The Times today tells us that
"The coalition government has agreed to reshape the House of Lords, which is currently dominated by Labour, to be “reflective of the vote” at the general election. That saw the Tories and the Liberal Democrats together get 59 per cent.
None of Labour’s 211 existing peers can be removed, so the coalition must appoint dozens of its own to re balance the upper chamber. Lib Dem estimates suggest that the number of Tory peers would need to rise from 186 to 263 and Lib Dem peers from 72 to 167."
So this is our brave new political order? A modern form of politics where our servant politicians listen and represent their, the electorate, masters voice in a progressive democratic society? If the Cameron twins Dave and Nick want a second chamber reflective of the vote what is wrong with having an election where the electorate vote!!! That would be fairly reflective of the electorates wishes. Although it would also be democratic, fair and dare I say it progressive not to mention right. It should surprise no one that the dynamic duo would pull such a stunt to ensure legislation is pushed through but with the proclaimed death of spin it is the absolute audacity and bare faced cheek that we get the "reflective of the vote" line that so grates and irritates.
Of course this follows swiftly on the back of the plan for 55% support to vote for the dissolution of parliament that is undemocratically going to be dropped on us. Again the spin is that such a measure is needed to give the strong and stable government needed to ensure a five year term (The best thing so far proposed by our new leaders is indeed the fixed term of parliament). Again the bare faced cheek and insult to our intelligence in the fact that with 47% of seats the conservatives are safe even if the newlyweds decide far from until death, its a matter of until a vote of no confidence us do part.
Every day I become more and more convinced that the coalition that we the electorate told the politicians we wanted - Or so they keep telling us it's what we wanted - will indeed see out the intended five year term. Things could be very interesting five years from now, the economy will probably be bouncing back from the hardship and cuts of the next couple of years and the conservatives will be taking all the credit. The liberal democrats, what will they be taking credit for? What will they be standing for? Will there be a recognisable liberal Democratic party five years from now? I actually felt great sympathy for Simon Hughes in his recent painful appearance on the BBC's question time as he struggled to defend his leader on the forming of a coalition with the conservatives. As a true liberal democrat and a man of integrity his unease as plain to see but by the end of the show he was loyally toeing the party line on what a great future was ahead for the lib Dem's in Cameron's coalition-Not particularly profound or original but if someone like Hughes can so easily drop his morals I cant help but think of the famous ending to Orwell's Animal Farm and wonder in May 2015 as the electorate looks through the polling window will they be able to distinguish Tory from lib Dem or vice versa?
Monday 17 May 2010
Saturday 15 May 2010
The new politics of the same old bullshit
Anyone else had enough of the condescending bullshit our new prime minister and his arse licking deputy, not to mention the power hungry unprincipled cast of thousands known as the conservative and liberal democratic parties continue to spew over us with the utmost contempt?
Less than a week into our exciting new political future our new coalition government gives us a continued stream of looped sound bites
“The electorate has spoken”
“The National Interest”
“Strong and stable government”
“Take Britain in a historic new direction, a direction of hope and unity, conviction and common purpose".
Of course we all know that politicians crave power, and fair enough why enter politics if you are not going to seek power? “I entered politics to make this country a better place” is the near universal refrain from 645 odd MPs that have just been elected into parliament and in all probability the vast majority of them were sincere in that aim but to do that you need power – Even the Liberal democrats who from the security of third place could be fanciful in their policy forming knowing that it would never bring them a working majority craved power. This more than anything else is the one reason why this coalition may well see out its intended five year term because it could be a long, long time before the Liberals get remotely near power again.
The electorate had spoken all right, and loud and clear it has stated we have three main political parties that do not have sufficient trust, vision or competence to form a government. The electorate wanted a minority conservative government, but a party starved of power for thirteen years was canny enough to figure that the six months to a year that such a government would survive would leave them at a real risk of another thirteen years or more in the wilderness of opposition.
Their best hope was to form a coalition with the Liberals and lock them into a five-year government with promises of absolutely nothing, hoping that five years from now the county would have taken its medicine and be on the mend and in gratitude elect the Tories in with a landslide whilst the Liberals with many disillusioned activists whither into insignificance against Milliband’s (probably David) Progressive Labour Party who are already treating us with equal contempt and equal measure of bullshit as they embark on their leadership campaign and attempt to provide an electable opposition party. The ill fated “Progressive Coalition of the left” has served to give us the term of “Progressive Party” – Whoever wins the Labour party leadership contest will be harping on about the only progressive party in British politics. Forget ID schemes, and invasion of foreign countries. Forget Progressive and new direction it’s the same old politics with the same old bullshit!
Less than a week into our exciting new political future our new coalition government gives us a continued stream of looped sound bites
“The electorate has spoken”
“The National Interest”
“Strong and stable government”
“Take Britain in a historic new direction, a direction of hope and unity, conviction and common purpose".
Of course we all know that politicians crave power, and fair enough why enter politics if you are not going to seek power? “I entered politics to make this country a better place” is the near universal refrain from 645 odd MPs that have just been elected into parliament and in all probability the vast majority of them were sincere in that aim but to do that you need power – Even the Liberal democrats who from the security of third place could be fanciful in their policy forming knowing that it would never bring them a working majority craved power. This more than anything else is the one reason why this coalition may well see out its intended five year term because it could be a long, long time before the Liberals get remotely near power again.
The electorate had spoken all right, and loud and clear it has stated we have three main political parties that do not have sufficient trust, vision or competence to form a government. The electorate wanted a minority conservative government, but a party starved of power for thirteen years was canny enough to figure that the six months to a year that such a government would survive would leave them at a real risk of another thirteen years or more in the wilderness of opposition.
Their best hope was to form a coalition with the Liberals and lock them into a five-year government with promises of absolutely nothing, hoping that five years from now the county would have taken its medicine and be on the mend and in gratitude elect the Tories in with a landslide whilst the Liberals with many disillusioned activists whither into insignificance against Milliband’s (probably David) Progressive Labour Party who are already treating us with equal contempt and equal measure of bullshit as they embark on their leadership campaign and attempt to provide an electable opposition party. The ill fated “Progressive Coalition of the left” has served to give us the term of “Progressive Party” – Whoever wins the Labour party leadership contest will be harping on about the only progressive party in British politics. Forget ID schemes, and invasion of foreign countries. Forget Progressive and new direction it’s the same old politics with the same old bullshit!
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