« Names and Faces | Main | Why British Politics Conspires Against The Conservatives »
June 09, 2005
Electoral Reform: Proven Goodness
What the Independent has done for the cause of voting reform is marvellous. However, and through no fault of their own, it is perhaps a little too marvellous.
You see, we, or rather the campaign, could do with a little more ammunition from the other papers. Trouble is, voting reform has become the Indy’s ‘thing’, thereby scaring the other papers away somewhat. Even the Guardian, which, propelled by Polly and Robin Cook, led the way pre-election, has been noticeably quiet on the issue of late.
What the other papers need to realise, either one by one, or altogether, is that this debate is fundamentally a Good Thing. Like highlighting Galloway’s goings-on; or mocking fat people.
Luckily we have proof; iron-clad, impenetrable proof that what we are doing is Right: we’ve pissed off the government whips. Anything that sticks in the craw of a snivelling, weasly, yes-man, dogsbody who epitomises all that is sickening about career politicians has to be not just good, but positively angelic.
So I give you ‘Labour clamps down on politicians who speak out for electoral reform’, courtesy of Marie Woolf.
"The whips didn't like me carrying on about the Government's mandate. They was fed up by that. They were not best pleased," he said. "But the voting system belongs to the public not the politicians and it would be wrong to try to relegate an issue like this to a hole-in-the-corner private review."
Now either Marie or Lipsey needs to work on their grammar, unless Lipsey said it deliberately in a faux-simpleton manner, which, unfortunately, doesn’t translate too well over the pages of a newspaper.
Either way, it’s another good article, so read it, and if you haven’t already, sign the Independent’s petition.
And for those of you still wondering whether Tony really doesn’t care about anyone but himself, or whether it was just an ugly rumour (sorry), I direct you to half way down Simon Hoggart’s column today:
There was a wonderfully revealing moment when the Tory leader pro tem said Mr Straw's statement on the matter had been unclear. "He made it clear enough to me," snapped Mr Blair, "and that's all that counts!"
As we suspected - the rest of us don't matter. Mr Straw had been speaking to an audience of one, and that one was perfectly happy.
Even for Simon’s immeasurably high standards, the whole thing is genius this morning, so take five minutes and make yourself laugh...
...at JP:
Did he think that the deputy prime minister thumping people in the street, and swearing at MPs in Commons corridors, helped to foster a culture of respect?
"I thought it was particularly unfortunate that that young thug who attacked my Rt Hon friend, who is of course of pensionable age..."
The notion of Mr Prescott as some frail senior citizen stooping along the pavement only to have his pension ripped from his hands by mullet-sporting hooligans was silly enough to keep the house happy for quite some time. Mr Prescott glowered aggressively. He is someone who can strut angrily while sitting still.
Posted by pauldavies on June 09, 2005
