GORDON BROWN has delivered an amazing snub to three of the heroes who foiled the Glasgow Airport terror plot. The families of Michael Kerr, Stephen Clarkson and Alex McIlveen have been campaigning for them to receive the Queen's Gallantry Medal - awarded to airport worker John Smeaton last year. But last week their request was rejected in a letter from the Cabinet Office which claimed their actions were not brave enough. The letter, signed by the high-ranking official who advises the PM on medals, stated that the men's actions "though praise-worthy, did not reach the standard for a gallantry award".
Holidaymaker Michael, 40, suffered a broken leg and smashed teeth when he helped fight off the attackers. Stephen, 41, of Penilee, Glasgow, wrestled driver Kafeel Ahmed to the ground. Stephen has since suffered a brain aneurysm and taxi driver Alex, 45, of Drumchapel, Glasgow, tore a tendon in his foot as he kicked out at Ahmed. The Sunday Mail took the decision to honour ALL the airport heroes at our Great Scot awards last year.
All 11 men who tackled the bombers - including Michael, Stephen, Alex and John Smeaton - were named our Great Scots of 2007. Last night the men's families reacted with fury to the Prime Minister's snub.
Michael's wife Annette, 35, of Denny, Stirlingshire, who first approached Brown about the honour, said: "I am furious. The letter said there had to be a conscious decision to go forward knowing the risk for a considerable length of time rather than simply being 'caught up in events'. How they could judge that Michael and Stephen and Alex don't fit this, while John does? It belittles what they did. This is not to take anything away from John but I take it as a personal insult to my husband - and Alex and Stephen too."
Baggage handler Smeaton, 31, backed the families' campaign and supported the letter sent to Brown. He was given the medal - one of the highest bravery honours that can be awarded to a civilian - last year in the midst of worldwide recognition for his role in the June 30 attacks. He became a media star after he warned terrorists: "This is Glasgow - we'll just set aboot ye." Last night Smeaton said: "We all behaved in exactly the same way. It is wrong that I'm the only one to get the medal because the others are equally as deserving.
"I disagree with this decision." Stephen Clarkson's brother David said last night: "This is totally unfair. I know Stephen feels he has been treated shabbily." And fellow hero Alex asked: "If we didn't do enough to justify an award, then what did John do that was different? This is disgraceful."
A Cabinet Office official said: "We never discuss individual honours or gallantry cases. The government hold in the highest regard the selfless actions of everyone, including Michael Kerr, involved in foiling the bombing incident at Glasgow Airport."
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Well it's clear that we can't have too many people showing up the security services as useless, can we?! I didn't even realise there were so many people involved in the incident before now.
Why do people want awards for doing stuff like that? Can't they be satisfied with just knowing they did a good thing? I think most people would have done what they did in the same situation, so really it's just good and/or bad luck that they were in the vacinity at the time those nutters were in their jeep. We might as well make a medal and sell raffle tickets. If bravery is really such a rare attribute - rare enough to warrant an award - then isn't it a huge coincidence that there were 4 or 5 brave people all in the same airport at the same time?
I suppose this is one of my pet peeves - it's like when people talk about the bravery of those who get cancer. Not to insult them, but technically they're not brave, they're just normal people scared that they're going to die, and striving not to. If they'd volunteered to be given cancer then they'd be brave.
... it's like when people talk about the bravery of those who get cancer. Not to insult them, but technically they're not brave, they're just normal people scared that they're going to die, and striving not to. If they'd volunteered to be given cancer then they'd be brave.
I think they can be brave in their reaction to having cancer. How they deal with it and what they do in striving not to die. I think that is where the bravery comes in.
... it's like when people talk about the bravery of those who get cancer. Not to insult them, but technically they're not brave, they're just normal people scared that they're going to die, and striving not to. If they'd volunteered to be given cancer then they'd be brave.
I think they can be brave in their reaction to having cancer. How they deal with it and what they do in striving not to die. I think that is where the bravery comes in.
Yea, they can (and often do) summon up a new kind of courage that they previously weren't aware they had, but my point is that nearly everyone would do that in the same situation. It's not a unique thing, and I'd personally think it patronising if I got cancer and people were all like "Ooh, she's so brave". The fact that Kylie Minogue has been almost re-branded in the gossip magazines as Bravekylie all-one-word is a prime example of this sort of fawning overkill.
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