Matters arising ?

The 2017 New Year's Honours list (could it come on Saturday ?) will, as ever, feature star names from the world of arts and media.

Surely, you might think, now is the time to recognise the contribution of Alan Yentob in some way. The arts sub-group of the Honours Committee is lead by Rupert Gavin, once of BBC Worldwide, with the support of Lord Fellowes, of "Downton"; Dame Liz Forgan, former Director of BBC Radio, Serpentine Gallery boss Julia Peyton Jones; Luke Rittner of the Royal Academy of Dance; and former BBC trainee Sir Peter Stothard, Editor, The Times Literary Supplement. Hard to think of a more supportive cohort for Al.

Melvyn Bragg, a sort of Yentob but with hair, nostrils and novels, was elevated to the peerage in 1998. Yentob may still have to wait, even for a lesser honour; unfortunately, the judgement of The Charity Commission on the collapse of Kids Company is still outstanding.