21 May, 2010

The last refuges of scoundrels

1. Repeating tirelessly the lie that the British drink too much because alcohol is cheap, and putting up taxes. Alcohol is not cheap in Britain, it is expensive, and people drink too much because they think it is naughty.

2. Pretending the European Convention on Human Rights was Churchill’s invention, so it must be OK. Forgetting for a minute that Churchill made mistakes (Dardanelles?) it is preposterous to make out that he would have approved of Pakistani terrorists being allowed to stay in Britain because the Pakistanis might have been horrid to them.

3. Fiddling the rules to stay in power. Shamelessly telling the people that a 54% majority having no confidence in the government should allow it to stay in power. The people can count.

4. Shafting your own supporters to stay in power. Cameron’s actions on the 1922 Committee involved people who are not members of a club voting on whether they should become members. Think I’ll try this at the Athenaeum.

5. Suddenly realising a hung parliament is a good idea, when you described it as ‘disastrous’ just days before, and describing your clinging on to power as ‘the National Interest’.

New Politics, eh?

Oh brave new world, that hath such people in it!

No comments: