Politics

6 December 2008

Fraser Nelson reviews the week in politics

Knowledge that a secret exists is half of the secret, and Westminster loves nothing more than guessing what a secret might be. When The Spectator’s website revealed at 6 p.m. last Thursday that a major Conservative story was about to unfold, there was a flurry of frenzied speculation. One Cabinet member even called 10 Downing Street for clues. No one knew. Several theories were flying (George Osborne resigning, Samantha Cameron pregnant) yet none was as bizarre as the truth: a shadow cabinet member had just been arrested by anti-terror police in a leak inquiry.

Once, such a development would have sent Conservative central office into spasm. This time, Damian Green’s arrest was played to perfection. When the news broke at 9 p.m., David Cameron was declaring outrage at the police tactics. The word ‘Stalinist’ was quickly slipped into the news stream, a word which is second only to ‘Mr Bean’ in Westminster as code for Gordon Brown. Right on cue, the Prime Minister hit back by saying that the police should not be criticised. From that point on he was seen to be siding with the Metropolitan Police, and on the wrong side of an almighty row.

Even before the state opening of Parliament, MPs were gathering to plot protests — many butchly declaring that they would personally have tackled any police officer, had they seen one. But let us change the record and look at the Green arrest as a parable of something much greater, namely the state of the House of Commons. This leads us quickly to an unpalatable truth: that the worst blows to the reputation of Parliament have been dealt not by the Metropolitan Police but by MPs themselves. And their greatest failings lie not in what they have done (although voting to keep the John Lewis list was bad enough) but what they have failed to do: sins of omission not commission. Time after time, Parliament has had the chance to justify the many privileges afforded to its members. Time after time, it has failed.

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Bickers

December 4th, 2008 9:56am Report this comment

Very aptly stated. It's MP's that have passed the draconian laws that they now whinge about when it comes to one of their own being targeted. Parliament needs to embark on a mission to cull many of the intrusive and anti democratic laws (including those from the EU) that have been passed these last eleven years, mainly by using fear and scare stories to cow the electorate and most MP's.
Only when citizens see the State being removed from their daily lives will most begin to respect Parliament.

L Stewart

December 5th, 2008 9:59pm Report this comment

The police have been acting more like the Vopos & Stasi than bobbies for years now in their treatment of anybody (from the BNP to little old ladies) who dares to oppose Labour's intolerant political correctness.
Yes, their action against Mr Green was inappropriate, but Mr Brown knows that the public has little sympathy for MPs of any side. They all seem as arrogant,
smug, greedy, dishonest and cynical as each other, so why would the public rally to their defence ? Probably laugh, actually.

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