Honours following the announcement on Thursday of reforms to the centuries old system.

Prime Minister John Major said citizens would be able to get forms from Downing Street to nominate someone for one of the 2,000 honours given each year in the Queen's name to recognise public service.

Bermuda's deputy Governor Mr. John Kelly said he expected similar forms to be made available locally.

He believed the same procedure would be followed in all Commonwealth countries that have not dropped the Honours system.

But he advised that the new system wouldn't be much different from the current one that allows Bermudians to nominate a fellow citizen by writing to the Cabinet Secretary.

In England, the reforms have been greeted by critics arguing that Mr. Major would have done better to have scrapped the archaic system of royal recognition if he truly believed in a "classless society.'' Labour Party maverick Tony Benn, who surrendered his own peerage in the 1960s, said the system was "corrupt, everybody knows that, and should be brought to an end.'' People have always been able to submit names of worthy figures, from hard-working nurses to political grandees, but knighthoods and other "gongs'' have sometimes been granted on a nod or a wink.

They have even been given shamelessly for services to the ruling party of the day but there have been few scandals in recent years to match the sale of peerage and honours by World War One Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

The new Honours nomination form sets out a potted curriculum vitae of the nominee.

It says the process should be confidential. "Because of the competition for honours it is not fair to raise a nominee's expectations in case they are disappointed.'' Anyone may be nominated "in any walk of life, whether well known or not, whose service to the community or contribution to life in this country you regard as exceptional, and therefore as meriting consideration for an honour.'' The conservative Daily Telegraph seemed sad to see changes to the "quaint'' honours but, in an editorial, acknowledged that Major wanted it "more in tune with the modern world.'' The Financial Times said Major deserved "a modest commendation, but not a medal.'' He retained enormous patronage and "missed an opportunity to bring an antiquated system properly up to date. He should have been more radical.'' The main effect of Major's changes has been to wipe away old class distinctions between various categories of award.

In civilian honours he killed off the British Empire Medal, traditionally awarded to working class people. Now, everyone will get the more impressive Member of the British Empire (MBE) award.

Mr. John Major.