Friday 18 November 2011

Ministerial 'rebellion' - really?

Andrew Grice, in the Independent, writes about Conservative ministers having joined the revolt against the Government's controversial proposals to relax the planning rules to allow more building in the countryside. Notably, as in all such articles, not one 'rebel' is named - although in fairness, on the question of HS2, both Gillan and Lidington have been reported to have stated that they would vote against that policy. However, on that last point, I have yet to see or hear either Gillan and Lidington actually say that.

What we have here with this story is yet more 'social engineering' in that we are led to believe a row is brewing within government on policy matters, one issued to have us believe that a policy may possibly be under review. As with all such stories it will be interesting to see whether principle and honour outweigh the perks of ministerial position, power and 'wonga' (in the monetary sense).

If only we had a participatory/referism form of democracy it would not matter one iota what a government minister intimated as their 'view', or 'spin', would count for nought - likewise it would 'kill' their use of the media and 'friendly' journalists, thus saving us from wasting our eyesight reading non-stories.

There are many reasons for a change to our system of democracy - and probably the most important and beneficial would be the negation of politicians and their thought processes, together with non-journalists who it would seem have no thought processes!





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