“The honours are an opportunity for us to thank them, as a country, for their dedication and outstanding contribution.”
Trevor Phillips, the former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has been knighted for services to equality and human rights.
“Social media [firms] need to be accountable and some form of punishment needs to be put out there,” he said.
Leading figures of science and medicine during the coronavirus pandemic have been feted in the Queen’s new year honours list, including the chief medical officer for England, Prof Chris Whitty, who is to receive a knighthood for his role in battling Covid-19.