Thatcher Pushed For Jimmy Savile Knighthood

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Margaret Thatcher made repeated attempts to give Jimmy Savile a knighthood despite the concerns of her aides, newly released documents show.

The former Prime Minister is said to have ignored advice that he should not be recommended for an honour because of "unfortunate revelations" about his private life.

Previously unseen Cabinet Office documents, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show Baroness Thatcher tried several times to get Savile knighted before succeeding in her final year in office.

The television star was knighted for his services to charity in 1990, but a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said there was "no indication in the papers that anything was known then about the allegations that have subsequently come to light".

One adviser's letter to the Prime Minister at the time said: "Mr Savile is a strange and complex man … Fears have been expressed that Mr Savile might not be able to refrain from exploiting a knighthood in a way which brought the honours system into disrepute."

'A strange and complex man': the words of one aide to Mrs Thatcher

Another letter, from Lady Thatcher's then private secretary Nigel Wicks, stated: "We have again considered the name of Mr Jimmy Savile, whom you have of course considered on previous occasions. We have again concluded that he should not be recommended."

The Jim'll Fix It presenter raised more than £30m for charity, including £12m to rebuild the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

It appears that Mrs Thatcher was pushing for him to be honoured because of his charity work, with a letter from Mr Wicks saying: "She wonders how many more times his name is to be pushed aside, especially in view of all the great work he has done for Stoke Mandeville."

Savile died in October 2011 but evidence that he sexually abused scores of victims only came to light the following year.

More than 200 offences have been recorded against the disgraced TV presenter. Most involved children, including youngsters as young as eight.

The details emerged in heavily-redacted Cabinet Office documents

The allegations caused the Honours Forfeiture Committee to look into the possibility that he brought the honours system into disrepute.

It appears the aides were concerned about Savile's promiscuity, rather than suspicions involving underage children.

One 1986 letter said: "None of us would want to denigrate his many services. But my Committee, and I still fear that his manner of life - on his own confession - has been such that a high award for him would be an unhelpful signal when we are still having to grapple with an Aids problem which threatens to intensify; and that a knighthood for him would not benefit the honours system in the eyes of the public."

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