FROM Harold Wilson and his attempts to woo the Beatles to Tony Blair's Downing Street cringefests with Noel and Liam Gallagher, politicians have always sought to surround themselves with the cool kids. When they are not rewarding their cronies and party donors with honours and peerages, the main way that the political class in the UK system do that these days is through the honours system.
Officially of course, this is the Queen's gig while Theresa May will be kept at arms' length from any decision as to whether Andy Murray's name makes it onto the shortlist for the New Year's Honours list. An honours committee mainly comprising civil servants makes and considers recommendations, its sports members currently including Lord Sebastian Coe, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, former All England Club chairman Tim Philips, former England manger Graham Taylor, and two English cricket supremos in the form of Giles Clarke and Tim Lamb. But a representative of 10 Downing Street is entitled to sit in on all the meetings and British sporting successes are a great distraction from the post Brexit blues. if there is an opportunity to play political football of course they will take it.
You only need to think back to the fawning praise lavished on England's successful Ashes side of 2005, of which every playing member got at least an MBE. This even applied to Paul Collingwood, who was drafted in as a replacement for the final test. The splendid sledging opportunity this offered was not lost on Shane Warne in the preceding Ashes series.
Anyway, Andy Murray doesn't get much wrong these days and he nailed it on the head after confirming his No 1 status with his magnificent ATP World Tour Finals win this weekend. While the 29-year-old, who like his brother Jamie already has an OBE, spoke politely of the honour he feels in being mentioned for the top civic award in the British system, for now he still feels "bit too young". Whether or not it ever gets to the stage of being offered, this was a polite pre-emptive strike that he would rather leave it for a year or two thank you very much.
Rightly or wrongly, knights of the realm are held to a higher standard of behaviour, as Sir David Murray and Sir Bradley Wiggins have discovered in recent times.
While I doubt Andy Murray would ever have anything to reproach himself for in this regard, lugging such baggage around another layer of stress that he can quite simply do without. In the midst of the longest winning run of his career - it stretches his last five tournaments and 24 matches - why would he want any further distractions before he strides out on Court in a bid to win his fourth Grand Slam in Australia in January?
While the Scot's contribution to sport (and charity, don't forget his work with Unicef and his Andy Murray Live event) fully entitle him to the honour, knighthoods DO sit better with retired sportsmen. It is always wise to be wary of politicians who try to tell you differently.
As much as the political class want to wrap our sports stars in the flag for electoral purposes, they would perhaps be better advised asking themselves how they can make a tangible difference with what genuine influence they have. While this is a Scottish decision, rather than a UK one, a far more productive way to invest in this singular Scottish family would be endorsing his mum Judy's proposed tennis centre and Murray museum at the Park of Keir.
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