different aspects of life in the United Kingdom.

This recognition of individuals, organisations and causes which the honours system bestows upon our sectors is deeply valued by all of us, and by many others we work with.

We are acutely aware, however, that many – in our sectors and beyond – feel unable to accept an honour, or fully to celebrate receiving one, because of the explicit link between the Honours System and the former British Empire. A simple change of name from Empire to Excellence could create an honours system which all our fellow citizens would be equally proud of.

We therefore strongly agree with the conclusions of many others before us including the 2004 enquiry by the House of Commons Public Administration Committee which concluded:

“139. We have paid tribute to the respect in which the Order of the British Empire is generally held. But it suffers from one significant flaw. The presence of the word 'Empire' in the title of this most frequentlyconferred Order is, we believe, no longer acceptable. The term is thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of the population.

140. This is anachronistic and insensitive, an inappropriate symbol for today's Britain. The United Kingdom has an increasingly diverse population, many of them with links to the countries of the former Empire, and they are often uneasy at something that reminds them of imperial domination.”

We are unequivocal that a modern, inclusive Honours system should remove links to the British Empire and our colonial past, and that the awards should instead be made in recognition of Excellence.

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this change further with those who have the power to make it happen. Unfortunately, it is not possible to work out how this decision would be made, despite a thorough reading of all publicly available information about the honours system. Therefore, as a first step, we would ask that you please outline the legal and regulatory framework as well as accountability for the Honours system and let us know who we should contact to discuss this issue in more detail.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Simon Blake OBE