THE STUPID PARTY

The fate of this government was largely decided on a particular day in July 2012. It was the day that saw the debate on a Lib Dem sponsored move reform the House of Lords. It was a terrible bill that sought to replace the current unelected chamber with a glorified quango. It deserved to be defeated and so it was by the united ranks of Conservative backbenchers. However it was less the fact of its defeat than the manner that proved significant. As Tory backbencher after backbencher rose to their feet to pour buckets of warm spittle over the head of Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrat colleagues. The Tories burst free of the shackles of coalition and took enormous pleasure out of letting their true feelings about Clegg and the Lib Dems pour out onto the pages of Hansard. All good House of Commons knockabout fun, here is Sir Malcolm Rifkind doing a particularly good job from [1.20 minutes in].

Only problem was that Lords reform was part of an agreed package of reforms that included approving boundary changes favorable to the Conservatives. Well you can deride and mock a man, you can even renege on promises made, what you cannot then expect however is that the man will then go through the division lobbies for you when you need to call in the favour. To the astonishment of the tactically challenged Tory Right Clegg took umbrage at his treatment at their hands and refused to support a change to constituency boundaries. Apoplectic with rage the former grinning hecklers of the Tory party could only watch impotently as a major obstacle to securing an electoral majority was placed in their way.
Few sights have given me greater pleasure in recent years than the smug laughter of Tory backbench MP's as they unwittingly sabotaged their own electoral prospects. It's the only really good joke that Nick Clegg ever made.
Once or twice in recent years the Conservatives have shown worrying signs of strategic intelligence. Now win or lose this May the party will implode, as a consequence of the rabid hatred of the EU and the Cameron succession. Until the character and intelligence of the average right wing backbencher improves the Tory party, thankfully, seems condemned to remain the stupid party. 
Turkeys Voting for Christmas 

Popular posts from this blog

NESRINE MALIK AND THE UNSUNG VIRTUES OF HYPOCRISY

Image
As I write this a 27 year old woman, Mariam Ibrahim, has just had a baby in a Sudanese prison, ‘the condition of the mother and baby is not known as Ibrahim's lawyer and her husband, a US citizen, had been denied access to her. Omdurman women's prison has a basic clinic, where the child is thought to have been born. Ibrahim has been shackled since being imprisoned.’ [1]   Mariam also has an 18 month old child who is also being held in prison with her. The ‘crime’ for which she is imprisoned is apostasy, for which she has received the death sentence. She has also been sentenced to 100 lashes, for the additional crime of having sex with her Christian husband. Although she has been a lifelong Christian her father was a Muslim, Sudanese sharia law forbids women to marry outside the Muslim faith, men needless to say can do as they please in these matters. Mariam Ibrahim and her husband.  Nineteen countries punish their citizens for apostasy, and in 12 of those countries
Read more

INTERVIEW WITH TOM VAGUE

Image
Tom Vague At the top end of All Saints Road there is a refuge, an enclave in which a local Bohemian culture retains a foothold, this is the Book & kitchen , a café/bookshop with adjoining terrace. Here the bustle of the nearby market gives way to conversation, conversation in the presence of images of the recent, and not so recent, past. The past of an area that has contributed so much to the life and culture of the city. I was there to meet local historian Mr Tom Vague a man intimately familiar with so much of this history. What Tom doesn’t know about the recent history of the area probably is not worth knowing. With Tom’s energy and effort Colville Community Forum, supported by City Living Local Life, recently held a gathering at The Book and Kitchen to celebrate this rich history. February 16 6-9 Pm, with Film Screening and Readings Exhibition February 16-26 2016. Featuring 30 Classic Westway Photographs and Posters. This represents one of a number of initiatives of t
Read more

LONDON BELONGS TO ME PART ONE

Image
. I. I have lived in London now just over thirty years, having moved here on 4 th July 1983 . I don’t know how long you normally have to wait to claim squatter’s rights but thirty years seems a good enough period to me. The glory of London is its parks and open spaces, you are rarely ever far away from a London park, common or heath. I am within fifteen minutes walk of Kensington Gardens or Holland Park , much closer to several smaller areas with grass and flowers and benches on which to sit, all maintained by Kensington and Chelsea council who also still believe in the value of trees. Those who would see what they call ‘the state’ shrink rarely mention such items in their calculations. What does it cost to maintain a tree? Too much by far for the likes of those right wing think tanks whom and I fear the phrase is soon likely to break under the strain under which it is now being placed, know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Holland Park is one of t
Read more