An open letter to UK Members of Parliament

From my department of useless information: When I was a young man I joined the Labour Party under the rise-and-rise of Harold Wilson because he was such a refreshing change from so many others at that time. I had no idea who was my local constituency MP at the time. Like many, I voted for the pied piper.

When Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister I joined the Conservative Party because, unlike so many others of my age group, I found nothing much to dislike about her expressed political views. I had no idea then who was my local constituency MP. Again, like many I voted for the pied piper.

Today I am not a member of any party. I discovered some time ago that ‘the party’ exists for the continuation of the party.  Fullstop. Constituents who aren’t members seem to be classed as useful idiots whose views and beliefs can be safely put to one side until the next election. Once the vote has been given it is taken to represent acceptance of ALL the party manifesto, even when some parts of the manifesto aren’t acceptable – take it or leave it. It doesn’t matter which party I’m talking about. The principle remains unchanged.

The divide within the parties today, especially over Brexit and the EU adds emphasis to my view. I didn’t have anything to do with electing Theresa May as Party leader and thus Prime Minister. If she says and does anything that I cannot condone – tough. It has nothing to do with me. It is to do with what SHE says and does, backed by faceless string pullers in the Civil Service. But the important thing, to her, is clearly to present a united front, insofar as that is possible. She wants to be the face of the pied piper.

Similarly, when Her Majesty the Queen applies pen to statute to make it law, she does so on the basis of what her advisers tell her, even if to do so breaches her Coronation Oath.

Archbishop of Canterbury: “Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?”

Queen Elizabeth II: “I solemnly promise so to do.”

Party MPs and Independents also take an Oath, as you know. “I (name of Member) swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”

Some might adhere to this Oath but many clearly don’t. Their allegiance is too obviously jointly to their own career and the party first, and so QCs of the governing party + civil servants ‘advise the Queen’ as to what she should do. But they do not permit Her to publicly differ from their advice. She is not allowed ‘to govern’, not even in accord with our ‘respective laws and customs’. The concept of a prisoner in a gilded cage comes to mind.

The current population of the United Kingdom is 66,837,847 as of Saturday, March 9, 2019, based on the latest United Nations estimates. The votes in favour of Theresa May as MP for Maidenhead, with an electorate of 74,000+ was a reduced majority of 26,500 on a turnout of 58,200. Hardly what I’d call true representation – not even on a good day.

I conclude with a different observation. As recently as January 2019 Conservative MP Crispin Blunt put down an early day motion calling to abolish  the practice of saying prayers at the beginning of parliamentary business in the House of Commons and House of Lords. A practice believed to have begun in 1558, I might add. Attendance is voluntary, I’m told, but I have no idea how many MPs participate. Mr Blunt isn’t the first to raise the subject and I’m sure he won’t be the last. Typically, he's talking about wanting to stop people from doing what they perhaps want to do while those who don't wish to participate are free anyway to stay away. How arrogant.

I’m told the Speaker's Chaplain usually reads the prayers. I could be pedantic and assert that reading prayers is different to praying. I take it that you know the form of the main prayer is as follows:

"Lord, the God of righteousness and truth, grant to our Queen and her government, to Members of Parliament and all in positions of responsibility, the guidance of your Spirit. May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals but laying aside all private interests and prejudices keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all mankind; so may your kingdom come and your name be hallowed. Amen." 

In today’s climate it is little wonder that some MPs feel unable to utter those words and would wish them to be eliminated, but they are under no obligation.

Rightly or wrongly, Her Majesty bears the title of Head of the Church of England and the likes of Crispin Blunt seem to want to trample on that, too. It makes me wonder about the value of any oath involving government or Parliament or politician.

On my study wall is a quotation attributed to Sir Winston Churchill together with a photograph of him in his hey-day. It reads:

“We must never cease to proclaim in fearless tones the great principles of freedom and the rights of man which are the joint inheritance of the English Speaking World and which, through Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights, Habeas Corpus, Trial by Jury and the English Common Law, find their most famous expression in the American Declaration of Independence.”

I fear for my country. One day Her Majesty will pass; one day MPs and Lords will be moved out of the Palaces of Westminster to enable refurbishment, with no assurance that they will ever reassemble; one day a new head will be offered the Crown to be Monarch of a totally disunited and fractured Britain; and one day there will be a General Election which will recreate all the follies and illusions that we have today. You’ve heard the expression ‘United we Stand, Divided we Fall’ haven’t you?
I could weep. And MPs dare to address each other as Honourable and Right Honourable when so many are seemingly without honour.

Michael

AS (some) OTHERS SEE US

Socialism in the UK means no pools, no swearing and citizens pulling their own teeth

Guest Post by Simon Black

The events that I am about to describe to you are 100% true.

They have already happened to various people across the United Kingdom, which in some respects is leading the charge to 21st century “Big Brother” authoritarianism.

It’s all real, and it’s all disturbing. To humanize it a little bit we have pulled several true events together into a single story about a man we’ll call “George.”

George thinks he might stop by the community garden. His neighbours regularly gather there around a waist-deep, inflatable pool they purchased to beat the summer heat.

But then he remembers that the landlords ordered the pool removed… they were concerned that a burglar might inadvertently hurt himself while attempting to rob a home, so the pool needed to go. (The Sun, 12 July 2018)

Instead George figures he’ll get a start on some errands. He hops in his work van and stops for a bite to eat on the way into town.

But when George’s meat-lovers pizza arrives, it looks quite sparse and smaller than he remembers.

“Public Health England has new standards we’re following,” the man behind the counter explains. “We’ve cut the meat and reduced the size… it’s to combat childhood obesity.” (The Telegraph, 25 December 2018)

Well I’m not a child, George thinks, but politely keeps it to himself.

George parks downtown, and still feeling a bit peckish, throws away the empty pizza box in the trash bag in the back of his van. But before he can get his shopping started, a member of the local council enforcement approaches. He noticed the trash in the back of George’s work van.

“Do you have a waste carrier’s license, to carry rubbish in a commercial vehicle?”

“What, to throw out my lunch? I didn’t toss it out the window, did I?”

George received a £300 fine. Yes, in the UK, you now need a license to have trash in your private property. (The Sun 2nd August 2018)

By now George is understandably feeling a bit peeved. And when he sees a sign that says police are conducting a facial recognition trial, he pulls his sweatshirt up over his face. But he hasn’t gone 12 paces before officers pull him aside.

“It says participation isn’t mandatory,” George protests.

“Awful suspicious to cover your face,” the cops say. “What do you have to hide?”

“Oh piss off!” George shouts. So the bobbies issue George a £90 public order fine for swearing. No, apparently you can’t opt out of “optional” facial recognition or swear in the UK. (The Independent, 31 January 2019)

Exasperated, George continues to the hardware store. He has to buy a hammer and nails so that he and his neighbors can build a barricade in front of their homes. There’s a big festival coming to town… and last year, police failed to stop revelers from inflicting massive property damage on shops and homes, in addition to multiple stabbings and a number of acid attacks. (The Star, 25th August 2018)

At first George thought the barriers were a bit overkill. Perhaps he could just get some pepper spray instead?

But when he checked the official UK police resource website, George was appalled to read that “The only fully legal self defence product at the moment is a rape alarm.” So, no pepper spray – too much liability.(https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q589.htm )

George arrives home, ready to build, but gets a knock on the door.

It’s the UK anti-terrorism police unit. They received a call from a concerned citizen who had seen the recent 'Life has No Rewind Button' commercials. The videos tell citizens to report any suspicious behaviour, because “Reporting suspicious activity won’t ruin lives, but it might save them.” (Scott Shackford, associate editor.|Jan. 30, 2019 www.reason.com) 

Just like in the commercial, the citizen grew concerned when she saw George buying a hammer… Citizens are told to report on others who make purchases of weapons or “other objects that could be used to cause harm.”

It takes George the better part of an hour to prove his innocence to the officers. By the time they leave, his damn tooth is aching again from all the stress.

What ever happened to that National Health Service request I made a year and a half ago? George thinks.

He contacts the NHS, who tell him to wait patiently, he will be seen when the resources become available. But he’s already waited over a year. And he’s losing patience. Who knows how much longer it will take.

So George clamps a pair of pliers around his tooth… and he yanks it clean out.  (BBC.co.uk, 29th January 2019)

Just another day in the Socialist UK.

(ends)

Well, it must be true.  It was in the news.

On the other hand, you couldn’t make it up.