Great Scots: The stand outs honoured by the Queen

COMIC Armando Iannucci said his OBE for services to broadcasting will not stop him poking fun at politicians.

The 48-year-old, who was behind foul-mouthed Westminster sitcom The Thick Of It, starring Peter Capaldi, said he could not help but feel slightly “guilty” about accepting the award.

“The honour is working with lots of performers and writers, so I did feel a bit guilty,” he said.

“I just hope it’s not an attempt by the government to stop me because that’s not going to happen.”

Iannucci has been in British comedy, on both sides of the camera, for more than 20 years. He has worked on hit shows such as The Day Today and I’m Alan Partridge. His new show, Veep, saw him move into US television.

The writer, producer and performer was born in Glasgow and studied at Oxford University, later saying he could “only really have been an academic or a comedian”.

He chose the latter and worked on radio before television, with people such as Chris Morris, Stewart Lee and Steve Coogan.

Politician dedicated to deaf

Veteran Liberal Democrat Malcolm Bruce is being knighted for public and political services.

The MP for Gordon, in the north-east, is the party’s Scottish president and is involved with charities for deaf people.

Mr Bruce, whose daughter Caroline was born profoundly deaf, said: “I’d like to think the knighthood is not just for political longevity but for the work with charities. I got into that because of my daughter and hopefully it’s of benefit to them.

“I’ve campaigned on behalf of deaf people ever since. It seemed the right thing to do. I’m also trying to get more MPs involved.

“I’ve been an MP here since 1983, so I do owe a lot of this to the constituents.”

Mr Bruce, 67, has roles with Action on Hearing Loss and the National Deaf Children’s Society.

Gardening endeavours come to fruition

A station master who has manned the ticket office of a train station for almost 20 years has been awarded an MBE for services to the community.

Trevor Francis, 67, also spends up to six hours a day of his spare time maintaining a variety of plants, shrubs and floral displays at Aberdour station in Fife.

His efforts have seen awards given for best station garden and helped Aberdour win the title of best-kept village in Fife for two years running.

The station garden has 20 hanging baskets, seven window boxes and two wheelbarrows with special features, such as an alpine garden of conifers and cordyline palms.

The father of two from nearby Burntisland, whose honour was recommended by the Aberdour community, said: “From day one I took ownership of the station. But it was not just about that. It was about the community, the village life and helping people.

“When told, it was ‘wow’. It has fulfilled my life and I cannot thank the community enough.”

Man who restored Holyrood reputation knighted

Former Holyrood Presiding Officer George Reid has been awarded a knighthood.

He says the honour will round off a life spent serving the public both at home and abroad.

Widely praised for restoring the reputation of the Scottish Parliament following the outcry about its cost and early expenses scandals, Mr Reid said he is “very honoured”.

He said: “I’m honoured that what I have tried to do in Scottish politics and what I have tried to do in public life, which is everything from wars and disasters with the International Red Cross to doing reviews of governance in places like Northern Ireland and the National Trust for Scotland and now pensions in Wales, has been recognised.”

Prayers answered by Queen

A charitable businesswoman’s prayer that she would one day be honoured by the Queen has been answered almost instantly.

Shaheen Unis, 63, director of Mrs Unis Spicy Foods and elderly people’s welfare organisation Milan, has been awarded the CBE. “About a fortnight before I received the letter I watched the Queen handing out some other awards,” she said. “I had this feeling inside me and thought: I hope I get honoured one day, and it happened instantly. That has really excited me. When you ask something of God so deeply he will give. I am really pleased after all of these years.”

Born in Pakistan, in 1949, she moved to the UK 45 years ago and, after two years in London, moved to Glasgow. After working in a restaurant in Edinburgh, she opened her own place in the capital’s Dalry Road, called Nadia’s.

Knighthood for cool man

Entrepreneur Willie Haughey, a former director of Celtic Football Club, said he felt “privileged and humbled” at hearing he was being knighted for services to business and philanthropy.

Mr Haughey, 55, founded City Refrigeration Holdings in 1985 with his wife Susan and has seen it grow from having only four employees into a global giant with 11,000 staff.

He also established the City Charitable Trust to bring together his charity work.

Since being set up it has donated about £5 million to good causes.

‘Ordinary’ people

A road sweeper who is among the first local heroes to receive a British Empire Medal (BEM) for almost 20 years has said the gong shows ordinary people who serve their community deserve recognition.

Anthony Cleland, 62, has been granted the reward for services to his community after 25 years cleaning the streets of Lambeth, south London.