Michael Fabricant has reacted angrily to the Commons Administration Committee report which would scrap knighthoods and other honours. "It seems to be the aim of this Government to abolish anything that has any tradition about it simply to prove how ‘modern’ they are. But they never think the consequences through. The abolition of the Lord Chancellor has been a complete shambles, and the House of Lords reform now means it is filled with Tony’s cronies – how democratic is that?" he asks.

"The latest plan to abolish many of our honours together with other so-called reforms will eventually result in Britain having all the individuality and heritage of the Cayman Islands. Our second biggest dollar earner is tourism. And I can tell the Administration Committee that they don’t come here for the weather", Michael adds.

"It’s about time we stuffed political correctness – like the fatuous proposal to abolish the Order of the British Empire with the ‘Order of British Excellence’ – up where the sun don’t shine."