The honours system used to be too posh but I'm proof change is happening
The UK honours system is undergoing a shift to become more inclusive, with a significant increase in awards granted to individuals from working-class backgrounds. Data shows that the percentage of higher-level honours recipients from these backgrounds has risen to 31% in 2026, up from 4% in 2025.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader societal effort to democratize prestigious state recognition and reduce historical class-based exclusivity in British institutions.
Image source, Jacquelyn Stanley Image caption, Clive Lawrence has been part of a drive to widen access to the honours system
Royal correspondent Published 4 minutes ago "I always had the perception that you only got an honour if you were rich or famous," says Clive Lawrence.
His start in life had been free school meals and growing up on a council estate in Derbyshire, but the former head teacher has now been made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE).
He's part of a quiet revolution in the honours system, which has deliberately sought to make the awards less socially exclusive and to have a fairer spread of winners around the country.
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