Has British politics taken leave of its senses?
Roy Greenslade thinks so – as he explains here – and it’s hard to disagree with him.
First, we have the absurdity of a Labour Government making an outrageous attack on our civil liberties by forcing through Parliament provision for detention without charge for up to 42 days by bullying its MPs and even bribing some of them and the Democratic Unionist Party. This is in spite of the fact that the measure is not necessary according to many knowledgeable observers; it won’t get through the House of Lords; and, if somehow it did, it would probably be challenged in the courts; and, if it did manage to be implemented, it would very rarely be used and, given all the concessions, its use would have no real effect.
You would think that Gordon Brown has enough problems at the moment. So why is he doing this? Does he want to look as tough as Tony Blair? Does he want to make the Conservative Party look weak on terrorism? Both would be ignoble motives.
Then, we have the farce of the Shadow Home Secretary resigning from Parliament to the fury of his leader and his colleagues because he wants to fight a by-election on a single issue – very, very hard to guarantee – on a matter on which his party in Parliament is in agreement with him but on which many Conservative votes probably disagree with him. Only to find that neither Labour nor Lib Dems intend to co-operate with this charade by fielding a candidate but a Right-wing hack is going to enter the fray with the support and funding of no less a figure than Rupert Murdoch.
All that will happen is that the public purse will fund a totally unnecessary by-election in which there will no serious opposition and a very poor turnout. Davies will destroy his career, the Conservative Party will look divided and stupid, and Gordon Brown will be grateful for some diversion from his multiple troubles.
Al-Qaeda leaders must be laughing all the way to their caves in Waziristan.
If it wasn’t for the Irish blowing the new EU Treaty out of the water to the chagrin of 26 other Member States, we might look the nuttiest nation in Europe just now.
June 13th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
It’s always easy to disagree with Roy Greenslade – and with our friend Roger!
Greenslade starts with “has British politics taken leave of its senses?” and Roger ends with “the nuttiest nation in Europe”.
Could this in fact be the moment when British politics regains its senses? Is this really the first genuinely political act to have happened in a generation?
Here is a politician who has risked all – his career, his future and his reputation – for a cause in which he deeply believes. A bit of a contrast to all the time-serving expenses-claimers, isn’t it? Not what we’re used to at all. How often have you heard the party faithful wheeled out for the Today program, reciting lines? How rarely have you heard someone speaking from the heart?
I’m totally unconvinced by Roger’s claim that many Conservative voters probably disagree with David Davies. I’m one Conservative who was so outraged by Brown’s attack on British justice, that I was tempted for the first time since I was a student, to demonstrate!
The possible participation of Kelvin MacKenzie is not crazy, as Roy Greenslade claims, it really represents a classic struggle. In the one corner we see an individual acting on his own initiative for a noble and worthy cause, in the other we find a puppet bankrolled by a man determined to overthrow the institutions of democracy and justice for which our ancestors fought so hard.
On the one side is the principle that people must not be arbitrarily imprisoned. On the other, that our physical safety must be preserved, even at the cost of selling our souls.
This is a return to politics of the golden age. Gladstone springs to mind. I’ll bet there will be a huge turnout.
By the way, Roger. Al-Qaeda leaders don’t laugh. And voters, Irish or otherwise, are not nutty.
Can we talk about this over dinner soon?
Best wishes,
Nick
June 13th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
It’s always easy to disagree with Roy Greenslade – and with our friend Roger!
Greenslade starts with “has British politics taken leave of its senses?” and Roger ends with “the nuttiest nation in Europe”.
Could this in fact be the moment when British politics regains its senses? Is this really the first genuinely political act to have happened in a generation?
Here is a politician who has risked all – his career, his future and his reputation – for a cause in which he deeply believes. A bit of a contrast to all the time-serving expenses-claimers, isn’t it? Not what we’re used to at all. How often have you heard the party faithful wheeled out for the Today program, reciting lines? How rarely have you heard someone speaking from the heart?
I’m totally unconvinced by Roger’s claim that many Conservative voters probably disagree with David Davies. I’m one Conservative who was so outraged by Brown’s attack on British justice, that I was tempted for the first time since I was a student, to demonstrate!
The possible participation of Kelvin MacKenzie is not crazy, as Roy Greenslade claims, it really represents a classic struggle. In the one corner we see an individual acting on his own initiative for a noble and worthy cause, in the other we find a puppet bankrolled by a man determined to overthrow the institutions of democracy and justice for which our ancestors fought so hard.
On the one side is the principle that people must not be arbitrarily imprisoned. On the other, that our physical safety must be preserved, even at the cost of selling our souls.
This is a return to politics of the golden age. Gladstone springs to mind. I’ll bet there will be a huge turnout.
By the way, Roger. Al-Qaeda leaders don’t laugh. And voters, Irish or otherwise, are not nutty.
Can we talk about this over dinner soon?
Best wishes,
Nick
June 13th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
It’s always easy to disagree with Roy Greenslade – and with our friend Roger!
Greenslade starts with “has British politics taken leave of its senses?” and Roger ends with “the nuttiest nation in Europe”.
Could this in fact be the moment when British politics regains its senses? Is this really the first genuinely political act to have happened in a generation?
Here is a politician who has risked all – his career, his future and his reputation – for a cause in which he deeply believes. A bit of a contrast to all the time-serving expenses-claimers, isn’t it? Not what we’re used to at all. How often have you heard the party faithful wheeled out for the Today program, reciting lines? How rarely have you heard someone speaking from the heart?
I’m totally unconvinced by Roger’s claim that many Conservative voters probably disagree with David Davies. I’m one Conservative who was so outraged by Brown’s attack on British justice, that I was tempted for the first time since I was a student, to demonstrate!
The possible participation of Kelvin MacKenzie is not crazy, as Roy Greenslade claims, it really represents a classic struggle. In the one corner we see an individual acting on his own initiative for a noble and worthy cause, in the other we find a puppet bankrolled by a man determined to overthrow the institutions of democracy and justice for which our ancestors fought so hard.
On the one side is the principle that people must not be arbitrarily imprisoned. On the other, that our physical safety must be preserved, even at the cost of selling our souls.
This is a return to politics of the golden age. Gladstone springs to mind. I’ll bet there will be a huge turnout.
By the way, Roger. Al-Qaeda leaders don’t laugh. And voters, Irish or otherwise, are not nutty.
Can we talk about this over dinner soon?
Best wishes,
Nick
June 13th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
It’s always easy to disagree with Roy Greenslade – and with our friend Roger!
Greenslade starts with “has British politics taken leave of its senses?” and Roger ends with “the nuttiest nation in Europe”.
Could this in fact be the moment when British politics regains its senses? Is this really the first genuinely political act to have happened in a generation?
Here is a politician who has risked all – his career, his future and his reputation – for a cause in which he deeply believes. A bit of a contrast to all the time-serving expenses-claimers, isn’t it? Not what we’re used to at all. How often have you heard the party faithful wheeled out for the Today program, reciting lines? How rarely have you heard someone speaking from the heart?
I’m totally unconvinced by Roger’s claim that many Conservative voters probably disagree with David Davies. I’m one Conservative who was so outraged by Brown’s attack on British justice, that I was tempted for the first time since I was a student, to demonstrate!
The possible participation of Kelvin MacKenzie is not crazy, as Roy Greenslade claims, it really represents a classic struggle. In the one corner we see an individual acting on his own initiative for a noble and worthy cause, in the other we find a puppet bankrolled by a man determined to overthrow the institutions of democracy and justice for which our ancestors fought so hard.
On the one side is the principle that people must not be arbitrarily imprisoned. On the other, that our physical safety must be preserved, even at the cost of selling our souls.
This is a return to politics of the golden age. Gladstone springs to mind. I’ll bet there will be a huge turnout.
By the way, Roger. Al-Qaeda leaders don’t laugh. And voters, Irish or otherwise, are not nutty.
Can we talk about this over dinner soon?
Best wishes,
Nick
June 15th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
So, Mr Darlington, you know the whereabouts of the Al Qaeda leaders do you?
Watch out the security forces don’t bang you up for 42 days!!!
PS:
The leader,
of Al-Qaeda…
Might be a cue
for a Clerihew.
June 15th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
It is the public reaction over the course of the next day or so that will show whether David Davis was inspired or deranged.
I suspect that he had also looked over the precipice to see what was likely to happen on his watch (as Home Secretary for the 2012 Olympics) and decided that it was now or never to reset the security and surveillance (as well as democratic) agenda.