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Archive for May, 2009

I normally use the Press and the on-line blogs to provide me with thoughts and inspirations for my own but Lordy, Lordy, right now it is an “Anger Fest” with all rationality gone out of the window so, time for more interesting things and in this case, Canadian Geese. Whereas Ducks are definitely rather “Daffy”, Geese are really cool creatures unlike say, Speaker Mick Martin.

I spotted this pair with their three goslings on one of the shallow crab ponds on the flood plain of the River Brue. I had never seen them with their young before and it was charming, they were very dutiful and protective parents.

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Whilst in any organisation there are those that will fiddle the system in one way or another, the reality is that the public out cry and high moral indignation about all of this is massively overblown and may well have less to do with the expenses issue and more to do with the economic one.

In today’s Times is an excellent article by Matthew Parris, written from Beirut in which he seeks to put the whole thing into some perspective, the “indignant” feedbacks are hilarious Torrid of Tunbridge Wells in full flow, worth a look if all rather pathetic.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article6296826.ece

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In today’s Independent, Matthew Norman wrote an article calling for us to seize the moment to demand a written constitution, I sometimes wonder where the Sam Hill we get these people from:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/matthew-norman/matthew-norman-we-must-seize-the-moment-to-demand-a-written-constitution-1684493.html

No, this is not a golden moment to have a written constitution and neither is any other moment in time going forward, the very last thing this country needs is yet another device to impede change as it is required and on a consensual basis.

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I have already expressed the view that I am personally rather bored with the “MPs Expense Claims Story”. In today’s Times David Aaronovitch wrote a very good article called; “If we want democracy, we have to pay for it. We have become intoxicated by our own outrage. When we sober up some tough decisions will have to be made.” Well done David and totally on the money.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article6268941.ece

Well worth a read however, whilst numerous MPs will not come out of this smelling of Roses, there is one person who has done exceptionally badly, Speaker Martin…

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There is currently a lot of anger by the general public directed towards the political classes of all parties over expenses or this or that but my personal feeling is that this is very deep seated and a belated reaction to a Government that by increasing degrees over a decade, just hasn’t been listening to us on planet UK.

We live on this planet, they don’t but regardless have to return to our one before they can continue further and there is a general frustration that means they are all in line for a good “kicking”. This frustration shows itself in many forms but inept politicians like Gordon Brown trying to capture this mood with a 50p top tax rate on rich people, is silly, he has already lost the game by being totally deaf and stupid and to be fair, should call an election this very day.

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To be honest I’m already totally bored with this story and the general public reaction to it which is a mixture of outrage and payback after all the pomposity of politicians like Brown the Broken Moral Compass, Harmon the Totally Arrogant and…I’m sure you get the point but there is a delicious irony in catching them “At It”.

I suspect that a contributing factor to the public outrage is that we are not too sure that they are doing anything worthwhile and really we should have a clear out via a General Election.

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Joanna Lumley who is rather more than still “top totty” despite being over 60, has led an inspired campaign based upon personal conviction concerning Gurkha settlement rights driven by the fact her Father served with them in action.

People who like to snipe, complain about her “celebrity status” and yet over many years, she has earned it through hard work as model and actress. This is no air head famous for being famous or being in the jungle or on Big Brother, this is a very smart and articulate lady who carries herself with dignity, grace and as is now clear, is totally lethal.

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Rather oddly I thought, Alan Milburn re-surfaces today in the Independent with an article that described the “new political agenda” which appears to be exactly what the Conservatives or specifically, David Cameron have been talking about for quite a time now, at least the past two years but then again, the extremists were seeing Cameron as just “Blair Lite”.

Perhaps the most interesting thing is Milburn breaking cover in this way right now, perhaps we are seeing the opening salvoes of the battle for the soul of the Labour Party that will certainly follow an election defeat. He is restating the middle ground of the New Labour Project in order to fend off an extreme swing to the Left following the inevitable electoral defeat.

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Something that I’ve commented on before is separating the Executive and the Legislature to prevent some of the abuses of power we have seen in recent times and the “Damien Green Affair” threw into sharp focus.

Some newspapers pointed out that the Speaker of the House in the reign of Charles I st. would not surrender the MPs the King sought to arrest, whereas today Speaker Martin, I agree a totally lacklustre Speaker, couldn’t be bothered. However the situation is slightly different today to then and not a change for the better…

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Without being over optimistic and regardless of where the “cuts” come which might be better termed “redistribution”, the current situation may well prove the shot in the arm that this Country needs and oddly this fits rather well with the current Global Recession.

Whilst obviously Government spending must be reined in I believe we are looking at more than that, we are looking at a total realignment of the concept and basis of Central Government itself and a shifting of power away from the centre and it being devolved back to the individual citizen.

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