Post Office campaigner Alan Bates, former prime minister Gordon Brown and artist Tracey Emin are among the famous faces recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list. The highest award went to Mr Brown who was made a Companion of Honour, while Sir Alan was knighted in recognition of his campaigning work which highlighted the Post Office Horizon scandal. Singer Rebecca Ferguson, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon, Countdown’s Susie Dent and Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden were among the showbiz names to be made MBEs.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown (Danny Lawson/PA) More than 1,000 people from across the UK received honours in Friday’s list. Sir Alan, the founder of Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance who was played by Toby Jones in an ITV drama about the scandal, said he was “honoured” by his knighthood. The former subpostmaster, who previously rejected an OBE honour, told the PA news agency: “The time I was asked about the OBE.
.. I felt it would have been quite offensive to many of the group if I’d accepted it.
“I know I’m the recipient of it and all the rest of it, but it’s on behalf of the group as well – and recognition of the horrendous things that have happened to them and the story’s not over yet.” Sir Alan said many people were “still suffering” and the campaigners would go back to the courts if necessary, adding “if we need to raise the funding for doing such a thing, I’m sure the nation will support us”. Former Labour lead.