The honours system, as it stands, need a thorough overhaul. For years, the incumbent government uses it to reward it cronies and civil servants just "doing their job":
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-35203154
What is bizarre, is that the award has it's own class system: is "Dame" Barbara Windsor more worthy than Mrs Deborah Louise Bone MBE, Mental Health Nurse?
The whole thing should be scrapped and replaced by something more open, honest and worthy ..