Published: Friday, 25th April, 2008 16:30
Different standards in the House
By Dan Gowar
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I DON’T know where our good friend Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his cohorts are leading us — and it would be a surprise if they had a clue.
Readers will likely be aware of the current taxation stooshie, which is down to the aforementioned.
On Wednesday evening, I watched TV coverage of the matter being discussed in the House of Commons. What actually took place was a constant exchange of insults with MPs, presumably from all parties, braying like donkeys and bellowing nonsencical remarks whenever someone stood up to speak.
This is an issue which impacts on many decent ordinary people and the best our elected members can do is allow the debate to turn into a rowdy farce.
If a group of people acted in such a fashion in public, the bobbies would no doubt issue a warning and then bring batons down on heads if order was not restored.
This would be followed by an escorted trip in a van to a venue which provides bed and breakfast in a room with bars on the window and no opportunity to nip out to the all-night store for a packet of fags.
Try the same in a house of refreshment and you’d be on the pavement before there was time to ask: “I suppose another dry sherry is out of the question?”
I am aware another of our good friends, House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin, can issue marching orders to unruly MPs.
Had he done so on Wednesday, Mr Martin would likely have been the only person left on the premises.
Yours truly is not a prude. However, I earnestly believe there are things shown on television — be it fictional drama or some of the grim realities of life — which should not be screened.
Furthermore, the televising of Parliament, if Wednesday is anything to go by, has been an unmitigated error of judgement.
If there is no chance of Parliamentary coverage being ended, I am happy to offer Speaker Michael Martin the assistance of Dirk, our German Shepherd.
I am certain business would be conducted in a more civilised manner if Dirk was on duty to nip bottoms.
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