Long before the cash for honours scandal reared its ugly head, the system was used and abused by politicians of all parties to reward their mates in what quickly became a bi-annual sleaze-fest.

A knighthood here, a lordship there and a thank-you-very-much-for-scratching-my- back all round.

As if this wasn't enough, the powers-that-be, in a desperate bid to bask in the reflected glow of glamour, began showering over-paid and over-rated celebrities with MBEs, OBEs and the rest.

Mediocre footballers, singers who would struggle to make it through the X-Factor auditions and actors who've simply hung around on the planet for so long it would be rude to keep ignoring them, have all been recipients of gongs.

All of which is a terrible shame because there are many people who deserve recognition and reward. But these unsung heroes are destined, for the most part, to remain just that. Unrecognised, unrewarded, unsung. Without an honour, but at least with their honour intact.

It is debatable whether even those who serve in the armed forces or, even more so, the civil service should be rewarded in this way.

We all serve the community in some way – society needs cleaners as much as brain surgeons, shop workers as much as soldiers – and these people are doing a job in the same way the rest of us are.

Some will go above and beyond, but there are other rewards available – there are bravery and campaign medals for our servicemen – and excellent pensions and benefits for the pen-pushers of Whitehall.

How grateful do we have to be?

Do Michael Parkinson and Des Lynam need an award? Do they deserve one?

And what of the wealthy businessman who enjoys a splendid lifestyle for his efforts? Surely this is reward enough. Maybe he also does charitable work. So what? So do hundreds and thousands of others.

There's even been the odd case of those who on the surface are worthy recipients but have a dark side that would be better rewarded with a stretch in one of Her Majesty's Prisons rather than a visit to her palace.

It follows that of the thousands and thousands of people who have received awards over the years more than a handful will have been real rotters in their private lives.

Yet how often has anybody been stripped of an award? Pathetic, sad, deluded Michael Eke, from March, who obtained his award by deception is the only one I can recall from recent memory.

Most people have doubts about the honours system, although that normally goes out of the window pretty quickly once No 10 comes calling.

A few principled souls do refuse.