As Simon Jenkins rightly points out:
Have you noticed how the political establishment hates elections? It regards them as vulgar, foreign, exhibitionist and unpredictable. To those in power they are mere concessions to mob rule. If electors did not insist on them, elections would have been abolished long ago as Victorian gimmicks to appease proletarian sentiment.
There is no other explanation for Westminster's reaction to Ireland's weekend vote on the Lisbon treaty and to David Davis's resignation over 42-day-detention. Nor is there any other explanation for the welcome that will be given to Hazel Blears's forthcoming local government white paper. This will, it is rumoured, reduce the 95% of elections still held in Britain (local ones) to largely consultative status, to clear the ground for Gordon Brown's Putin-style appointed regional government.
So we get to decide which group of cavorting liars and perverts pretends to govern us! So what?
ReplyDeleteThe Davis by-election so far looks like being a total mockery of democracy, and a good thing too. If the word in this context has any meaning whatsoever then the jumped up little **** will be out on his ear and replaced by the fruit-and-veg salesman. Unfortnately it won't, and the best that can be hoped for is that Davis will be returned but as a national laughing-stock on a 20% turn-out.
Maybe then people will start to realise what a hollow sham "elections" in this country really are.
"So we get to decide which group of cavorting liars and perverts pretends to govern us!"
ReplyDeleteOrdinarily, yes.
But not this time.