"I agree with Nick"

[flossietoo]

Oh dear. Today I find myself in the unaccountable position of agreeing with Nick Clegg. Possibly the first person to do so since the televised election debates. Why? Well, today the frankly terrifying Michael Gove admitted that the plan to abolish GCSEs was a meddle too far. He admitted that he'd been wrong. Just before all the politicians previously opposed to the plans rushed to condemn the announcement as "a shambles" and a "U-turn too far," Cleggy praised Gove for having the guts to listen and to change his mind before it was too late.
Quite so.
I am reminded of the shameful idea to flog-off Cannock Chase to the highest bidder. When opposition MPs campaigned against that plan, I was naive enough to think that they actually cared. That somewhere, inside a career parliamentarian, there was a heartbeat of conviction. Nope. Were they dancing in the streets when those plans were shelved? Were they heck. They were rushing to the microphones to crow at another U-turn.
Until our MPs of any party, actually believe in something, it is very difficult for the rest of us to believe in them.

 

[Gramaisc]

Until our MPs of any party, actually believe in something, it is very difficult for the rest of us to believe in them.

It is a bit of a chicken-and-egg thing, though. A lot of the electorate like the idea of 'strong government' and see consensus as a sign of weakness. MPs are almost pushed into using the techniques that will result in working for them...

Of course, it can also sometimes be a bit better if people just listen at the beginning and don't waste time pratting about with nonsense..?

 

[flossietoo]

I agree wholeheartedly with your second point. As to the first, I just think that is really sad. I don't care about whether my Prime Minister is bigger than someone else's Prime Minister. They can pose and strut and arm wrestle all they like. I just long for some evidence of conviction. Of belief. Of integrity. Instead of which it's just a slick of oily folk, scrambling up a greasy pole.

 

[Gramaisc]

Whilst the first point is a point that I have made, it is not 'my point' - it's just an observation of the general political scene here.

I would prefer competence to belief or conviction, although integrity would be useful. Hitler wasn't short of belief or conviction, for example...

The fact that it's full of oily folk just shows that the system works for them - are they likely to change it?

 

[John Marwood]

Psychopaths do not have empathy

 

[Gramaisc]

Psychopaths do not have empathy

I don't care.