Friday 5 August 2011

Oh, when will they ever learn?*

The Sun is reporting that David Laws is set to return to government, probably in a reshuffle, during September or October - although this could happen sooner should Chris Huhne be found guilty of perverting the course of justice. The return of Laws has been mooted in the media for some time now, so this article is hardly 'news' in the strict sense of the word 'news'.

When this happens, as it surely will, it will just demonstrate yet again what a rotten, self-serving and venal world our political system has become. David Laws was guilty of malfeasance in that he misused public money - his reasons are neither here nor there. The fact that he attempted to hide his sexual proclivity, whether that was through shame or not, is also neither here nor there, he misused public money.

Politicians present themselves to their electorate as someone to trust, someone who professes that given the opportunity, they have the necessary skills to act in the best interests of that electorate. They present themselves as men and women of impeccable character, amongst which attribute is supposedly honour and principle. The misuse of pubic money by Laws is, in my book, no different to the that for which Devine has just been released from prison - namely they both claimed money from the public purse to which they were not entitled.

The fact that some MPs were prosecuted, served prison sentences (albeit short ones) and banned from membership of their political party and others have not been begs the question - to coin a phrase - just what 'back-door' deal was done in Laws' case? That Laws may be readmitted to the world of politics, that there are still sitting in the House of Commons other MPs who are 'technically' guilty of the misuse of public funds is to the detriment of the political class, politics in general and is a stain on the reputation of this country.

The sooner our electoral system includes open primaries and a recall system for errant MPs, the latter not dependent on the agreement of their colleagues, the sooner the corrupt political system that prevails can be purged by the electorate. As I write the edifice that is the European Union looks set to crumble and disintegrate - the sooner that same disintegration of our political system occurs the better the country and its people will be better governed - that also assumes that the people need 'governing'.


* Words taken from:"Where have all the flowers gone?" - Pete Seeger, 1961

9 comments:

john in cheshire said...

Until people like Mr Laws are, either by their own will, or by others, excluded from further public service, nothing will change. And people like me will hold them all in contempt.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

The whole thing is beyond belief and credibility is it not?

TomTom said...

I feel for you WfW having such a venal MP and am happy that I can vote for my Conservative Mp for himself knowing how much he loathes Cameron and is genuine as constituency MP.

But I am also aware this game is over. We are moving out of the dreamworld created in 1945 by Soma and Welfare into the harsh world that our great-grandparents knew from their forefathers.

Living in The North gives us a harsher edge, more bitter, and my time in Oxford always seemed softer. It is Harry Brown time, V for Vengeance, time for action to expose the rotten structure.

Time to withdraw assent and legitimacy from the System and watch it crash. The politicos and bankers are stunned - I watched Lord Oakeshott on SkyTV with a superb interviewer impale him today trying to talk up markets but avoid prosecution

We are witnessing the change of an era just as they did in 1931 when Britain abandoned its own Gold Standard and became what the First war had made it, a has-been imperial power. The drama has played out to the point where Cameron is ceding our existence as a sovereign state - the ultimate in Welfarist utopianism.

As Terry Thomas said in I'm Alright Jack - "Welfare state ? Farewell State I call it !"

WitteringsfromWitney said...

Tom Tom: Interesting that you have an MP who hates Cameron and is a good constituency MP - now let me guess........

I am all for the V for Vengeance 'time for action' scenario - I just wish I knew how to go about it.....

john in cheshire said...

WfW, me too. But of course Mr V had money and contacts. I don't.

Woodsy42 said...

Their arrogance is beyond belief.

WitteringsfromWitney said...

W42: True and sad - got any money so we can do a 'V' (I jest......)

Anonymous said...

If an Economist is interested the of distribution power of wealth; is a Sodomist a person interestested the distribution of loyalty and affection?

WitteringsfromWitney said...

K: God knows - that is a tad over my head.......