Worth Ten Pressed Men

A regular reader has rather mischievously suggested by email that Britain might benefit from a Lebanese-style confessional system, so that, while everyone could vote for every seat, and while everyone would have a seat that they would personally be able to contest, in Britain seventy-two per cent of seats would be reserved for Christians, and there would never be another census for fear of disturbing that arrangement.

Oh, well, Brown talks about two new Houses of Parliament in place of the existing ones. That could be one of them. Couldn't it? The other could comprise equal numbers of those who registered as Tories, Liberals, Labourites, Others or Independents, entirely regardless of any party membership or otherwise. Everyone would vote for up to one candidate in each pillar, or whatever they were called, and the top three per constituency would be declared elected at the end. Likewise to fill the confessional seats for the other House, which would have exactly equal powers, as in Italy. Any problems?

Anyway, the Christians of Lebanon are in the news due to the re-emergence of the neocon-backed campaign to strip them of their protections, to only one practically possible benefit. But one way of describing things there is that Catholics know how to stand up for themselves. Several organisations in that tradition remain active and prominent. So how about one of our own Pope-haters enjoying their hospitality, very much a characteristic of that part of the world, for the duration of the Holy Father's State Visit to these shores? If the Pope's Visit passes without unhappy incident, then that person will return, nothing if not well-fed, to tell the tale for generous fees, first in the Sunday papers and then in book form. But if the assassination attempt that is clearly being incited comes to pass, then that person will be shot. Deal?

So, who is it to be? I know who I'd want. As does he.