Locals have been left raging and questioning the legitimacy of the honours system after the Labour boss of one of Britain's most criticised councils was handed an OBE.
Claire Holland, the leader of Lambeth Council in south London, was awarded the honour in the New Year's list, despite her council being found to have acted unlawfully twice last year.
"I am extremely honoured to be awarded an OBE from His Majesty the King," Cllr Holland said.
"It is a very humbling and proud moment to be recognised in this way, and I am hugely grateful to everyone who has worked with me and supported me throughout my time working in the community and on the council."
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However, she has left residents in her council far from pleased, with some branding her accolade a "joke".
In May last year, the High Court found that Lambeth Council acted unlawfully after implementing a low-traffic neighbourhood, ignoring residents' legitimate concerns.
Then, just a week later, the High Court ruled that the council had acted unlawfully again, this time when approving multiple large music festivals in a park, to the dismay, and objection, of locals.
And last year, following a report by the housing ombudsman, Lambeth was named among the worst offenders after years of failure on social housing.
The ombudsman cited an example of a child's bedroom window that had been boarded up with wood for more than three years, despite the rotting increasing the risk of falling, and had previously criticised the council for housing a severely disabled child for two years in a home that was too small to fit her wheelchair through the front door.
Claire Holland (centre), the leader of Lambeth council in south London, was awarded an OBE in the New Year's list, despite being found to have acted unlawfully twice
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The report was described as "scathing", and recommended the system be broken up.
Cllr Holland's council also ranked in the bottom 10 per cent of councils for adult social care, and now ranks second across England for the most complaints upheld per 100,000 residents - 18.4, up 10.1 from the previous year.
She has been the leader of Lambeth Council since 2021 and the chair of London Councils, the representative body for the 32 London borough councils, since 2023.
She was first elected as a Labour councillor for Oval ward in May 2014.
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Cllr Holland has run Lambeth Council since 2021
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When it was announced Cllr Holland was to receive an OBE, website Brixton Buzz described her tenure as "a period marked by deep financial strain, controversial policy decisions and a fractious political atmosphere both inside the council chamber and beyond it".
The comments on the article were particularly biting, with one simply writing: "What a joke."
Another suggested it was "rewards for failure," while a third remarkably said: "This award is just Labour closing ranks and sticking two fingers up to residents."
A fourth brazenly wrote: "We have the number one slot for fastest declining borough, fastest growing debt, least amount of council homes built – and all thanks to Claire Holland!"
Former long-time resident, Stella Sawyer, who campaigns on local issues, said: "To hear that Ms Holland has been awarded an OBE for ‘public service’ is rather shocking given that Lambeth under her leadership appears to have become increasingly focused on vanity projects, dismissing legitimate concerns from the very public it purports to serve."
When accepting the award, Cllr Holland said she was "extremely honoured", adding: "I will use this OBE as motivation to continue working hard on the front line of service delivery, both in Lambeth and across London.
"I’m committed to providing services to those in the community who most need our support, building a better future for our young people and creating an environment where all Londoners can achieve their ambitions."
GB News has approached Cllr Holland for comment.
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