Tuesday 10 July 2012

Stop minding your own business


This post may seem a bit irrelevant or even boring to anyone living outside the UK - or even inside - but the subject is extremely important at a time when we are all being pushed from behind whilst sleep-walking into a scenario predicted by George Orwell all those years ago, when he wrote Animal Farm.


There is a raging debate going on in the Houses of Parliament at the moment, over a bill which will effectively destroy the House of Lords, should it be passed.  'So what?', you might say, but I sincerely promise any citizen of G.B. that they will live to regret it's passing, and the bill will never be reversed - I think it was Norman Tebbit who said that it was extremely important, when dismantling services and institutions, that they be destroyed so completely that no future government would ever be able to put them back together again, nomatter what the will of the people demanded.

Our government seat (like many other republican ones around the world) is divided into two for a good reason, but the process of destroying one began quite some time ago, when it was 'decided' that there should be a percentage of non-hereditary peers - about 50-50 - placed in the House of Lords to prevent the weakening of party-political decisions about legislation put forward by the 'democratically' elected commoners.  I think that Tony Blair created more (New Labour) life peers during the period immediately prior to his downfall than any other prime minister in history, and he did not do this for the sake of the country, let alone from the goodness of his black heart - he did it for the sake of his party.  'Lord' Mandelson, for fuck's sake, I ask you.

The current proposal is that the whole of the House of Lords should be 'democratically elected', by which they mean that the ruling government should choose exactly who should take part in the legislative process of the second house, on the grounds that they have somehow been democratically elected, and speak for the people.  You will NOT be allowed to vote for any peer to protect you against the more extreme and unreasonable legislation put forward by the bunch of self-serving, ambitious and ruthless misanthropes who are the only ones who have the stomach to briefly lick the backsides of the electorate purely - in many cases - to further their own careers.

You may argue that the old system of hereditary peerage tended to put in place an elite group of people who had no need of the extra privilege that the house afforded, but that is the whole point.  They had no need to debase themselves through naked and ugly ambition - they were born into privilege and - aside from a little inevitable nest-feathering - restrictions have been in place to curb the excesses of the less socially minded of them ever since that bit of parchment was signed at Runnymead about 1000 years ago.

The young son of a good friend of mine was born into such a family - a family so old that they are mentioned in a Shakespeare play which harks back to a time long before the Elizabethan age - and when his uncle dies, he will inherit the title of Lord *'*****, but much good will it do him or - more accurately - us.

He is now in his twenties, but from the age of about 12, his uncle would take him to the House of Lords to see what it was all about, and generally give him some early training in responsible behaviour. Their family motto places 'honour' above all else because, as we all should know, with power comes responsibility.

Support Old Labour.  Support the Old Conservatives.  Above all, tell the New lot to stop minding their own business and get on with minding OURS.

15 comments:

  1. The door bell just rang, and my new Armani suit has arrived - it fits perfectly! I'm so exited! (partly because I am not as fat round the middle as I thought I was).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well there I was all excited about your passionate plea for Old Conservatives and honour and responsibility and all that, but then you go and tell me about your Armani suit that makes you feel slender so the first bit just flew out the window. WOOT on the SUIT!!!!!
    It's always the best when stuff makes you feel skinny - or even not as chunky as you envisioned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the pop of a champagne cork will distract me from anything.

      Delete
  3. Hereditary Peers were mostly born into privilege, but this never guaranteed their political leanings (e.g. Lord Stansgate). It was an arbitrary system that (usually) relied on good education, positions of importance, and eventually the death of one's father. I thought it worked quite well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Totally agree ..... they should be getting on with trying to run the country and leave the House of Lords alone.
    Were will you be wearing your lovely Armani suit on it's first trip out ? You're in good company ..... George Clooney likes an Armani suit !! XXXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haven't decided yet, Jack@. Hopefully a wedding and not a funeral.

      Delete
  5. Wholeheartedly agree Tom - it should be above party politics altogether (if that is ever possible).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That takes a true commitment to serving the country, unlike what now amounts box-ticking to look as though you do.

      Delete
  6. Across the Pond we went through something similar when Amendment XVII was passed 100 years ago, allowing the Senate to be elected by popular vote rather than being chosen by Congress.

    I've heard a few people argue that that was "the beginning of the end." I don't know that i quite agree with that sentiment, although i can say that in many cases, Senators now spend the last 2 years of the 6 year terms actively campaigning for re-election, which takes a lot of time, energy, and money. If they didn't have to try to pander to the public at large, and only their counterparts in Congress, it might not take as much time. It might take just as much money and energy though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's another good point, Megan - the time and money wasted on re-election.

      Delete
  7. I agree with your sentiments, Tom. In the past 30 pus years since I came here, I have been surprised at how many times the wisdom of the House of Lords has been able to thwart some bad political ideas. It is very interesting body of government and for the most part has acted in the best interest of the country.

    As for your Armani suit -- I am sure you will wear it with style and aplomb ... Having had to hear about it I do believe we deserve to see you wearing it...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You will - I'm too pleased and too vain not to. £155 for a £3,500 suit - no wonder I am pleased.

      Delete
  8. all I am bothered about
    is that
    the LORDS ( whoever they are) do a good job!
    elected or whatever,... as lon as they are hardworking and dedicated thats all that matters

    ReplyDelete
  9. ps you would make a good LORD thomas!
    mind you I suspect that there would be more punch ups in the " westminster "bar if you did x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been told I'd make a good vicar too - especially with my new charcoal grey suit. Fire and brimstone.

      Delete