National reward for loyalty to the PM?

Former Prime Minister David Cameron can hardly be castigated for merely continuing a hoary British tradition called ‘Resignation Honours’, which, along with the Dissolution Honours, are perks that Indian netas must surely regret not adopting from the Westminster parliamentary system. While the latest leaked Resignation Honours list purports to also include Mrs Samantha Cameron’s stylist and two former drivers of the VIP couple, it is only of a piece with the 2014 Dissolution list that saw Mr Cameron’s hairdresser pick up a gong too. The idea of an outgoing PM having the privilege of nominating loyal people from his core team for peerages and knighthoods to more modest honours would resonate with lame-duck prime ministers anywhere in the world.

The Padma awards, though broadly overseen by the government of the day in India, cannot really be as fail-safe and accommodating as these two British conventions. Indeed, in India, doctors are the only ones from the non-political circle around PMs who regularly find their way into honours lists with unfailing abundance. So, there is something to be said for rewarding other aides and advisers whose contributions may not be as apparent as doctors’, but who are crucial to the PMs’ functioning — as no doubt the Camerons’ drivers, stylists, hairdressers, speechwriters and others are.