I have been away from the blog for some weeks, and here is one news item I missed.

A report from London’s Times.

Lewis Hamilton was knighted on December 31st, overcoming objections about his tax affairs that had blocked the award.

Hamilton, 35, who won a seventh world title this year to become Formula One’s most successful driver, was named in the overseas list because he is a resident of Monaco, the tax haven.

The Times revealed last month that he had been nominated for a knighthood in recognition of achievements on the track. His increasingly public stance on issues of race and diversity also bolstered his case for recognition.

The award had to be reviewed under the terms of an agreement between the Cabinet Office and HM Revenue and Customs, which states “poor tax behaviour is not consistent with the award of an honour”. In 2017 Hamilton was named in the Paradise Papers leak, which revealed that he had legally avoided VAT on his private jet by importing it through the Isle of Man.