It is unclear why Blair is continuing to highlight the role of the honours system: perhaps to demonstrate a system of rewards as an outcome of public service. It could be an attempt to delink honours from the sleaze surrounding the loans for peerages; or a signal to the wealthy that the backers of city academies will continue to attract gongs. If so, the timing is arrogant and peculiar.
"If someone gives 2 million pounds of their own money -- time, effort, energy, years of hard work -- isn't that something that we should be saying: 'That's a great thing that they've done'," Blair told a news conference.
"Insofar as the honours system rewards people who contribute to society, contributing to the education of disadvantaged kids in the inner cities is about as big a contribution to society as I can think of," he said