Let the British Empire Medal pass into history

In ye olden times, the British Empire Medal was handed out to working-class heroes, writes Peter Rhodes.

And that is why, nearly 20 years ago in John Major's pursuit of a classless society, the BEM was scrapped, along with other gongs including the Military Medal. The Tory government took the wise view that if the Military Cross was good enough for officers, it was good enough for enlisted men.

In the same way, sons of toil who would once have got the BEM now receive the far more distinguished MBE. It is all part of creating a fairer, more democratic society.

So what on earth is David Cameron thinking of when he talks of bringing back the BEM?

If someone has done more than their bit for society, the least they deserve is an MBE presented by the Queen, not a BEM handed out by the local lord lieutenant, like boiled sweets for the lower orders.