GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => F1 Drivers => Topic started by: John S on November 23, 2020, 05:30:44 PM
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If we can believe the Sun report, below, it seems the powers that be have agreed Lewis tax affairs are no barrier to giving him the official title of 'Sir' in the new years honours list.
We'll have to watch how we address him in our posts come 2021. I'm sure they still have dungeons at the Tower. :D
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13263639/lewis-hamilton-knighthood-new-years-honours/
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If it's in The Sun disregard half of it and ignore the rest!
I'm not saying it'll not happen but why would a rag like The Sun be the first to know?
I have to say that if I had a private jet, which LH no longer has, and I could save £3.3mill on it I would and who doesn't like a discount.
I do believe that 35 is maybe too young and if they intend to do this they should wait till he retires from racing.
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If it's in The Sun disregard half of it and ignore the rest!
I'm not saying it'll not happen but why would a rag like The Sun be the first to know?
I have to say that if I had a private jet, which LH no longer has, and I could save £3.3mill on it I would and who doesn't like a discount.
I do believe that 35 is maybe too young and if they intend to do this they should wait till he retires from racing.
They act like Lewis is sitting there figuring out how to screw the government out of their cut. Presumably he has an accounting firm doing their best for their client and he just says 'yup, sounds good'.
As for 35 being too young... what is the right age for knighthood? What would be so bad about having him being a 'young' knight?
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They act like Lewis is sitting there figuring out how to screw the government out of their cut. Presumably he has an accounting firm doing their best for their client and he just says 'yup, sounds good'.
In the last few years the question of morality as well as propriety over tax affairs has applied to potential recipients of Knighthoods & Peerages. Rather too many scandals involving offshore companies, deposits and bad business practices has forced politicians to review carefully individuals put forward for honours. Amongst other checks this involves asking for a clean bill of health from HMRC, Britain's tax authority.
Not sure Lewis has been turned down in the past for a knighthood because of tax affairs, this simply may be speculation from media trying to explain why he was to their mind overlooked in previous years.
I'm not sure the authorities make any comment about people who don't make the cut, instead they focus on the names on the honours list published at any given time.
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They act like Lewis is sitting there figuring out how to screw the government out of their cut. Presumably he has an accounting firm doing their best for their client and he just says 'yup, sounds good'.
In the last few years the question of morality as well as propriety over tax affairs has applied to potential recipients of Knighthoods & Peerages. Rather too many scandals involving offshore companies, deposits and bad business practices has forced politicians to review carefully individuals put forward for honours. Amongst other checks this involves asking for a clean bill of health from HMRC, Britain's tax authority.
Isn't that the summary of the difference between UK and USA? UK makes sure that their top citizens are honest tax payers, whereas the USA raises tax dodgers to high office and heroic titans of industry.
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The article calls Lewis "arguably the UK’s greatest living sportsman." Sir Jackie is still alive, isn't he?
That said, I hope he does get it. 7 WDC's takes a lot more than luck.
the USA raises tax dodgers to high office and heroic titans of industry.
- As to that, see below.
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:DD :DD :DD
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Isn't that the summary of the difference between UK and USA? UK makes sure that their top citizens are honest tax payers, whereas the USA raises tax dodgers to high office and heroic titans of industry.
It hits a sour note when you learn you pay more
taxes than a billionaire
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If it's in The Sun disregard half of it and ignore the rest!
I'm not saying it'll not happen but why would a rag like The Sun be the first to know?
I have to say that if I had a private jet, which LH no longer has, and I could save £3.3mill on it I would and who doesn't like a discount.
I do believe that 35 is maybe too young and if they intend to do this they should wait till he retires from racing.
They act like Lewis is sitting there figuring out how to screw the government out of their cut. Presumably he has an accounting firm doing their best for their client and he just says 'yup, sounds good'.
As for 35 being too young... what is the right age for knighthood? What would be so bad about having him being a 'young' knight?
One of the few known ways of being overlooked for a knighthood (apart from plain not achieving very much) is to be on bad terms with HMRC, as failure to pay taxes is technically disloyalty to the Crown. Obviously, people who are actively disloyal to the Crown itself are not eligible for any sort of Crown honour. (This may even explain why the USA doesn't see it the same way, since they're anti-monarchial, and that great symbol of American patriotism, the Boston Tea Party, was a refusal to pay tax?)
Young knights do happen every so often. I think the main objection is that once knighted, there's no tradition of increasing people's grades of knighthood, unlike say, the Monaco honours system (even though a casual look at the system suggests it is possible), so often the Palace likes to wait until the recipient has either had a full career in whatever prompted the suggestion of knighthood or achieved something in a different field, before awarding the knighthood. Lewis having broadened his achievements beyond motorsport may be what gives the Palance the confidence to issue the full upgrade to knighthood (bear in mind, he already has an MBE, so it's not like he's been completely snubbed).
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I think the main objection is that once knighted, there's no tradition of increasing people's grades of knighthood,
Lord Hamilton of Silverstone, anyone? ;)
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I think the main objection is that once knighted, there's no tradition of increasing people's grades of knighthood,
Lord Hamilton of Silverstone, anyone? ;)
That's not a grade of knighthood, and generally reserved for those with ambitions to be politicians.
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Just a little joke. It made me think of when Alfred Hitchcock was knighted. A reporter asked him how he liked the sound of "Sir Alfred." With his trademark deadpan expression, he replied, "I think Lord Hitchcock sounds much better."
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:DD :DD
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I think the main objection is that once knighted, there's no tradition of increasing people's grades of knighthood,
Lord Hamilton of Silverstone, anyone? ;)
That's not a grade of knighthood, and generally reserved for those with ambitions to be politicians.
Is it common for British athletes to go into politics? A few National Hockey League players and coaches have gotten involved in top level Canadian politics. (The Stanley Cup, the championship trophy for hockey is named for the Earl of Stanley, the Governor General of Canada)
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I don't agree with any sportsman being knighted, they're doing something they love.
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I don't agree with any sportsman being knighted, they're doing something they love.
You can only be knighted for doing something you hate?
I'd like to think that knighthood for elite athletes isn't simply for their on field/track achievements, but also how they've comported themselves away from competition. Being strong role models, powerful philanthropic or political engagement etc. I think Lewis hasn't necessarily built up that resume yet, in which case, I'd agree he's not 'ready' for knighthood yet.
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I think there's a feeling that knighthoods should be for things that feel like work. A lot of people think sport is rewarding enough (beside the inherent fun of it, getting to a position to get a royal honour generally comes with a big salary) that a royal honour is superfluous. (I do not share this view).
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Baseball player Barry Bonds once scandalized fans by saying he did not play ball because he loved the game. He played because it paid well and he was good at it. Of course he also used steroids to bulk up and increase his home run production, so...
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I think there's a feeling that knighthoods should be for things that feel like work. A lot of people think sport is rewarding enough (beside the inherent fun of it, getting to a position to get a royal honour generally comes with a big salary) that a royal honour is superfluous. (I do not share this view).
I think most honours still go to civil servants or politicians for servivce to the state, hardly the most highly paid work now is it.
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Baseball player Barry Bonds once scandalized fans by saying he did not play ball because he loved the game. He played because it paid well and he was good at it. Of course he also used steroids to bulk up and increase his home run production, so...
I recall Niki Lauda saying very similar things about himself and racing.
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Well it's official it's now Sir Lewis, wonder how the commentators and pundits on TV are going to manage the title issue.
Guess they can always call him plain Hamilton as the epithet Sir is attached to the Christian name rather than the surname. :D
https://f1i.com/news/395058-sir-lewis-hamilton-finally-knighthood.html
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Congrats to Sir Lewis!