Saturday, January 26, 2008

Occasionally I write personal things. I don't often because I like to maintain the view that I am a hard nosed bitch who can deal with most things, even that the country that she loves is going down the crazy.

And I do love this country. I was walking across a royal park today in the most beautiful light. I paused on my favourite spot in London, which was a million miles away from the London social life I occupy of the Ritz, Annabels' and house parties in Chelsea after expensive dinners. Yes, I am lucky enough to be able to partake in those, although who knows why these people invite me because I am not rich.

But this week I have been feeling utterly miserable. It wasn't just because I discovered a nasty event in my life, but because even as I walked across Westminster bridge this evening, as the sunlight was dipping and tinting the Thames a heart wrenching pink...the waves rippling, the light gently kissing the roof tops of such ornate buildings as Somerset House, or the majesty of Canary Wharf and the progression it illustrates.

The people whom I have probably walked passes a million times, but in my London ways never seen as anything other than an inconvenience to me catching my train. Those people with lives and goals just like me, who find the burger wagons smelly and offensive to the majesty that is London. The flocks of people from all over the globe, concentrated in one area we are told is the answer...no matter what your question.

It's money that seems to draw people to London, but if they just look at that majestic city for nothing more than that, they must be the kind of people who only like music if someone else has told them they like it.

The hours I could spend, looking at the ancient glory that is the Tower of London. The history, the pain, the torment that took place to make this country what it should be. What it has been, what I would give my life for it to be, what it must be for democracy in Western Europe to remain. And I feel that, just as this country started the industrial revolution leading to a massive growth in global wealth, and trade, we must do the same with democracy. The Houses of Parliament. Infant in our history and yet the grander of it...the beauty of everything inside, the gold ceilings, the beautiful mock Tudor paintings showing the people who acted in the destiny of our country. The knowing that all one has to do is walk down the corridor to see indications of the history of our democracy.

And yet what is happening? What was it that made the girl who thinks lifting weights is great fun and that kickboxing is a sport everyone should take up for the inevitable attack on their person be so down hearted?

It's this attitude we have in this country to the threat which is almost swallowing us. I have tried to publicise countless events in the European parliament, where MEPs we didn't even elect most of make most of the laws of our country.

Hans Gert Pottering, the EP President, has been granted a legal opinion by a committee of MEPs:

Democracy was pushed to the side today when the President of the European Parliament was awarded sweeping new powers.

German President Hans Gert Pottering requested that he have the right to decide when actions by MEPs were allowed, even if they had not broken the rules.

The move was taken after a group of Euro-MPs, including UKIP and some Tories, protested about the lack of transparency in the parliament and the way the EU had pushed aside any requests for referendums on the Lisbon Constitution.

But pro-Constitution MEPs decided to allow the president to forbid certain members from procedures, including Roll Call Votes to let the public see who had voted for directives, explanations of vote and points of order.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage attacked the decision today, calling it "a monstrous attack on democracy."

"This gives the European Parliament President the powers of dictatorship. It is anti democratic and could prevent the removal of the European Commission the next time there is a huge case of fraud, by the only people allowed to do so.

"The parliament have decided that some MEPs are more worthy than others, and therefore that some voters are more worthy than others.

"Eurosceptic opposition is no longer allowed in Brussels."

Can you imagine this happening in Westminster?

The House of Commons was stunned today when the Speaker, Mick Martin, awarded himself sweeping new powers to stamp out any opposityion to the government.

The Speaker said he feared that he did not take this unprecedented step then opposition parties in the chamber would continue to question and disrupt the government.

"From today I am stamping out ridiculous notions like points of order and motions on procedure he said. I will also stop the outdated practice of having properly supervised votes. We will use the show of hands method and if they prove wrong well it really does not matter" said the Speaker.

"It seems to me said Mr Martin that all these procedures may well have existed for centuries but this is 2008. No longer will I allow Parliament to be delayed by these tactics. They are after all solely used to disrupt the rights of other members or put another way the government."

After this announcement Tory leader David Cameron said he had accepted the job of returning to tv and to run BBC 3.

Vince Cable also resigned to take up a full time post as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing.

Can you imagine such an event being ignored by the British press? and yet the equivalent happened in Brussels and we heard nothing about it.

That's what depressed me. That the president of the European Parliament had been granted dangerous new powers, supported by Labour, Lib Dem and Tory MEPs including holding the commission to account, and it's not considered worthy of telling people

How come not?

1 comment:

Vindico said...

You should stop drinking the decaffeinated 'lesbian' coffee!

I too was moved recently. As you might have seen from my blog post, the last Question Time really got my blood boiling. I feel I have been pushed over an edge I have not been over before. How dare these politico cunts hand away MY sovereignty, MY democracy, MY country?

Bring on the election. I am primed and ready to kick Maude's ass into next year.