Four things about Owen Smith’s promise to ban “…former Labour Party staffers, advisers MPs and donors from receiving an honour or becoming a member of the House of Lords”. Firstly, I wonder how many of his supporters this’ll piss off, secondly, should he ever become Prime Minister, an increasingly unlikely event, he’ll find that he needs to make appointments to the House of Lords to, at the least, be part of a Government, thirdly, the timing makes this part of the shameful and sexist smear on Shami Chakrabrti, Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party. Fourthly, what does he have to say about the Whitehall/Business revolving door which is arguably even more corrupt.
Honours
Once there was a 5 year prohibition on Government Ministers and civil servants taking jobs in the private sector, now we find the private sector funding interns and researchers while ministers, civil servants and even policeman are taking jobs with organisations they had previously been responsible for regulating.