Despite Gordon Brown's pitiful performance at PMQs today, he did manage to mention again that Westminster could no longer be a 'gentlemen's club'. That implies there is a 'them' and 'us' culture within the Westminster parliament and that the Tory grandees forced out the 'working class' Speaker.
Nick Brown, the labour Chief Whip and pal of the PM, has just said that Martin is "one of us" and the "establishment" forced him out. As Paul Waugh says, "given that Michael Martin and Nick Brown are the establishment, that sounds a strange stance to adopt."
Parliament is not only a gentlemen's club it is also a working men's club with all the cronyism and back-room dealing and the prejudice that necessitates. Labour are on thin ice here because they are insulting some in their own party. I am quite sure there are gentlemen in the working men's club and working men in the gentlemen's club.
David Cameron needs to nip this nonsense in the bud right now and not allow this non-existent class spin from labour to continue. I have to admit I would struggle to describe Gordon Brown as a gentleman, but then my generation use the words ladies and gentlemen to describe honest, hard working and genuine people.
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19 comments:
SR,
A fun PMQs where Broon continued to make an arse of himself. I almost spat my lunch out over the telly I was laughing so much.
Cringeworthy; and Spook has a good breakdown of who voted for who in the last GE - he has no mandate to be PM, the rules are completely out of date and the Lib Dems have a good point on reforming this ancient excuse for Democracy.
We need Independence more than ever, but I remain resolute that we'll see it in our lifetime.
Saor Alba,
p.s. sunny now, 19 degs due the morra! I'm missing Italy but widnae swap it wi being home in Scotland.
Crazy D
Afternoon CD, aye it was a weird PMQs. Not much happening on the Scottish politics front at the moment, I think they're happy to allow Westminster to hang themselves out to dry.
Will I see independence? I'm not sure.
Sunny here now and around 16. I miss Italy as well, but my next visit will have to be around October.
Well - 26 c. here today. We're having lovely weather. Sun shinning, birds whistling, and rug rat gone for a walk with her daddy so I can read the blogs.
What about Brown's stuff about his Mum & Dad being angry if they'd known about this expenses stuff? How weird is that? I think we were supposed to read the code: "I come from the manse, and the Xtians are absolutely dead right about everything, so everything must be ok, in spite of how it might look just now".
Let me remind you again of the old Scots saying: the children of the manse are the most graceless.
28 today and 31 tomorrow
so bugger you all
Off to Spain for a week next week!
TRUMP!
Lots of the best to you all, especially Scunnert and SubR
THE MAIL says
Don't lumber us with him! Peers launch campaign to keep Speaker Michael Martin out of the House of Lords
Lord Lawson led calls for the Speaker not to be elevated to the Upper Chamber
I'm afraid your line will not hold with the Toffs behaving like this.
Hoi Niko - I think he should be elevated to the Lords - he'd fit right in. Instead can't we just scrap the Lords altogether?
PS - GBBG - enjoy the Sangria and tapas.
Seeing several bloggers use the sectarian term doesn't really help the situation, it was only really a small number of people who wanted Martin out because of what he is.
For me, the jump the shark moment was his attack on Kate Hoey and the Lib Dem MP.
I only heard snippets of PMQ's on 5 Live at lunchtime, so I may have a squewed version. I thought that Cameron's pantomime questioning was ludicrous. Brown's stumble was worse.
Agreed, this is deliberate misinformation.
You're bang on with the gentlemens' club and working mens' club comparison to parliament. Both types of institution - and their procedures, rules and customs - flourished in the 19th century which is when much parliamentary procedure dates from, so the resemblance is not surprising. Parliament is a reflection of its own history rather than any club or class culture.
There are plenty of examples of the working classes ascending to the highest posts in the land, and the aristocracy embracing the workers' movement.
Also, it's been Labour's club for the last decade and a bit, so why hasn't it changed??
SR,
Just watched Big Eck on Jeff Randall live - same old arguements, same old Unionist Xenophobia yawn yawn. Alec did the business and gave a sterling account of himself, Scotland's financial contribution to the Treasury over the last 20 years.
He basically put the Tax Payers Alliance to shame with their spun Unionist figures and whinging diatribe about the Barnett Formula, quality!
Can't bloody wait ti be rid of these greetin bairns,
Saor Alba
Crazy D
'I have to admit I would struggle to describe Gordon Brown as a gentleman'
So would I Ma'am, but I wouldn't struggle to describe him. No struggle there at all. Just say the word.
Oh CD I hope they show it again. Haven't been near the TV today.
Scunnert, I really don't want to hear about you basking in such glory :) At least it hasn't rained here today, now that's something I can brag about.
Vronsky I missed that bit about his mum and dad.
My grandpa used to say that and my granny used to tell him off!
Niko, they're all toffs, each and every one of them. No sooner do they enter Westminster than their attitudes change.
Yes Allan I would agree with you. When I watched that I found my heart sinking and thought oh no.
Personally I thought Cameron did rather well at PMQs but it's only theatre and without responsbility into the bargain.
Jim, it's seldom I feel disgusted with one of my country folk for their behaviour, but Gordon Brown is one who really deserves my feelings.
He has been such a traitor to Scotland and also the UK and I can't believe anyone would ever vote for him again.
But they will, and as Billy said, like sheep they'll continue to be fleeced.
subs, im afraid gordoom has no fucking idea what he is talking about anymore..he may as well be talking out of his arse...just pat him on the head and humour him..
OB, I like to think I'm a pleasant friendly wifey, but my not THAT friendly. He's the last person I'd consider patting on the head and as for humouring him - jeez OB, what a horrible thought.
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