Whilst not seeking to disparage those actually receiving awards in this years List, I and my teenage daughters and wife are all in agreement that the oversight of these brave civilians is an affront to common sense and yet again devalues the honours system. And the Establishment wonder why the people of today hold politicians in such contempt!

Brent Patterson, Halifax, West Yorkshire

I am Australian born, of English parents and it stands to reason, that, of course I love Kylie,
However, she is not British and I was under the illusion, these
awards, are, to honour, British citizens.
Australians, have their own awards, notably, the OAM.
Brown is dithering again. He just can't help it!

prudence eely bond mcguire, London, England, UK.

Isn't there a 'Yes Minister' episode about the award of honours to public servants? Nothing much has happened in the last 25 years, it seems. Still a cosy little club.

MarkS, Leeds,

Does anyone actually believe the Bean any more? His promises should be nominated for the Nobel Prize for fiction. Unfortunately, he loves instant popularity so his reaction is always to promise something good on the spot - however, don't expect him to deliver- he never does. .

Doug, Glasgow,

Did you really expect anything other than a public sector back-slapping club. The public sector bigwig club is just as obnoxious as the 'old boy' network Labour claims to despise. And besides aren't terms like "meritorious service over a sustained period" complete misnomers when used in conjunction with 'management' and 'public sector'?

As for Gordon and his book (has anyone actually read it? I had a look on Amazon and nobody's reviewed it yet!) - the guy just gives me the creeps.

Jonathan, Auckland, New Zealand

wow, thats a shocker Gordon Brown says he will honour real people and then it turns out he lied and only awards the people from the establishment, the only time a politician tells the truth is when they order food.
Why do we accept leaders with such disdain for their people?

jay, cardiff,

Gordon's not interested in heroes, just those people who give cash to the Party.

And why should he keep this promise? It sounded good at the time so it already served its purpose, right?

steve, London, UK

I can think of no better reason for living in a country that does not have a honours system. I feel ashamed to be born in the UK.

Alf Walshaw, Laxanada, Greece

It's a pity that New Labour seems to actually be the Tories of old.

richard dows, louth, lincolnshire

If you're not yet bothered and bewildered enough by the Honours List then just let your imaginations roll and consider what glorious deeds have been done by the following for their pretty senior awards (CBs/CBEs - no names, just titles, to spare their embarrassment)

Chief Executive, Border and Immigration Agency

Deputy Chairwoman, the Better Regulation Commission (the Quangoes' Quango?)

Commissioner, the National Lottery

Director of Child Benefit and Tax Credit Offices, HM Revenue & Customs

- and last but not least, my personal favourite:

Head of Histories, Openness (!!??), and Records Unit, Cabinet Office

Gordon Alexander, Frome, UK

I see there were CBEs for the heads of Transport for London and the London Underground. Excuse me, but weren't these people merely doing their jobs? ...For which they receive handsome salaries and fat pensions? So what exactly are the gongs for?

Par for the course, isn't it?

Brian Clacey, Croydon, UK

What else can you expect from a country that gives knighthoods to chat show hosts?
Real public service means NOTHING.

Michael Rigby, Blackburn, England

It always amazes me how someone can be awarded (for example) services to music when they already get highly paid, are already extremely weathly, get whatever they want whenever they want it and all for doing something that they love and want to do! Why honour them for having a 'perfect' life?

These honours really should be about the people who, through no financial gain, help others and save lifes.

As an aside, i can't quite get my head around why Karen Millen is getting an award. What has she done apart from make overpriced clothes while in the process making herself extremely rich?

Kim, London,

I well remember 7/7, with Labour politicians queuing up to spin about how it was nothing to do with Iraq. They betrayed us all then, and they are still betraying us now with this.
They are desperate to hand over power to the EU (likely future president Blair, helped by Brown's refusal to hold a referendum over the EU constitution in return for being allowed to become PM).
Blair's coal-mining constituency is all but moribund now Labour insists on getting power from nuclear plants and windmills. They use illegal immigration to keep down the wages of their suporters, and I am perfectly prepared to believe that their continued demands for more housing to be built are thnaks to somebody donating money to the party- we all know where that can get you.

John Towers, Croydon, UK

PAH! What a disgrace. When will the humble and modest hero/ine be rewarded for their integrity, dignity, compassion, decency, kindness and courage? The real heroes never ask for anything in return - because they are completely selfless, unlike the greedy and self-aggrandizing 'celeb', already generously rewarded for their so called 'talents'. I don't wish Kylie Minogue any ill - but I can think of a dozen people who deserve to be recognised for the work they do and the lives they save. Perhaps the 'pop princess' needs to be reminded of the now eponymous and rather dull song...'I should be so lucky', for never a truer word has she 'spoken. -- To all the unsung heroines and heroes of Britain I would like to thank you all for your bravery and courageous acts of kindness, compassion and selflessness. Happy new year to you all.

ellajo, London, UK

There were not enough medals to go round.
Obviously deserving cases had to be given priority.
Like the sawmill manager at Sandringham, a farm foreman at Sandringham, a former flower arranger at Hollyroode, a 'page of the backstairs' and a 'Yeoman bed goer'.
Don't believe me? Read through the whole list for yourself.
Clearly in comparison with all these 'heroes' a chap who saved lives doesn't stand a chance.
It is fast becoming more prestigious NOT to have letters after your name.

GJB, Slough, Berkshire

There will , of course, be a huge kneejerk reaction by the government following the comment's from Mr Bell and other's, showing the government in their true colour's.
The rudder has well and truly fallen off this sinking ship, can anyone in Westminster make a decision let alone the correct one ?
Perhaps Whitehall has tried to tuck Mr Brown up with this error of judgement , perhaps to help him on his final journey from government.
Has anyone seen Gordon Brown out and about the U.K since he became Le Grand Fromage ?

Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

Of course the Cabinet Office would refuse to comment. It takes common sense to comment and they have shown yet again their complete lack

Simon, Warwick,

Gordon Brown is a shifty dour politician who depends on the Muslim & anti English vote. He'd rather hand out no awards in cases involving bravery in the face of Islam. Instead of reminding us of the butchery by awarding the brave , he's given awards to pen pushers. I'll bet some of these people were told to downplay the Islamic element if they wanted a gong.

martin bright, Bracknell,

Pathetic! Media faces who are handsomely paid anyway receive honours, as do time serving politicians and civil servants. Risk your life to save others and you get nothing. Having said that, perhaps the government ARE just reflecting the state of the nation. How many millions of people vote for nobodies doing nothing on programmes such as Big Brother and then buy magazines with their photos on the front? The heroes of 7/7 will be valued by 'right thinking' people without honours. Perhaps Parky and Kylie will do the decent thing and turn down their awards in protest.

Clive, Chichester, UK

Brown is a disgrace and will only do or say things he considers populous , his cynicism stinks look at the crap about troop numbers and all the ballyhoo about how brave they are while all the time he was sending them to war with shoddy equipment. He is the best thing to happen to the Labour party as he single handedly made sure they will never get elected again for a very , very long time. Thank god!

D Case, Newquay,

what else do you expect from this country? duplicity has always been the watchword.

Phil Barnes, preston, england

Easy answer why no awards - Labour Party NOT receiving any monetary benefit!!

Iain, Stornoway, Scotland

Perhaps the George Cross is too high an honour for mere heroism without the obvious threat of immediate personal risk, but somewhere in the nations coffers there must be a civilian award to give to Mr Coulson (and others) for such outstanding behaviour.

But then again, the days are long gone when we had an honourable admininstration under the government. It rubs off, you know.

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

It would appear that running a large retail store, being a chat show host and commenting on football, rank higher in this governments opinion that risking ones life to help people injured in terrorist attacks when it comes to handing out honours.

David Walker, Burnley, Lancashire

Our honours system has always been a joke. Those who have made a fortune for themselves and those who work for the government as well as celebrities are lavished with awards whist the truely brave and people who have worked tirelessly for the public good without pay are just ignored. I know - I have a number of experiences in that field.
Politicians regularly promise to clean it up (I remember John Major making such a promise) but, of course, just as in "Yes Minister" it is the Civil Servants who decide - and nobody is going to take their perks away from them, are they!

Nigel Rawlings, Tonbridge, Kent

Patronage keeps the Windsors in a job.Remove patronage and the Monarchy will disappear.
Parkinson spent years droning on monotonously,pulling at his ear lobes and rubbing his finger up and down his nose,whilst a whole host of hopefuls came on to flog their latest book,record,film or tv show to a captive audience stuck in on a saturday night with nothing else to watch on the telly.
Knowing now hat TV companies can get up to me I shouldn't be surprised to learn that all the so-called "guests" paid to be on the show,hence its longevity.
Next time a terrorist comes to town get Parkinson to interview him.

alan madox, wirral, ENGLAND

There is very little you can say when people perform these minor miracles to help others in need, other than a truly-deserved 'thank you'. Public recognition of these thanks is a fundamental requirement. We need to glorify the efforts of others in order to show the behavious we feel appropriate in the world.

If we don't, our stinking society will go even further down the drain - "I'm alright Jack, pull the ladder up!"

P Conway, Manchester, England

It is typical to see that cronies and pop singers who don't even write their own music are awared. I suspect this is to gain publicity to help gain a few votes from their fans. Meanwhile people who save lives day in and day out, or show spectacular braverly to help others in the face of adversity are routinely ignored.The honours system is a sham and should be suspended and then relaunched and run by an independant body - politicians have been allowed to abuse it long enough.

Rob Burrows, Birtley, England, Co Durham

The word 'honours' is I think an oxymoron - we have here a corrupt system managed by corrupt people. Time for it to be 'binned'..

M Joyce, Ely, Cambs

Can someone just remind me what Kylie Minogue has done to deserve an OBE ?

Martha, Rickmansworth,

Kylie Minogue? I was disgusted to read the article,people who have made a real contribution have been ignored and an Australian pop singer gets a gong! OK she has had breast cancer, but so have millions of women who coped with far less of a song and dance, (and considerably less money),and continued to run a home and look after kids.The system should be scrapped.

Helen Faulkes, Solihull, England

To honour the heroes, Bottler Brown would have had to make a decision. Which, as we know, he runs a mile from! Typical of the gutless Stalinist!

jm smith, london,

Dear Editor
2007 is the centenary of the Irish writer Louis Macneice, one of whose more memorable quotes is "Sit on your arse for 40 years and hang your hat on a pension". That's the mindset of Cabinet Office people and, funny old thing, I think you'll find that people who have served in the place have quite well represented in the Honours List, despite rarely done anything other than squat on the same portion of anatomy,

Peter Wyton, Gloucester, U.K.

The Cabinet Office and the Labour Government have once again proved themselves to be an utter disgrace.

Mark, Hong Kong,

The whole system stinks.

neil, kl, malaysia

Once again it has been proven that when it comes to honours, New Labour has no honour at all!

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

I feel that these people should not be labelled as "undeserving" and should be rewarded in Gordon Brown's pledge or in some other way if possible, as I would consider them to be a hero since they were trying to save peoples lives.

Yasser, Toronto , Canada

If this is true then the 'honours' system is absolutely tainted in this instance. It appears to be a civil servant honours system with a somewhat incestuous look about it.

Billy Bud, Perth, Australia

Surely people like Kyle Minogue and Parky are more deserving of an award than ordinary Joe Public who will risk there lives and well being coming to the aid of others.
I for one think Kyle has a lovely bottom and deserves all the awards she can get.

Chris Williamson, Blyth, Notts