Chivalrous

The Daily Telegraph is pretty confident that Craig Oliver, until this evening Director of Communications at Number 10, will get a knighthood in David Cameron's lavender list.

This is without precedent. The post of Director started in 2000, with Alastair Campbell. He's anti-honours; successor David Hill, now non-exec with lobbyists Champollion, has no letters after his name. Michael Ellam, a former Treasury official, worked for Gordon Brown, then went back to the Treasury, and is now with HSBC. He got a farewell Order of the Bath, for international finance work.

Then came Simon Lewis, brother of Will, of News Corp, Dow Jones and WSJ fame. He arrived at Number 10 with comms work for The Queen on his cv. He left in 2009. He was awarded an OBE in 2014 - for services to international education.

Andy Coulson is unlikely to get an honour.

This event is coming up on 20th July - will both participants have been elevated by then ?  (Can any title be big enough for the 'legendary' John Simpson ?)