Big is Generally Ugly

Having analysed the political flyers for the EU elections and seeing we now have two BNP representatives I have reached a conclusion as to how I feel about the EU. In theory it looked quite a good idea back in the sixties when Gen DeGaulle didn’t want us in. When the UK went in without a vote it seemed worth a punt. When we voted to stay in without really knowing what we were voting for, some thought, well were in, it looks a bit early to get out. Some 25 years later we are still in, but we are now part of an unsustainable structure which like the universe is constantly expanding from the big bang that set it in motion, World War II. I now fear we are the human debris settling to the ground in the dust of ignorance. Judging by the EU election leaflets, and the results, I think that is the condition which many politicians and bureaucrats prefer. Or, it could be, that being a bit stupid themselves, they have no idea how to reverse that state of ignorance. Since rulers prefer ignorance I doubt this latter point.

I have always suspected big organisations. They usually seem to concentrate rather too many unpleasant people at the point of the pyramid. This might be sour grapes on my part, having never been invited to rise to such lofty heights. On the other hand I am sufficiently arrogant to think that I could hardly do a worse job, and I could do with the money. Many years ago I was at a meeting when one of the lightweights who was busily floating skyward to the summit of the pyramid, pointed out with all the gravitas he could muster, which wasn’t a lot at the best of times, ‘Ya know, some of you had better realise that small is no longer beautiful’. At the time I suspected he was getting at some of us greener types, thinking we were green behind the ears rather than in our life style expectations. Alternatively he could have been reading ‘Readers Digest’.

Coming from such a person this shallow prose has been enduring proof for the last thirty years that I was right to suspect big cars, building projects and super constitutional arrangements, and even big ideas, as something which for the most part can have ugly, not beautiful outcomes. I am glad to say that Mr Gravitas minor rose to the top of a rather small pyramid in a rather small pond, so perhaps he now realises that small is rather beautiful after all.

And that is how I think about the EU as presently constructed and operated. Since the political parties can’t present specific arguments for or against I shall take refuge in the following small but not beautiful thought. In the short term the EU might be able to better regulate the environmental disaster we have created for ourselves, it might be able to improve the welfare of the masses, but in the long term I fear it’s massive superstructure will drift away from them, taking democratic principles with it before crashing down in a pile of expensive political masonry. This is not to say the European idea should be abandoned. It is more a case of recognising the dangers of high rise living and seeking a return to more humane, co-operative living. Now that would be beautiful.
Dacier

Wanted: Honest people to Join the Elected Legislature

Due to a large number of early retirements the Legislature would welcome applications for a number of vacancies which will arise during the next twelve months.

Successful applicants will present themselves for election in a constituency at a General Election and if successful will be required to exercise there judgement on behalf of their constituents in the formulation and enactment of legislation. You should be aware that the number of seats in the legislative chamber is likely to be reduced during the next Parliament. Although the details of employment are under review applicants should assume that the following job description includes the basic terms and conditions:

You will have a salary of £64,000 per annum (pay rise pending, to include London weighting) and your travel costs to and from your constituency when attending Parliamentary sessions, will be reimbursed. While in London, accommodation will be paid for on your behalf for three nights stay in an approved B&B while the House is sitting or when attending other proceedings of Parliament.

As a backbench member you will be provided with an office and staff including telephone, internet link and stationery. Staff selections will be subject to consultation with the sitting member. Arrangements for the payment of salaries will be dealt with by standard terms and condition for the employment of parliamentary staff. These arrangements replace the previous allowances for administration.

Members will be expected to return to their constituency at weekends and to hold a constituency surgery. Newspapers throughout the week will be delivered as part of your conditions of service.

You should not expect the taxpayer to help you pay to keep your present home on. If you want to keep it, then you should have weekend accommodation in your constituency or move to your job, like everyone else has to.

You should not expect the taxpayer to help you pay to keep your present home on. If you want to keep it, then you should be prepared to have weekend accommodation in your constituency or move to the constituency.

Standard terms and conditions will apply to pensions and retirements and in the event of a member failing to be re-selected or elected. Standard regulations and a Code of Practice for Members will apply to external employment, vacations, and minimum hours of attendance in the House and grievance procedures.

In the event of 51% of the electors in your constituency being dissatisfied with your conduct the Speaker of the House of Commons must order a bye-election. Should you be promoted to a Government post you will be provided with further regulations ensuring that you will not have any conflict on interest between your public duty and your private interests. The number Government posts is due for reduction.
Dacier

Archbishops Intervene!

When I heard reports of Archbishop Rowan William’s article in the Times ( Sat 23rd May) it seemed to be out of touch with what has been going on. We were told that the humiliation of delinquent MPs had gone far enough and would endanger our democracy. The next day he joined with the Archbishop of York to call on voters not to vote for the BNP at the forthcoming European Elections.

In reading the article it was clear that the headline emphasized the first paragraph and skipped the ethical issues. There is much to agree with in the article. The Archbishop argues the need to urgently re-establish trust and to connect the underlying attitudes with a wider problem i.e., personal integrity should allow observance of the spirit of rules not just the letter. Asking, ‘what can we get away with?’ is not a sound moral starting point. By acting in good conscience we not only respect ourselves we also earn the respect of others. I have no problem with any of this.

The humiliation of MP’s is not a pretty sight and by itself could indeed be dangerously undermining of confidence in our democracy. Unfortunately the truth which has now come out will run its course and cannot be stopped. But it would seem that electors have woken up to what has been going on and wish to reclaim democracy, through the ballot box to a new Parliament which recognizes the failings of its predecessor. It is because many electors feel that they know what is fair that they have regained their political self respect. Where the danger lies is in irrational voting or abstention which is exploited by extremists. This is sufficient reason not to plunge into a General Election for the moment. Sadly, the PM was not quick witted enough to grasp this reason for delay.

Whilst the relationship between integrity and rule observance, is a point which needed making, it gives insufficient emphasis to those who ignored the rules. How anyone can say that the purchase of a duck island was an expense incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the course of carrying out parliamentary duties, is beyond imagination. It is a breach of the rules and the claimant is having a laugh at our expense. You might have a different way of expressing this when not in the presence of an Archbishop.

Although many now lack faith in the Parliamentary system we must keep faith with those politicians who have earned our respect during the present crisis. We must also trust the people through the electoral process. But this is where democracy is it at its most fragile and which as we now know, in view of his and the Archbishop of York’s condemnation of the BNP, gives rise to his concerns. If our faith in democracy is lost, or if our votes are misplaced, then delinquent politicians will not be the only ones being humiliated. This is why the intervention of the Church of England should be welcomed by all tolerant people and why others should join in. Lord Tebbit’s advice not to vote for the main parties could easily become, in the present volatile situation, a constitutional nihilism which he had not foreseen, but which we must all fear.
Dacier

Blog Trailers

If you have stumbled upon this site I thought you might like to know what will be happening here in the near future. This might encourage you to follow the site, to share it with others and to comment.

With the Mr Speaker controversy moving on. Did the Queen have something to say? Will Mr Martin resign his seat and cause a Glasgow bye-election. PM won’t want that. Watch this space for comment

The last fortnight has been filled with constitutional drama and has given the politics side of this blog to gravitate towards Westminster and in the nature of things that will happen from time to time, especially with a year of electioneering stating up. AS my recent blog emphasised the European Elections could be a useful starting point for the General Election. Although the PM can usually decide when to ask the Queen for a general Election, the five year life span of a Parliament now boxes him in and as time goes by his options narrow. So lots of fun to come.

In the meantime why not look out for some of the following blackhilltales. The list does not show an exact the order in which they will appear:

Hay Festival at Hay-on-Wye: Why Not?
Visits to local towns and markets
The joys of insulating old properties and rural poverty
Travails with the Energy Saving
Time to Update the Solar Panel

World Premier of our new folk song: details may follow, if not too embarrassing. Sorry.

Country Pubs
Fixed Penalty Fines in a not so supermarket

Occasional series: Watch out its Wildlife!
Occasional series :Briefing Notes for Debaters.

You will have noticed that articles are a bit long for a blog. Some effort will be made to keep some down to 300 words while others that need a bit of room will be not go much beyond 600 words.

And there will be more articles but various DIY jobs are getting rather urgent.

Junk Mail: It must be Monday

This blog has got a bit diverted into matters which are London centric. The only justification is that Westminster politics can absorb so much public money and time. So, by way of a change I thought I would share the contents of my junk mail with you. Firstly, there were no invitations to acquire a credit card. My efforts to stop this by sending back a message on their pre-paid postcards had no effect but the credit crunch has. Junk mail was not to bad in winter as it provides an endless supply of paper for lighting the Yorkist Range and/ or the Clearview wood burner. In the summer it soon builds up and the paper bank’s ambiguous list of wants means I don’t put the stuff in there, especially where names and address were still present. Even without the peddlers of credit I still mane age to get useless collections of leaflets. One, judging from the logo, is a Royal Mail compendium of insurance products. Another, which always amuses me, is the pizza takeaway offering delivery to our door. A twenty four mile round trip seems rather excessive for us. If we were considering picking one up coming on the way out of town a visit to one of the 24 hour supermarkets we pass might make a better buy. But for a treat it might be fun to get one delivered as suggested by the leaflet. Provision of our post code to their website quickly showed they don’t come this far.

The three other items were not strictly speaking junk. Two were Euro election leaflets from UKIP and the Green Party. We are in the same constituency as our daughter who lives two hours drive away. Since our present MEPs names were unknown to us we visited www.writetothem. We await the sitting candidates leaflets. An excellent service but the names meant little to us. As my earlier ‘Why Blog? ‘piece indicated, these political leaflets are being saved for later comment. Lord Tebbit’s advice not to vote for the main parties, if followed, could have interesting results.

My third piece of mail was a mail shot from my last employer, a college at a joyfully great distance from here. Why on earth anyone out here would want to join an association of former staff I cannot imagine, even though no membership fee is mentioned at this stage. I suppose that as higher education seems to have proceeded on the assumption that academic staff should not have a life outside the collegiate one, there must be quite a few lonely souls finding it hard to exist without the company of their old workmates. Perhaps the most amusing benefit is a discount at a well known bank. What for I ask? Buying its shares or is it for sale? Among the benefits of joining are discounts for lunch in the training restaurant and on the annual membership fee for the gym. All very fine if you have retired within a short travelling distance which is the assumption of the invitation.

The most worrying benefit which is promised is free access to the college library. I always thought it was a public library and free anyway. Does this mean that a pensioner, not a former member of staff, has to pay to use the library? If I have got this wrong perhaps someone should go on an in house copy-writing course. I am sure one would exist as such leaflets are part of the great commodity movement. Education has customers, managers, products and marketers, so it must also be sold like all the other products. It is now an industrialised process and so an item of mail like this should not be surprising. However, it is no more accessible to a rural resident than a pizza delivery service. It is however the urban mind set of both items which irritates and amuses. In other contexts such assumptions would be seen as politically incorrect. So I suppose both items have their instructive uses. But does that stop them being junk?
Dacier