[Red Momma]

Please, please add your names to the Downing Street Petition for a much neglected accolade for this performer of Musical Theatre, Film and concert.

htpp://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Damehood/

[Orchestrator]

Please, please add your names to the Downing Street Petition for a much neglected accolade for this performer of Musical Theatre, Film and concert.

htpp://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Damehood/

I'm all in favour of Petula Clarke getting the recognition she deserves but I'm slightly worried by the petition aspect. If it works and, say, 200 000 "votes" are sufficient to force the powers that be to award a Damehood to Pet Clarke then what happens if 200 000 people vote for a similar honour to be dished out to eg Chris Biggins or Dale Winton, or even some you-gotta-love-him minor criminal? Won't a precedent have been set?

[richard]

I'm all in favour of Petula Clarke getting the recognition she deserves but I'm slightly worried by the petition aspect. If it works and, say, 200 000 "votes" are sufficient to force the powers that be to award a Damehood to Pet Clarke then what happens if 200 000 people vote for a similar honour to be dished out to eg Chris Biggins or Dale Winton, or even some you-gotta-love-him minor criminal? Won't a precedent have been set?

This tactic can be counter-productive as the powers that be don't like to be seen giving in to pressure, however deserving the recipient. In the classical music world this was very much the case with the distinguished conductor Vernon Handley, universally known as Tod. The Gramophone magazine co-ordinated a rather embarrassing campaign 'The Nod for Tod', and it was widely felt that this has delayed what he was going to get rightly in due course.

[theatrefan]

I agree richard. There is a right and wrong way to go about getting awards for people and a Downing Street petition is not the right way, and could so very easily be counter productive.No doubt Petula is deserving after her successful years in the business, but there are others too who have not been acknowledged, so the govt. cannot be seen to be giving into that sort of pressure, and especially not for just one person!

[Red Momma]

But isn't that the whole idea of this Downing Street Website - to put forward people who would not normally be considered for an award by the 'out of touch' civil servants..

In the light of recent allegations, it would appear that lobbying is the correct way to go about getting accolades (as opposed to actually buying them!)

Do you remember a TV programme a few years back, when Louis Theroux tried (and failed) to get an award for Danny La Rue. His approach was made by lobbying the people he thought would help.

By setting up a website such as this one, Downing Street is showing that it is dragging itself into a techno age as opposed to the older snail mail.

(P.S. I'm not a political animal)

[Orchestrator]

But isn't that the whole idea of this Downing Street Website - to put forward people who would not normally be considered for an award by the 'out of touch' civil servants..

In the light of recent allegations, it would appear that lobbying is the correct way to go about getting accolades (as opposed to actually buying them!)

Do you remember a TV programme a few years back, when Louis Theroux tried (and failed) to get an award for Danny La Rue. His approach was made by lobbying the people he thought would help.

By setting up a website such as this one, Downing Street is showing that it is dragging itself into a techno age as opposed to the older snail mail.

(P.S. I'm not a political animal)

So you'd be happy to see, say, Emma Bunton be given a Damehood providing she got sufficient support in a Downing Street poll? As WS Gilbert wrote: When everybody's "somebody" then no-one's anybody!

I've signed a few Downing Street petitions myself but I rather doubt the sincerity of the process from both the Government end and the public response. The biggest "vote" was against road-pricing, but the Government has gone ahead and authorised road-pricing in principle. It's pretty easy to overcome the measures to prevent multiple "signings" should you be so inclined. And in any case, it's considerably easier and requires less committment to make a few clicks on the web than turn out on a wet day for a march and the Government was happy to ignore the anti-war march so don't be fooled by the presence of the Petition site into thinking the Government *really* wants to do the will of the people. On the other hand, the powers that be have a very handy list of emails for people with particular opinions on particular matters which'll come in handy when a totalitarian regime takes power.

[Tintin]

Thanks for the information, Red Momma. I had felt for a long time that Petula Clark should be made a Dame. She has been a major perfomer in the entertainment world for a much longer period than so many others who have been granted a Knighthood. I would also like to see the same honour given to June Whitfield, Jean Simmons and Dulcie Gray.

Dame Chris Biggins and Dame Dale Winton - now that's a thought to contemplate.

[armadillo]

Does she want a Damehood? She hasn't lived in Britain for about 30 years, nor did she raise her children here. She's a great artist, but then so is Christopher Biggins (yes, I'm serious) and he does at least live and pay tax here.

Why should it be assumed that showpeople get honours for doing a well-paid job that they love anyway?

[Orchestrator]

Why should it be assumed that showpeople get honours for doing a well-paid job that they love anyway?

Indeed, and the same could be said for all the Sir Humphreys and top brass in the armed forces that never go near a danger zone yet come away with strings of GKMGs, knighthoods, CBs etc not to mention a solid-gold pension. Although I suspect working for some of the more famous UK and US theatrical producers probably comes a close second to hand-to-hand combat in Basra.

[perfidious_albion]

Indeed, and the same could be said for all the Sir Humphreys and top brass in the armed forces that never go near a danger zone yet come away with strings of GKMGs, knighthoods, CBs etc not to mention a solid-gold pension. Although I suspect working for some of the more famous UK and US theatrical producers probably comes a close second to hand-to-hand combat in Basra.

Couldn't agree more, but then I would scrap the honours system altogether.