Edible Apple

The Telegraph is reporting today that former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown blocked an initiative to knight Apple CEO Steve Jobs because Jobs had previously rebuffed an invitation to speak at an annual Labour Party conference.

The proposal to Knight Jobs was set in motion to honor the Apple co-founder’s impact and service to technology. The senior member of Parliament who raised the idea explained, “Apple has been the only major global company to create stunning consumer products because it has always taken design as the key component of everything it has produced. No other CEO has consistently shown such a commitment.”

The proposal reportedly reached the final stages of approval before being axed by Brown at the 24th hour.

The former MP was told by Downing Street that the decision was related to a failed attempt to attract Mr Jobs to Labour’s annual conference. Given his status as a superstar of business and technology, such an appearance would have been viewed as a coup for Mr Brown.

Meanwhile, Microsoft founder Bill Gates was knighted in 2005, but then again, so was Bono.