Frank Field, former work and pensions committee chairman, has received one of the most exclusive awards in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.
Field, who served as an MP for 40 years and is now a crossbench peer, has been made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, joining the likes of Sir Elton John, JK Rowling and Sir Paul McCartney.
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an award given to people who have made a significant contribution to the arts, science, medicine or the government over a long period of time.
Field was given the award for his “lifetime of public service”.
Field was MP for Birkenhead, Merseyside, from 1979 to 2019, first as a Labour MP then, towards the end of his career, as an independent.
He chaired the work and pensions committee from 2015 to 2019 but lost his role when he lost his Birkenhead seat after more than four decades as an MP.
He had resigned the Labour party whip in August 2018 citing an "appalling culture" in its ranks and stood in last year's election as a candidate for the Birkenhead Social Justice Party.
As chairman of the committee, he launched a number of inquiries into defined benefit schemes and the Pensions Regulator’s powers.
He was also at the forefront of lobbying the Financial Conduct Authority to ban contingent charging on defined benefit transfers.
He was made a Lord back in August 2020 and in October that year disclosed he was terminally ill and had spent time in a hospice.
Elsewhere, Johnny Timpson, former Scottish Widows protection guru and now disability and access ambassador, received an OBE for his services to improving accessibility for people with disabilities across the insurance industry.
He is now financial inclusion commissioner and a member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel.
Also, Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal and General was awarded a knighthood for services to the finance industry and regional development.
Mitesh Sheth, outgoing chief executive officer of Redington, was awarded an MBE for services to diversity and inclusion within the financial services sector.
Sheth said: “I feel blessed to have been recognised for this important work we have been doing over the past few years. It has been a big collaborative effort and it needs to be as there is still a very long way to go.
“As leaders we have a responsibility and opportunity to change ourselves, our teams, our organisations and over time the world. We must begin with empathy and compassion for our fellow human beings, create a safe space to talk and learn openly, be agile in failing fast and sharing lessons to build bridges for all those that are being left behind.”
amy.austin@ft.com
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