Gordon Brown, McCoist and Souness recognised in Birthday Honours list

Award-winning Scottish historian Professor Sir Niall Ferguson, received a knighthood in the list. 

Glasgow-born Sir Niall, whose 16 books include The Pity Of War and The Ascent Of Money: A Financial History Of The World, first came to the attention of many in the UK with the hit 2003 Channel 4 series Empire: How Britain Made The Modern World, and a best-selling book of the same name. 

Gordon Brown was made a Companion of Honour, a special award granted to those who have made a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine or government lasting over a long period of time. 

There are only 65 members at any one time. 

Brown said: “I feel slightly embarrassed as the opportunity to serve is an honour in itself and my preference has always been to recognise all those brilliant, unsung, local heroes who quietly and selflessly give their time to contribute to the vitality of our communities. 

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“I want to thank those who put my name forward and thank too my family and all who have worked with me during the last 50 years in public life to whom I owe everything.” 

Mr Brown was Prime Minister from 2007 to 2010, having been Chancellor under Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007. 

He was MP for Dunfermline East from 1983 to 2005, and Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath from 2005 to 2015. 

During his time as Prime Minister he oversaw changes such as the introduction of neighbourhood policing in every area, a legally enforceable right to early cancer screening and treatment, and the world’s first Climate Change Act, which was implemented in autumn 2008. 

Professor Sir Niall Ferguson (Image: PA)

The greatest challenge he faced in office was the worldwide financial crisis and the following recession. 

In April 2009, he hosted the G20 Summit in London where world leaders pledged to make an additional 1.1 trillion dollars available to help the world economy through the crisis and restore credit, growth and jobs. 

In recent years he has campaigned on a number of social issues, including child poverty, which he has described as a crisis. 

Armando Iannucci has said he will take becoming a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) as a signal to keep defending public broadcasters from “attacks on independence and funding”. 

Jane Spiers, The chairwoman of the board of the National Theatre of Scotland, was made an OBE. 

In a career in the arts spanning more than 40 years, has been a producer, programmer, festival director, event manager and cultural policy adviser. 

She said: “I’m still pinching myself. I feel so fortunate to have spent a lifetime working in the arts and now to be given an honour for doing something I love.” 

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Myrna Bernard, from Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the Jewish community and to the disabled in Scotland. 

She volunteered with the charity Jewish Care Scotland for many years before training at what was then North Glasgow College as a social care worker, graduating with distinction at the age of 59. 

Mrs Bernard continued working with Jewish Care for around a decade and then found a job working for the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) which helps support Holocaust survivors, many of whom came to the UK on the Kindertransport. 

Myrna Bernard (Image: Family)

She worked for the organisation until she retired in November last year aged 81. 

She said: “You can’t stand back or be disinterested in them as individuals because they each had remarkable stories to tell. 

“Some were treated well when they arrived, some were not treated well, some did very well in their future lives, some just jogged along – but they were all very glad as they got older to have someone they could talk to, someone they could trust to look out for them.” 

Others named in the Birthday Honours list include John Beveridge, 71, who has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to paddle steamer preservation and charity. 

Mr Baird helped restore the Waverley steamer and hopes to achieve the same success with the Maid of the Loch on Loch Lomond. 

Gerald Lobley, 79, from Kemnay in Aberdeenshire, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to chess in Scotland for instructing future generations how to play the traditional board game. 

He has spent 50 years teaching youngsters how to play chess has said he was “flabbergasted” to learn he has been honoured by the King. 

Ultra-runner Jasmin Paris has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours. 

The 40-year-old, from Gorebridge in Midlothian, has completed some of the toughest and most gruelling races around the world. 

Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, 63, who gave up her job to help the humanitarian response to the invasion of Ukraine has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the Ukrainian community in Scotland. 

Graeme Souness (Image: PA)

In the world of sport, Golfer Stephen Gallacher becomes an MBE for services to golf while former Rangers and Scotland player and now pundit McCoist is made an OBE for services to association football and broadcasting.

Golfer Sandy Lyle becomes an OBE for services to golf, while the former Scotland and Rangers midfielder Graeme Souness was made a CBE for services to football and charity.

Souness has been raising money for Debra UK in recent years and the ex-Ibrox boss is 'humbled' by the award. 

He said: "I am delighted and humbled to receive this honour.

"It has been a life-changing few years working so closely with DEBRA UK as vice-president and none more so than this last year when I was part of a great team, swimming the English Channel to raise vital funds and awareness for DEBRA UK and EB.

"It is wonderful that the King has honoured me with a CBE and it is important to acknowledge the whole team which works tirelessly to find solutions to the intolerable pain, itch and inflammation of this horrendous condition. This for my friend Isla and everyone else living with EB."

Robert Forman, a former chairman of the Scottish Conservatives becomes a CBE for political service. He said the honour was a “great privilege”

Professor Moira Whyte, the Sir John Crofton Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, becomes a Dame for services to medical research.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said: “Those receiving recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours have each made outstanding contributions to community and public life, through the arts, education and sport to business, charity, community life and science.

“I am very pleased to offer them my congratulations. Their dedication and commitment makes Scotland a better place for us all.”