Tuesday, September 13, 2005 AD
England's coach now English - official
The England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher has been granted UK citizenship after fifteen years of trying. Apparently the home secretary personally intervened "to ensure the row did not sour the success of England recapturing the Ashes from Australia after 18 years".
I suspect the real reason is that it means Fletcher can now be given a (much-deserved) knighthood without the British government having to undergo the humiliation of asking Robert Mugabe (of all people) for permission.
Apparently - and do please bear in mind that my source for this information is that fountain of constitutional wisdom, the Guardian's over-by-over commentary - for a foreign national to be given a knighthood, their own head of government must agree to this.
Fletcher is a Zimbabwean national, so that would have given Mugabe a heaven-sent opportunity to embarrass Tony Blair. Hence Charles Clarke's timely decision to use his discretionary powers on the grounds that "Mr Fletcher deserve[s] to be granted citizenship". (Whereas had England lost yesterday, presumably Fletcher would have put onto the first plane back to Harare...)
I suspect the real reason is that it means Fletcher can now be given a (much-deserved) knighthood without the British government having to undergo the humiliation of asking Robert Mugabe (of all people) for permission.
Apparently - and do please bear in mind that my source for this information is that fountain of constitutional wisdom, the Guardian's over-by-over commentary - for a foreign national to be given a knighthood, their own head of government must agree to this.
Fletcher is a Zimbabwean national, so that would have given Mugabe a heaven-sent opportunity to embarrass Tony Blair. Hence Charles Clarke's timely decision to use his discretionary powers on the grounds that "Mr Fletcher deserve[s] to be granted citizenship". (Whereas had England lost yesterday, presumably Fletcher would have put onto the first plane back to Harare...)
