Monday, June 11, 2007
Do We Need More Diane Abbotts?
Jackie Ashley wrote a piece in The Guardian this morning about the lack of female black MPs, headline "Our dull, doughy parliament needs more Diane Abbotts" - a headline guaranteed to rile most Tories. Blogger Tony Sharp has got a fascinating follow up piece with Priti Patel HERE.
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69 comments:
what a load of dull bullshine. What we desperately need is FEWER Mp of any colour, race or persuasion. A hand or two at most.
Agreed, Colin D. For one thing, I'd like to see far fewer women in Parliament as women are mummys and interferers. With one or two stellar exceptions, they are bossy boots. Not the very fine Ann Widdecombe. Not the very fine Edwina Currie, or Margaret Thatcher or the Dimwoodie lady, but most of them cannot wait to get their fangs into ordering other people's lives for them.
Why we would "need" more Asians and blacks is a mystery. What might be nice is competent people dedicated to serving the electorate, and they are few and far between in any colour. For God's sake, quotas for Parliament would be New Labour's penultimate triumph. The final triumph will be the signing away of Britain by the nauseating Tony Blair.
I suggest that the House of Commons open each day with a chorus of The Internationale.
"Rile most Tories"? Why?
I mean, surely the whole A-list project was trying to push forward women and ethnic minority MPs and tangentially to highlight media darlings who can take the Conservative message out from the back garden.
Apart from the fact that Abbott is on the left, a maverick by the standards of her party, and the article is written by Jackie Ashley in The Guardian and not Alice Thompson in the Telegraph... where's the controversy?
It riles most Tories because we don't like lefties like Abbott. In fact, this is something we have in common with new Labour supporters too, I guess.
I think Mrs Marr is (as always) entirely correct; we need a Parliament that reflects our nation - there should be a quota for dribbling idiots, for frothing rascists, for people who imagine that anything Jeremy Clarkson says could possibly have merit (quite a disappointingly large quota that one), and of course one for journalists who got their breaks because of the status of their parents.
In fact the best bet might be to make serving as an MP a refined form of Jury Service. Works for the Swiss, apparently, and they're all unspeakably rich...
If they come with a mandatory Michael Portillo, probably no.
Iain: might it be an idea to flick the switch on verity and removed this misogynist and racist comment? With 8% of Tory MPs women and 51% of the population the Tories are clearly not picking properly from the full range of talent available.
Unless it is Tory policy that women are inferior, stupid and need to stay in the kitchen, nursery, bedroom and of course working for the sex industry ... parliament simply is not representative on this or other grounds.
The suggestion of the Internationale is great.
But MPs are hardly the cream of the crop are they? Not our brightest and best are they?
Diane Abbot is quite bright and would make a useful minister. Get your money for the second reshuffle, she is a pragmatist and will flex her beliefes to get more leverage.
Dianne Abbott's no leftie, she pulled her son out of a failing state school to send him to private school. She knows first hand how Labour is failing children. Drastic action like this means she should think about voting Tory.
She'll never make the front bench so she can't do any harm.
Besides, give me Abbott any day instead of arrogant males like Dennis MacShane, Peter Hain or Liam Fox.
I am a representative of the planet Mongo, and I can report that 23.8% of us are desperately upset that only 2% of us are members of your Parliament. Over to you. Please empower us you ****.
I think we don't have enough unusual MPs -- for example, there are millions of cats in the UK, but not one 'Plush Person'(TM) has made it, nor have the doggies. And dont' forget the aliens, whose existence has often been doubted by the ever-skeptical but confirmed by many UFO fans -- the green men from outer space would make splendid MPs -- it'll go from national straight to interstellar, how inclusive and groovy is that???
Actually, what we need is sensible people of whatever party, who don't lie, steal or otherwise mess up, who have read their books from www.numberwatch.co.uk and no longer conned by dodgy statistics and who are not led by blind personal believes but by common sense and who want to improve this country (or even this world) by ensuring that people are free enough to be able to do so. Of course it won't happen, so in the absence of the ideal solution, I'll settle for the aliens, whatever the colour of their skin or sexuality. ET for PM!
Cinnamon - Agree. No quotas! Ever! For anything!
Chris Paul says: "With 8% of Tory MPs women and 51% of the population the Tories are clearly not picking properly from the full range of talent available."
The stupidity of this sentence is mind-numbing. Fifty-one per cent of the population is women. (Does that mean the other 49% of the population is men? Where are the children?) Do you think that that supposed 51% of women want to be MPs? What if they already have a job - in merchant banking, say, or in the medical profession, or as nail technicians? Can they be excused from your Brave New World?
Women do very well in some professions - and not just the caring professions; they do well in law and in merchant banking and some other fields. I do not want them, by and large, though, legislating my life. Women in legislatures and governing bodies think they know best. What's more, I hate that caring crap.
(I mentioned women well able to maintain their objectivity and clear thinking in my previous post.)
I have lived, perfectly happily, where I was governed by people of races other than my own and I obeyed their laws and when the police gave me a ticket I accepted it without an argument. You are a very excitable fellow, Chris Paul and need to calm way down.
There are not enough Big Brother winners becoming MP's.
I'd just like to say that I love this question. Have you got copyright?
What parliament needs is more doughty englishmen like Enoch Powell with brilliant minds and spell-binding oratory, not hypocrites like Abbot.
Her ability to speak coherently is reminiscent of Dr Johnson's dog.
Does anyone know how many female political bloggers there are compared to male? I know of only a few and they seem very popular. Could it be said that given the small numbers of women that go into politics, they are, given the positions they hold, very successful. 28% of Labour MPs are female, 35% of cabinet minister are female.
"The very fine Edwina Currie"? I have just had a frightening thought. Verity, you can't be . . . . .
the house of commons could do with a cull, seeing as st toni is signing our right to rule ourselves away why do we need the freeloading egomaniacs at all.get one of those birds that dip their beaks in water stick a stamp with "appoved" on it and your away you can paint it any colour you want.
"Dimwoodie lady" - not sure I know who you mean there, verity ?
Mary Portas for Prime Minister !!!
Sexy, Sassy, with a Super Chassis !!
Grrrr !""!
Anonymous 9:06 - I was too lazy to look it up, but the individual I referred to is Gwyneth Dunwoodie.
Little Black Sambo - V funny! Although I do think John Major is cute.
"Do we need more Diane Abbotts?"
Absolutely and comprehensively not.
As to 'flexing her beliefs' - don't they bleeding all? Anything, but anything to keep their snouts in the trough. This is nothing to do with principle and everything to do with power and wealth.
“ A lie told Often enough becomes the truth”,Vladimir Lenin
“Unless it is Tory policy that women are inferior, “. I think that example of half digested political correctness sums up much of the core foolishness of the comedy lefty Chris (I -couldn’t -make- it - up ) Paul. The characteristics if people are not as yet set to a series of dials by the state although I do not doubt that the malodorous weirdo they have in command would love to “make it so”.
This is political correctness in all its dumb tumescent glory. The process was started , by German Marxists and travelled to American campuses for obvious reasons where it is still in command today. What it tries to do is to replace facts with emotions , individuals with groups and , laudably , to empower the weak. At this point most of the benefit has been banked and it is almost entirely harmful. differences biologically , between men and women are not permissible to study and the myth that the wage differential is driven by sexism goes unquestioned ( its about 80% for women). This difference can readily be explained in other ways and further attempts to give women rights men do not have has the perverse effect of harming women’s job prospects . The fact that the growth of AIDs in this country is almost entirely imported from West Africa was kept hidden for a long time and both the wish to execute homosexuals promulgated by Islam and the violent homo”Phobia” of Jamaican men , is excused. I have seen comedy lefty Chris Paul on this Blog minimise the incidence of forced marriage and claim, because it happens elsewhere , it is in some way , not so bad. The classic differential blame calculus .
There are so many errors in the thinking its hard to know where to start . Let us begin with the assumption that an individual that belongs to a perceived ( by self flagellating liberals ) victim group , is an expert in such victim hood . An emotional appeal it surely hasbut is there any reason to suppose I am an expert in “White men”? Of course not , it would not occur to anyone that this was homogenous slice of human cake . The fact that ”Group” victim status is important though makes it hard for the zealot to think outside their error . In fact black people in this country are highly various . For example Priti Patels parentage has ( and I haven’t checked ) almost certainly come to this country via Africa where they were kicked out by the blacks having done jolly nicely out of the empire and subsequently the down trodden “ native “ population,.
Quite what this middle class inheritor adds beyond a bit of shading is a question David Cameron might think about. He continues to ignore the vastly more important democratic deficits of “Political opinions. “ on Europe , on immigration , on the death penalty and right across the board of class.
Interestingly the Left which once accorded the white working class precious victim status now tend to demonise it loathing its unsavoury nationalism and social conservatism. Jews have similarly journeyed into the oppressor camp.
The signal that is given to black communities by the overt favouritism shown to tokens is that they are “victims “ and they can blame everyone lese for their troubles. The truth is that the answers are not skin colour , there are groups of blacks doing very well indeed like the Ghanaians who have strong sense of discipline and respect for education. Racial profiling is also a useful security tool that ha s been shouted down on the basis of “Feelings “. when clearly security is vastly more important . For left , racism is an all purpose slogan daubed on a Latrine door. It requires no justification or context it is simply the end not only of any debate but of the further contributions of the proposer.
For all these reason we do not need to make any active steps beyond a friendly welcome to promote black or women candidates ( Like Iain’s new best friend Bagshaw).
It offends the meritocratic gold standard that is the ultimate salvation of all ”Groups” it creates victim psychology and it allows the pretence of inclusiveness when in fact it is nothing of the kind. Furthermore it stokes resentment in the white working-class already feeling betrayed by the ruling elite and of course the Labour party. I think I need hardly add that Dianne Abbot is a clown who sent her children to private schools because they were “Black” A unique disadvantage in Haringey apparently…….
NO NO NO.
To say that Ann Widdecombe is not a bossy boots casts doubt on your judgement, Verity. I quite like her but she has made a political and now a media career out of telling people what to do.
Priti Patel's comments are interesting. There is a similar debate about the lack of Asian footballers, which may have something to do with actual or perceived racism but may also be because many Asian families do not see sport as a great career option.
Forthhurst said -What parliament needs is more doughty englishmen like Enoch Powell with brilliant minds and spell-binding oratory, not hypocrites like Abbot.
Have you read his disgusting Rivers Of Blood Speech the stupid arrogance of that man ditched all sensible attempts to control, immigration ever since . It was a catastrophic political misjudgment brought about the self love of a preening academic .
It was the woman`s letter that finished him and if you look at it again I think you can see why.
Enoch Powell...ugh
Nothing Michael Portillo and a tin of Cherry Blossom couldn't solve!
newmania - I don't always agree with you but you are bang on the button here. There is an exhibition on at the Arnolfini at the moment, and it highlights the background to some of the race riots, such as Handsworth, and the fact that Tory party slogans included 'If you want a ni**er for your neighbour, vote Labour'. Thank goodness we have advanced beyond that level of debate in this country.
Ann Widdecombe isn't bossy the way I mean it, Simon. In fact, I don't really think she is bossy at all. Opinionated, yes. But unopinionated people don't go into politics.
Many women try to get into politics "to make a difference". No! Please! Leave us alone! Any differences that need to be made in my life, I will make, not you. Go away!
Did you not see that programme when she toured a south London estate, asking residents things like "are you a crack addict?" and "have you ever thought about getting a job?". I loved it, partly because it teetered on the edge of Chris Morris-style parody, but she was very, very bossy.
Also, is she still doing that agony aunt column where her advice consisted of variations of "For God's sake, pull yourself together"?
Simon that estate was the infamous Andover estate near me and the local Conservative Party, who AW ignored were forced to apologise to the residents who some certain members were trying to cultivate . Then the Labour Coucillor who had meant to use the show for her own purposes by inviting Anne got firebombed.
Overall it was a good programme and the terror of walking such a place at night is far worse than could be easily portrayed.
Diane Abbott isn't a "leftie". She's just an opportunist on the make. Taking the money and going through the motions.
Basically she's just "taking the p*ss" like quite a few of her colleagues.
Do any of you really take her seriously?
Ho Hum
Dat Verity am rite about dem bossy boots.
Time to get out de Pearl Handled Webberly from de safe at Entebbe Co-oP
We do not need more Diane Abbot's.
'Principled leftie' - except when it does not suit her.
happy to go on the telly, take the money and rat on her colleagues.
This is nothe sort of person we need, regardless of race or creed. We need decent upstanding people, who want to make the country a better place, not just improve their own familiy's wealth.
Newmania - I live near the Andover estate too, as it happens, and I know well how grim it is. Fair play to AW for going there - she has the courage of her convictions - but the programme was not without its comical aspect.
Aonymous 10:28 - There's only one gun for people who really, really like guns, and that's a Glock.
Wasn't Entebbe where the Iraelis pulled off a brilliant raid of a skyjacked plane?
Simon, I don't see what you report about Ms Widdecombe as being bossy. Perhaps very direct and off-putting, but not bossy.
Bossy is telling busines owners that they have to put No Smoking signs on their doors. Bossy is deciding Parliament should have "family friendly" hours of debate. Bossy is telling banks to take little piggy banks off their literature. Bossy is all the flea bites of thought fascism that are all over Britain like a rash. Bossy is Elfin Safety. Bossy is curtailing our ancient right to free speech.
Someone said above that 35% of the Cabinet is women. That is quite chilling, but also helps to explain why Blair's cabinets have been such an incoherent mess. Of course, he wanted it that way, because no one was running the country but him, anyway.
Ann Widdecombe is direct and opinionated, but she doesn't boss people around. Not like those socialist harridans.
Not wishing to open old arguments with Verity, but it is interesting that she objects to women MPs on the grounds that they are "interferes" and "bossy boots", yet excludes Anne Widdecombe from this description.
So, if Anne Widdecombe isn't an interferer, how come she stopped me from deciding how I should control the foxes which kill my sheep?
I am afraid I find her intolerably bossy, interfering and, to use your argument, a perfect example of perhaps why there shouldn't be more women in politics!
I happen to take the utterly opposite position to Verity - mainly that we need more women MPs for well rehearsed reasons - but just not women MPs like Anne Widdecombe.
As much as I dislike her politics, I quite like Dianne Abbott. She seems very personable. I did however find it hilarious when she bailed out of the local sink comprehensive and went private. Not good enough for her little darling - but good enough for the rest of the plebs!
nemania
Enoch Powell was not a racist , he merely observed that when one culture overwhelms another, blood tends to flow.
He was after all a classicist , im pissed so I dont care if I mispelt that.
As for more black/Asian MPs, the point is that they should not be there because they are black or Asian, but because they are the best person to do the job.
Positive discrimination is about advancing simply to ensure balance, at the expense of quality. Negative discrimination is about holding back balance, at the expense of quality - so, positive discrimination or racism - same stuff really.
But....what the Tory party (at an association level) needs to do is understand that there is nothing wrong with having an Asian or a black MP, and that it might just be that the black/Asian candidate in front of them is the best man/women for the job.
It shouldn't be about positive discrimination, but rather not holding talented candidates back on account of their race.
It doesn't require an action to do this, just a change of mindset/culture/mentality!
Newmania is entirely wrong to blame Enoch Powell for blocking immigration control and I dont think his speech disgusting in the slightest, but then I am actually a genuine englishman. A misjudgement, certainly, but that does not negate all the man's qualities and achievements, how could it?
As to his misrepresented speech, how about fifty one people on their way to work in the City been blown to smithereens, or was that Enoch's fault as well? And then of course there's sporadic rioting and general lawlessness which is always bought off with further concessions and more compromises to our way of life.
My dull, doughy kitchen needs a Diane Abbott. If she can cook, of course.
Just sticking to the point here..
I have watched DA in action over the years on the Politics Show along with her homunculus* (*Copyright The Hitch, use of "homunculus") the deeply vain Michelle Portaloo.
Here are my observations, taken over the last couple of years:-
Apart from the ball-searing, tit-tickling hypocracy of being a Labour Leftie and then sending her sprog to a decent school, she does a good line in shutting down any dialogue that does not agree with her nasty leftie liberal agenda.
I don't know what being black has to do with it. She is also fat, but nobody mentions that, which shows that she is basically weak willed and indulgent.
She is somebody who got a few breaks, and we all deserve that, but she is in Parliament because she is a leftie, woman, black and pushy. Erudition and intellect are non-runners in her case.
I cannot think of anything she has said, in response to a question from Brillo Pad that has shed light on any subject apart from that of herself.
(This week I shall be mainly using the new Apple Safari Browser..which at least renders the crappy boxes, flash, scripts etc on this blog readable.)
I agree with Forhurst - 57 (I believe; please forgive me if I'm wrong) people were murdered by the islamics on London Transport; and don't forget around (I am truly sorry to be vague because every case is tragic) 700 maimed. That means 53 families whose person did not come home ever again. And over 700 people going to work who no longer have arms or legs, or their sight,or their faces, or their intestines.
Enoch Powell was prescient but the ethnic group, imported in large numbers, was different in order, I believe, to disturb and divide the balance of the security and serenity of the indigenous Christian population. This was one of Tony and Cherie Blair's vicious, bossy, controlling actions.
I've said many times that I think Tony Blair is mad (and Iain told a good anecdote this evening on 18 doughty Street about a Blair interview in which Blair zigged off in the middle of the interview with a non sequitur about dictators) but I think we haven't paid enough attention to Fat Momma. I think Cherie is mad too, but in a different way. Blinded with hatred.
Agree with newmania about Enoch Powell, he was quite simply mad.
Do we do need more Diane Abbotts? No, her hypocritical choice of education for her son is incompatible with her alleged socialist principles. We have far too many hypocrites in politics as it is, we don't need an more.
Do we need more ethnic minority candidates? Yes, I believe we do. In my view they should be appointed solely on the basis of merit, because positive and negative discrimination are socially divisive and will not recruit people of the calibre we need.
Oh brave anonymous shares with us:
"Agree with newmania about Enoch Powell, he was quite simply mad."
In what sense, darling? Quote your Greek history, which I am sure you have to hand in the original Greek.
I would like to hear your socialist, one-worlder diagnosis of Enoch Powell as "quite simply mad".
Who said? What are your qualifications? Which doctors so diagnosed? Are you a doctor? I don't want to be cruel ...
Or are you one of those bread 'n' circuses Big Brother people who thinks that history began yesterday?
I am so glad I listened to my inner voice and got the hell out Like almost 4m - and counting -others since the Blairs slithered in.
Anonymous 1:24 a.m. "Do we need more ethnic minority candidates? Yes, I believe we do."
Why?
Answer. Why? To address "minority issues"? Can't agree.
There are British issues in Britain. Minorities, get over it or get out.
was the dodgy dossier written in gender neutral language?
I'm glad Chris Paul isn't a statistician. He would be really, really bad at it.
Making wild leaps from a statistic to grand statements about the iniquities of the world is however a common error, especially among left-wingers who tend to make a living from it, so we must not criticise him too harshly. However no-one should take any notice of what he says either until he comes up with a coherent argument.
It could be suggested that people who make such inferences which take huge logical leaps in the dark are being dishonest and deceitful. However I actually like most lefties and "Liberals" I have met, so I tend to think that they are just not very quick-witted.
The truth is that the Conservative Party will make efforts to encourage Black and women candidates so it looks more like the Britain we live in and in doing so will discriminate against more worthy candidates . This is fairly irritating but no worse than fast tracking the Bagshaws of this world because they are women. It is all driven by image and also by the need of Cameron to be able to control the Parliamentary Party which will be more beholden to him and the ruling elite. The interesting thin g is that there are few barriers to women and none to black and Asians now. There are vertiginous barriers to working class candidates and as time goes on even to lower middleclass candidates . Nothing is done about this .
In a sane world, Diane Abbott would be cold-calling to sell me double glazing.
The party that promotes 'wimmin rights' has prescott and straw on display and runs the risk that Hazel Blears could be their most senior woman!
Lady Thatcher was PM 20 years ago so what are they waiting for?
I'm white, middle class and male so I genunely don't know the answers to the following questions:
Is the number of women who actually want to become MP's the same as the number of men?
Is the percentage of people of asian or afro-caribbean descent who want to become MP's the same as among whiteys?
Perhaps more women and people of other races actually have life plans they consider preferable.
It's all very well saying that representation should be demographically representative. But you can hardly force people to sign up at gun point simply to get the numbers right. Or is that the direction in which we are moving?
We don't even need one Diane Abbott in Parliament.......we actually need more Norman Bakers to hold the cretins in government to account - Abbott has never managed to do that
What we need is more Jim Sillars...I can find nothing about this on the web but he hope to have Tony Bliar tried for murder in Scotland...He was being interviewed on PM on Radio 4 last night...
Found a link to this at lasthttp://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=912232007
verity, you ignorant imbecile - can't you see that we are ALL in a minority of some form of another ? You seem to want to repress anyone who wants to belong to a 'minority'. Just as well the majority don't want to exclude the rights of the obese minority...
Hmmm good to see, that Cameron still has plenty of work to do, to turn the Tories into 'Liberal Conservatives' Still the same old bunch of rascist women haters I see, the nasty party reigns supreme.
You couldnt make it up
Corruption scandals everywhere, EU betrayal in sight, 2 weeks before Bliar goes, Gordo in Iraq and todays NuLab spin machine red herring is?
" women to have legal right to breastfeed in public"
How many women arested last year for illegally breastfeeding?
and the BBC report it on their website as a real story. I give up
Isn't London meant to be slowly sinking into the sea? More Diane Abbott's in Westminster seems to me like the last thing we need.
T'would keep Michael Portillo under control I suppose, if he had one on each side.
Matt
ANON 9.43
Verity, you ignorant imbecile - can't you see that we are ALL in a minority of some form of another?
You seem to want to repress anyone who wants to belong to a 'minority'. Just as well the majority don't want to exclude the rights of the obese minority...
Anon firstly Verity is neither ignorant nor an imbecile, she is a magnificent woman with the depth and brilliance of a pearl . Wash your mouth out with soapy water. True we are ,in tragically pointless sense, members of some minority or other , but in the context of national life and cohering culture which was the discussion ,the ratio of left-handed Cornish red heads to the rest in of less relevance than you seem to imagine.
Let us imagine there is a Group of people called the English , if that isn`t to radical , let us suppose they have lived in a place called England and fought to keep this land at times. Let us further imagine that this people have evolved a uniquely sustaining culture based on a common language , parliament , common law a Literary tradition and a tangled skein of deep loyalties , duties responsibilities and rights . Let us further conceive that the vast majority of the “ENGLISH” take pride in all this and wish to retain it . They are jealous of their culture in a way that “Minorities” would readily understand although they are of curse far more tolerant than most, if not all.
Don your mental gym kit and vault with me to a possibility that this organic melding allows each of the members to see his fate as tied to his fellow man’s and in this context he is happy for a state to tax him on behalf of the less fortunate . He is happy to resolve disagreements within a broad shared culture without recourse to violence , he is safe in his streets and comfortable in his land .
Now let us imagine that a ruling elite, against the express wishes of 70% plus wish to undermine this inconvenient loyalty called nationalism as it tends to act against the state and super state in particular. They ignore the wishes of the people and allow an uncontrolled influx of alien people at such a rate that the dominant culture cannot absorb them as it has previous immigrants. Many of the English who feel something is wrong here look at this elite and cannot help but notice that they themselves do not live in the new ghettoes they have conspired to create or ever send their children to school in collapsing inner -city day prisons where teachers fail to cope with eight languages. Increasingly it becomes clear that by failing to understand the very fabric that held the country together and calling anyone who tries a racists we are doing to dreadful damage to the country. Crime , dislocation and simply unhappiness are much remarked upon as symptoms of the atomisation of the people.
Many politicians and important people in the BBC would not accept any of this narrative which begs the question . As almost everyone in the country does , why are they is positions of such power within it ?”Why not think at a level slightly above the banal anon . You may find it refreshing!
Anon 9.59 , you might want to look at my previous post about political correctness and rethink your dim witted fascist thought control. If you have nothing to say , why not stay silent ? Your tiny conformist mind will appear to better advantage I assure you
I am a Tory who likes Diane Abbott. I suggest that most Tories who ever watch the double act with Portillo on Thuursday nights also probably like her because she is amusing, honest and charming/flirtatious. I think Iain has a very limited view of his fellow Tories when he says: "It riles most Tories because we don't like lefties like Abbott. In fact, this is something we have in common with new Labour supporters too, I guess."
Quite apart from her being a "one off", not a clone, in fact I often prefer proper lefties to mealy mouthed New Labourites, e.g. I like Tony Benn. Admittedly it is easier to like them when they are (or have become) harmless. But I would put it the other way around - disliking New Labour is something we have in common with Lefties, and when that dislike is propounded week after week in a charming, amusing and totally off-message way, we like it all the more.
lilith 9:05
We have enough scots in Parliament.
The following groups are below their quota entitlement: chinese, poles, americans and albanians.
Perhaps some more gingers to keep Hazel and Charlie company.
Another reason why the headline is unlikely to have upset many Tories as it was in the Guardian which few Tories read!!
Do we have any antipodean or oriental MPs in the UK?
Do we have any antipodean or oriental MPs in the UK?
Patsy
Newmania 7.05. Hmmm, regrettably, I suspect I agree with you. Especially about discriminating against better candidates and the ability to control the party/ruling elites bit (but hey, Machiavelian as it sounds, that's just good politics surely - and sensible if you want to have an effective Parliamentary party)
But, how do we get to a situation where better candidates come forward who are black and Asian, given that there is still quite a considerable degree of reticence about race/sexuality/gender etc.
verity said she would like to hear my Socialist, one worlder diagnosis of Enoch Powell's madness.
verity, I'm a business owner and member of the
Conservative party.
Why do I view Powell as mad?
First, because of his insane speach about 'rivers of blood'. No rational and reasonable intellectual would have forecast the results of runaway immigration in those inflamatory terms.
Second, the manner with which Powell delivered this speech - he was hyperventilating and wild eyed.
Mad. Rest my case
In respect of citizens from ethnic minorities, I'd like to see more of these (those who are British citizens) in parliament and in the government for the same reason I want to see substantially fewer Scots MPs in the British parliament and government substantially more English ones: proportionality and representativeness.
Pending an Independent English parliament, I would like to see government and parliament comprised of somewhere along the lines of 80% English MPs, the composition of the remainder being proportionate to and reflective of the various national and ethnic groups which have British citizenship.
At the risk of inflaming further a pretty strong thread, I'd like to suggest that we need not more Diane Abbots - but feweer interfering politicians of any colour, race, age or sex.
This is a small nation, almost literally overrun with politians in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and every city and little hick market town the length and breadth of the land. All of whom are paid for by the poor bloody taxpayer (PBT). And 99.9% of whom are conclusively utterly useless.
I would advocate a policy of redrawing constituency boundaries to produce a maximum of 350-400 MPs, down from 650 at Westminster alone, including those from Wales and Scotland. I would amke sure each of them were better staffed and resourced to represent larger constituencies. I would make sure not one of them took any other employment paid or otherwise. I would similarly reduce the number of cabinet Ministers to a more manageable 12-15, halve the number of so-called 'junior ministers' (what DO the little twerps do all day long??) and ban all 'special advisers' all of whom are a real drain on the public purse. Which, as we all know, is generously provided by the PBT.
Further, I would give serious consideration to reducing the number of so-called 'local authorities', which are rammed with interferers of both sexes, by at least 30%. No one can actuall say they we need to massive level of over-representation thatwe currently have; and it is an essential law that where two or more politicians are gathered together they will create laws and regulations under those laws further to regulate our oives and take away our freedoms.
We should be seeking to reduce the scope and sheer amount of government.Of course, we hear nothing from 'Dave' on what would be a true conservative principle because he is a professional politician himself, apart from a short spell as a spinner for Carlton.
Fewer politicians might mean better quality, which might in turn lead to the PBT having greater respect for the bloodsuckers than any of us do now.
Little Black Sambo, we used to have Brian Gould, but he pissed off back to NZ when he saw where Nu Lab was going...
Wish you had popsted earlier Colin ., I appreciated it at least
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