Knighthood of Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin divides Brits | indy100

Related video: Tim Martin sends video message to staff encouraging them to work for …

Tim Martin

Another year, another new year honours list, and some of the high-profile names this time around have caused quite the stir – including former health secretary Sajid Javid, Great British Bake Off judge Paul Holywood and founder of the Wetherspoons pub chain Tim Martin.

Martin, who is also a staunch Brexiteer, has been given a knighthood for “services to hospitality and to culture”, joining Javid who gets a knighthood for “political and public service”.

Sir Tim, as he's now known, said of his gong: “It had never been expected, so it came out the blue. I always think that, in the pub world, it is a team effort – even if you’ve just got one pub there are many people involved.

“I think it’s the Wetherspoon colleagues and customers who are getting the award really, that’s the way I look at it. I’m just the lucky recipient.”

Martin, of course, famously embodied the spirit of “teamwork” during the coronavirus lockdown, when he told his staff to consider working for Tesco amid uncertainty over their jobs, and was condemned online as a result.

In a video released in March 2020, he said: “If I’m honest, I could say you can get the furlough payments and stay at home, [but] if you’re offered a job at a supermarket, many of you will want to do that. If you think it’s a good idea, do it.

“I can completely understand it. If you’ve worked for us before I promise we will give you first preference if you want to come back.”

According to The Daily Mail, business secretary Kemi Badenoch pushed for Martin to be given a knighthood because it would be “wrong for successful entrepreneurs to be overlooked by the establishment” because they supported Brexit.

Sir Tim continued: “I’d like to think that [the knighthood] is not for my rarely disclosed political views – I hope it is for what it says on the tin.”

And so, the decision has divided opinion on social media. Some handed out praise in light of his business's success:

Huge congratulations to Sir Tim Martin on receiving a knighthood in the New Years Honours list - a tireless advocate for the pub, a fair tax regime for the sector and for the people - team and guests - who make it the heart of the community https://t.co/Fbrbra1n0Z
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Tim Martin has created an extraordinary business, given great value to customers and preserved some wonderful historic buildings. \n\nI have appeared with him all over the country in the battle for Brexit and he is great company. This honour is well deserved.
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Congratulations Sir Tim Martin, such a stalwart of the great British pub, on being awarded a knighthood for his contribution and achievements to the pub sector \xf0\x9f\x8d\xbb https://t.co/oKO8Li7TzM
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Tim Martin\xe2\x80\x99s business offers low prices for consumers and preserves historic buildings for the community. As such he\xe2\x80\x99s probably more deserving of a gong than most other recipients.
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Wetherspoons pubs also act as a de facto social centre (with beer) for lots of older people, & a low-cost dining option for many families. The chain has also won lots of awards for how it treats it staff. I\xe2\x80\x99m not saying they\xe2\x80\x99re without fault, but they\xe2\x80\x99re successful for a reason.
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Others, though, were quick to condemn the honour, with many questioning why rugby stars and campaigners Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield – who received CBEs – were snubbed:

Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrows get a CBE yet Wetherspoons guy gets a knighthood.\n\nWhat an insult to all those good, decent, worthy candidates.\n\n#NewYearsHonours
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Arise SIR Tim Martin!\nA well deserved honour.\nYou provide places for common people to meet, drink,talk about their tattoos & show off their new trainers.\nYou keep them out of the way so us decent folk can get on with our lives.\nYou are our Worzel\nOur Catweazle\nOur Sarah Ferguson.
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Tim Martin is to receive a knighthood. Presumably for services to being a turnip-headed fuckwit.
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Want to know everything that is wrong with this fucked up country? \nKevin Sinfield gets a CBE but they give Paul Hollywood an MBE for baking a loaf and give Tim Martin a knighthood for Weatherspoons \nDisgusting
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He got a knighthood but they didn't. Disgraceful.\nWelcome to #ToryBrokenBritain \n#NewYearsDishonours \n#TimMartin\n#KevinSinfield \n#RobBurrows
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Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin is due to be knighted in the New Year\xe2\x80\x99s honours list. He won\xe2\x80\x99t be going to collect it - it\xe2\x80\x99ll be delivered straight to his table via the app
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Tim Martin (Wetherspoons boss) will receive a knighthood \n\nIs anyone else confused as to why?
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\xe2\x80\x98Sir\xe2\x80\x99 Tim Martin the latest very powerful argument for calling time on the whole #honours system.
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Kemi Badenoch pushed for Tim Martin- the Wetherspoon boss who didn't want to pay his staff the regular pay during lockdown and told them to consider a job at Tesco. To get a Knighthood.\n\nAbolish the honours system.
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Tim Martin of Wetherspoons is getting a knighthood for services to sticky carpets \xf0\x9f\x99\x84
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The new year honours list is separate from the list produced by shortest-serving prime minister Liz Truss, which was also released on Friday night and saw Vote Leave’s former chief executive Matthew Elliott and former chair Jon Moynihan handed peerages.

Critics have pointed out Ms Truss’s list effectively proposes a new peer for every day and a half she was in office.

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