Sir Fred could lose his knighthood
THERE were mounting calls last night for former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin to be stripped of his knighthood.
One of Westminster’s most senior backbench MPs said he believed Whitehall officials were considering whether to deprive the disgraced banker of his honour awarded in 2004.
Honours system officials refused to disclose whether the case was being considered by the Forfeiture Committee when they were grilled by the influential Public Administration Committee.
But Labour MP Tony Wright, who chairs the committee, said after the meeting: “I think the sub-text of what we were being told today was that it was being considered by them.”
Almost 70 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for Sir Fred – who refused to give up his £700,000-a-year pension from the failed Royal Bank of Scotland which he headed – to lose the right to call himself Sir.
Among them is Labour’s Gordon Prentice who wrote to the Forfeiture Committee which is chaired by the head of the Civil Service, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell, in a bid to ensure that the case is considered. Mr Prentice led the angry calls for action during yesterday’s hearing with the heads of the committees which draw up honours lists for approval by the Queen, saying: “He brought down the Royal Bank.”
