![]() +I have to say that sitting out in the garden with a glass of Malbec and maybe a cigar really competes with the attraction of writing a blog. But for how long can one sit in the sun ignoring the absurdities that swill around us like so many sticky invisible muggers, as whatsisname the PM described the enemy we are currently grappling with? I soon expect to hear people in the street telling each other that our society is not fit for purpose, never mind the government. Hang on a second, no, that’s not going to happen. +I have followed the career of John Bercow a little since leaving the House, generally supporting his reforms of House of Commons routines, but feeling queasy about his self-inflated ego. A Napoleon Complex? But the unjust rejection of his peerage nomination strikes me as being a particularly indefensible act of pettiness. All former Speakers as I recall have been accorded the elevation. His rejection is just another example of an unaccountable establishment signalling its disdain for those who challenge it. Bercow irritated Conservatives beyond endurance with his insistence on parliamentary scrutiny. It is possible that he behaved badly behind the scenes, but since no case has been proven, it appears the Honours Appointments Commission or whatever they call themselves has acted according to the usual British lip service hypocrisy of 'innocent until proven guilty.' Of course, another, simpler explanation of Bercow’s rejection is that he was nominated by the ‘anti-Semitic’ Jeremy Corbyn—no matter of course that Bercow is Jewish. Maybe he’s one of those self-hating Jews? And another explanation is that apostates never garner honours in their old country. +As I understand it today, MPs have voted to only allow votes within the precincts of the House of Commons. This reflects Rees-Mogg’s determination to restore the historical splendour of Parliament, nay the Mother of Parliaments to its traditional clubby but somewhat shambolic role as ‘cockpit of the nation.’ Nothing will drive the likes of Rees-Mogg into the modern era. But since he’s so fond of the Victorian age, perhaps Thames Water could be called upon to arrange a new version of the Great Stink of 1858 when the smell of sewage in the Thames was so great the Palace of Westminster (great name for a parliament) had to be vacated. Meanwhile, we might ask why it is the government gets to decide on what parliamentary procedures should be rather than parliament itself. Such things should be determined on a free vote. Yes, MPs could have said let’s not do this, but this is a clear example of how our theoretical house of representation is usually merely the tool of the executive. +It must have been about eight or nine weeks ago when I blogged about the lack of rain. I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but we seem to be headed for a severe drought. The Coronavirus seems to have taken our minds off the possibility that there are other shit storms lurking around, some of course the result of climate change. This evening’s BBC news even had a brief mention of water companies asking people not to use hoses. And it’s only the 2nd of June. I have looked at the Environment Agency’s river flow maps as a proxy indicator of how things are going. I recognise that ground water levels after a wet winter may tell a different story, but shouldn’t we be hearing something from the Environment Secretary about this? ONLY JOKING! HAHAHAHA!!! +Theories (call them what you will) about the spread of Coronavirus have not yet (to my knowledge) mentioned the role of aircraft con-trails. Surely there’s a connection here? And there is. International air travel has to be one of the main suspects for the spread of the virus so quickly around the globe. Now, the absence of those con-trails today is an indicator of the control of the pandemic. So at last, we have a connection, and con-trail theorists (call them what you will) have got something which actually makes sense!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
November 2024
|