Yesterday HM the Queen had the dubious pleasure of again reading out from a parchment manuscript (well, at least it precludes last minute alterations) her government's intended programme for the next twelve months. That will take the country to within a year of the 2015 General Election. Time, you might think for really getting a grip on the essentials and fast tracking delivery.
The whole speech took less than eight minutes, was fair on some aspirations, especially of those wanting to get on a bit, verbally positive though unclear on immigration, helpful in moving the sluggish progress of the new High Speed 2 railway line along a bit but not overly so. (The £2bn a year spend on construction has to follow on from the same sum currently being spent on London's much delayed Crossrail scheme). There were things about pensioners only having to pay around £150,000 between them to cover what passes, or doesn't , for "care" in their twilight years, a fairer society, the favourite LibDem insert which gives them sort of fuzzy warm feelings but are otherwise pretty meaningless. At root is the underlying theme that the current scapegoats , be they bankers or people who have made a bit other than by the socially acceptable means of winning it on the X factor or the lottery or being a footballer or pop star must be soaked for more tax. The fact that they already may pay more than is fair is irrelevant. Philosophically the left mean "Yes, we support you getting on a bit but just don't overdo it even if you create jobs for other people as being better off would be unfair and we will take the money off you."
There were weren't even vagueries about the promised one day referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU. Never mind , we already know that Dave will go to the Belgian/EU capital with jaw squared, say "enough is enough" and come back with another piece of parchment or maybe a tweet from Angela saying all is well. Everyone knows it won't be. The UK and the mainland European superstatists simply want different things and always have. Neither of them is wrong. They just think differently.
Realists know that Dave's record as a negotiator so far hasn't been wonderful,- and that's being nice to him. Right now he is up/down there with that awfully nice chap on "The Apprentice" who can't help giving the shop away even after a good deal has been done . That means that British free traders but non-federalists can't be optimistic about where the EU is inexorably going. The much better organised Europeans are much more politically astute, battle hardened ,savvy and organised . They know that despite the advance carryon ,come the day or night our man is really a pushover and that he really wants to stay in and be invited to the top table. He only likes top tables and has always been used to them. He would cringe at the very idea of being anywhere else. Heaven forbid the Burger King or even the Starbucks, or British, tax paying Costa, next to the laundry. He is therefore likely to accept the nice seat away from the rabble even if he knows, as surely he must, that the real discussions in Europe have long been stitched up by the continentals beforehand off camera. They always have been. They will give him some nice words and a bauble or two to take home and offer the British public in a referendum and that will be it. None of all this is a good starting point for those who really do want a new relationship with the EU and with it a thoroughly democratic overhaul of that incredibly autocratic, directive and non democratic organisation.
The UK has never wanted to be absorbed into a monolithic superstate . Its biggest failing is never having come out straight and said so. It should have done so right from the start but in Edward Heath's fawning desparation to get in it never did . Successive Prime Ministers have then put off the moment of truth and as result allowed the UK to be sucked ever deeper in. As result, getting out has become more and more difficult.
Her Majesty, the master of concealing her views about anything other than a winning horse, delivers the words with no indication of her feelings about any of it. No rolled eyes, no yawns or sounds of weariness and no inserts along the lines of "You won't believe this but...." If her world were free it would be reasonable for her to glance through the pages and declare: "Look, I think that Dave or someone has already tweeted, twittered or something about all this so you already know as much as I do. There's not much point in reading it out and its full of platitudes and things that will never happen anyway. Come on Philip, these good people must be waiting for their lunch, we should be going".
After the royal party, including a medal festooned Prince Charles and tiara topped (Princess but not) Camilla, had left, the politicians filed out for said (subsidised) lunch break before going back to the Commons for the traditional exchange of unpleasantaries. Something has happened to the art of debating recently. The art has largely gone. (Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage are much needed in the Commons). The two main party leaders, Dave and Ed show it clearly almost every time they exchange any comments beyond "Hello", if they actually ever do say that. Whether it is weekly Prime Ministers Questions, a debate like this one or any other, we are not treated to carefully ,calmly and coherently worded statements, explanations but an exchange of noisy rants conducted at high volume. This is neither debating nor oratory. Miliband has developed a cleverer approach than Cameron and goes to get under the Prime Minister's skin, something that isn't difficult . The latter should know that by now and , if the good responses don't come easily he should have been tutored have been tutored in how to go about them, how to vary the pace and tone and come out on top and Prime Ministerial without just being noisily arrogant. Unfortunately there either hasn't been any tutoring or if there has been a change of mentor is needed.
Put aside the pagentry and spectacle yesterday in parliament was not inspiring . There was no sign of vision or leadership anywhere. It was very dull and pointed towards another hung parliament after 2015. Some might say it pointed more towards hanging parliament as electors file into the booths to spoil their papers by writing in "None of the Above" or of course simply voting UKIP to say the same thing. That's a dreary thought and an indictment of the current crop never-done-a-real- job professional politicians on all sides. They should be boldly delivering vision, dynamism, energy, and commitment to better everything. With two years to go to the next General Election they aren't. That's not good for democracy. It's also a huge waste of talent on their part. Time to get a grip.
The whole speech took less than eight minutes, was fair on some aspirations, especially of those wanting to get on a bit, verbally positive though unclear on immigration, helpful in moving the sluggish progress of the new High Speed 2 railway line along a bit but not overly so. (The £2bn a year spend on construction has to follow on from the same sum currently being spent on London's much delayed Crossrail scheme). There were things about pensioners only having to pay around £150,000 between them to cover what passes, or doesn't , for "care" in their twilight years, a fairer society, the favourite LibDem insert which gives them sort of fuzzy warm feelings but are otherwise pretty meaningless. At root is the underlying theme that the current scapegoats , be they bankers or people who have made a bit other than by the socially acceptable means of winning it on the X factor or the lottery or being a footballer or pop star must be soaked for more tax. The fact that they already may pay more than is fair is irrelevant. Philosophically the left mean "Yes, we support you getting on a bit but just don't overdo it even if you create jobs for other people as being better off would be unfair and we will take the money off you."
There were weren't even vagueries about the promised one day referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU. Never mind , we already know that Dave will go to the Belgian/EU capital with jaw squared, say "enough is enough" and come back with another piece of parchment or maybe a tweet from Angela saying all is well. Everyone knows it won't be. The UK and the mainland European superstatists simply want different things and always have. Neither of them is wrong. They just think differently.
Realists know that Dave's record as a negotiator so far hasn't been wonderful,- and that's being nice to him. Right now he is up/down there with that awfully nice chap on "The Apprentice" who can't help giving the shop away even after a good deal has been done . That means that British free traders but non-federalists can't be optimistic about where the EU is inexorably going. The much better organised Europeans are much more politically astute, battle hardened ,savvy and organised . They know that despite the advance carryon ,come the day or night our man is really a pushover and that he really wants to stay in and be invited to the top table. He only likes top tables and has always been used to them. He would cringe at the very idea of being anywhere else. Heaven forbid the Burger King or even the Starbucks, or British, tax paying Costa, next to the laundry. He is therefore likely to accept the nice seat away from the rabble even if he knows, as surely he must, that the real discussions in Europe have long been stitched up by the continentals beforehand off camera. They always have been. They will give him some nice words and a bauble or two to take home and offer the British public in a referendum and that will be it. None of all this is a good starting point for those who really do want a new relationship with the EU and with it a thoroughly democratic overhaul of that incredibly autocratic, directive and non democratic organisation.
The UK has never wanted to be absorbed into a monolithic superstate . Its biggest failing is never having come out straight and said so. It should have done so right from the start but in Edward Heath's fawning desparation to get in it never did . Successive Prime Ministers have then put off the moment of truth and as result allowed the UK to be sucked ever deeper in. As result, getting out has become more and more difficult.
Her Majesty, the master of concealing her views about anything other than a winning horse, delivers the words with no indication of her feelings about any of it. No rolled eyes, no yawns or sounds of weariness and no inserts along the lines of "You won't believe this but...." If her world were free it would be reasonable for her to glance through the pages and declare: "Look, I think that Dave or someone has already tweeted, twittered or something about all this so you already know as much as I do. There's not much point in reading it out and its full of platitudes and things that will never happen anyway. Come on Philip, these good people must be waiting for their lunch, we should be going".
After the royal party, including a medal festooned Prince Charles and tiara topped (Princess but not) Camilla, had left, the politicians filed out for said (subsidised) lunch break before going back to the Commons for the traditional exchange of unpleasantaries. Something has happened to the art of debating recently. The art has largely gone. (Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage are much needed in the Commons). The two main party leaders, Dave and Ed show it clearly almost every time they exchange any comments beyond "Hello", if they actually ever do say that. Whether it is weekly Prime Ministers Questions, a debate like this one or any other, we are not treated to carefully ,calmly and coherently worded statements, explanations but an exchange of noisy rants conducted at high volume. This is neither debating nor oratory. Miliband has developed a cleverer approach than Cameron and goes to get under the Prime Minister's skin, something that isn't difficult . The latter should know that by now and , if the good responses don't come easily he should have been tutored have been tutored in how to go about them, how to vary the pace and tone and come out on top and Prime Ministerial without just being noisily arrogant. Unfortunately there either hasn't been any tutoring or if there has been a change of mentor is needed.
Put aside the pagentry and spectacle yesterday in parliament was not inspiring . There was no sign of vision or leadership anywhere. It was very dull and pointed towards another hung parliament after 2015. Some might say it pointed more towards hanging parliament as electors file into the booths to spoil their papers by writing in "None of the Above" or of course simply voting UKIP to say the same thing. That's a dreary thought and an indictment of the current crop never-done-a-real- job professional politicians on all sides. They should be boldly delivering vision, dynamism, energy, and commitment to better everything. With two years to go to the next General Election they aren't. That's not good for democracy. It's also a huge waste of talent on their part. Time to get a grip.
