Parliament was first broadcast on radio at the same time as I acquired my very first 'music centre' as they were called in those days. A chipboard-plated slab with a plastic cover, a record deck and cassette player on the top and controls and radio tuning window on the front, with a pair of little chipboard cased speakers. It may have been low tech but by God it put me straight at the centre of our national politics in full stereo FM. George Thomas was in the chair, and as the historic Callaghan VoC debate went out live, the debate in which Callaghan half-sang a Marie Lloyd ditty and Mrs T called him 'Frit'. Callaghan lost by 311 to 310 and the rest is history. George Thomas was magnificent. I was transfixed, and in thrall thereafter to the wonder of our Parliament. There was one factor of which I think I and all others were unaware at the time - as Wiki tells it
In the BBC documentary "A Parliamentary Coup" it was revealed that Bernard Weatherill played a critical role in the defeat of the government in the vote of confidence. As the vote loomed, Labour's deputy Chief Whip, Walter Harrison approached Weatherill to enforce the pairing convention that if a sick MP from the Government could not vote, an MP from the Opposition would abstain to compensate. Weatherill said that pairing had never been intended for votes on Matters of Confidence that meant the life or death of the Government and it would be impossible to find a Conservative MP who would agree to abstain. However, after a moment's reflection, he offered that he himself would abstain, because he felt it would be dishonourable to break his word with Harrison. Harrison was so impressed by Weatherill's offer – which would have effectively ended his political career – that he released Weatherill from his obligation and so the Government fell by one vote on the agreement of gentlemen.Of course that same gentleman, Bernard Weatherill, took the seat as the next Speaker, and set standards of equity and probity in the chair that remain unsurpassed.
After Weatherill came Betty Boothroyd - ex Tiller Girl, and to date our only female Speaker. She brought a twinkle and a touch of humour to the chair in a way that in no wise diminished either her dignity, the authority of the Speaker or her command of the chamber. For the matters of her term, 1992 - 2000, she was perfect.
Then came Gorbals Mick, an inadequate and corrupt machine politician with little merit who sought to suppress, by power and bullying, the expenses scandal from reaching the press. And after Gorbals Mick the arsewipe, that sanctimonious dwarf Bercow. Two lousy Speakers, Bercow the very worst in my long memory and possibly in the life of our Parliament.
I could not help catch some of those oleaginous encomiums bleated from the benches yesterday at the diminutive cretin, who has devalued the office, shat on the accomplishments of former Speakers and corrupted the business of the house. How low have we sunk to tolerate such worthless trash at the heart of our democracy.
25 comments:
Looks like Brexit is going to be a Pyrrhic victory, the consequences of which will last a decade - all bad. One would need a heart of stone not to laugh.
How are we supposed to do anything BUT tolerate it? Parliament itself is completely corrupted. Of course they chose to put and keep "one of their own" in the Speakers Chair.
And they'll do the same again unless we have a complete clear-out of the charlatans at the General Election they will eventually be forced to hold.
On top form Radders.
Looks like JPM has had a change of identity again.
Of course completely incapable of defending his position, so has to take on a new persona every couple of weeks.
By bye Cheesy, bye bye JPM, bye bye everyone, Sooty and Sweep are going to bed now.
John Bercow has given us some of the best laughs of the last decade, and my sides are still aching from recent events.
He's deservedly the global celebrity that he has now become.
Thank you John!
Jack Weatherill was indeed a gentleman, he was my MP for many years
he spoke several of the languages of the Sub-Continent fluently, and was much loved for it in *diverse* Croydon North East
he was known to attend outdoor functions (in that eminently urban constituency) in jodhpurs, on horseback [sic]
never mind the stroppy little upstart JRM: that's how a Tory gentleman behaves
Well at least there are moves afoot by Boris to deprive him of the automatic peerage. Better that than the sight of him and that wife of his swanning around like Lord and Lady Muck continuing to look down their noses at us plebs! The streets won’t be safe for the likes of them if we get shackled to the EU in perpetuity.
@r_writes
I think he's basically become a one man "EU pride" march. He gave up trying to argue a long time ago.
Now all he can do is to try and garner attention with the ever more desperate and surreal.
Sad really.
On a music app I have on my Ipad, there is a keyboard option to include a 'rotating speaker'.
This is well known to be the state of good people like George Thomas and Betty Boothroyd, a-slumber in their graves, every time they hear that awful little chap squeal important words with the gravitas of a junior common room ink-monitor's assistant.
Bercow and that Gorbals bloke have done more than enough to denigrate the HoC, and introduce - even encourage, the abhorrent nastiness of today's politicians and Parliament.
I sincerely wish Kate Hoey would change her mind about leaving the HoC, and bring skills and sanity back to the chair.
"Looks like Brexit is going to be a Pyrrhic victory, the consequences of which will last a decade - all bad."
On the contrary I've never seen so many signs that things are looking up. All the traitors are leaving the Commons. Even Bercow is leaving. It says to me that Brexit is coming. If some sort of BRINO stitch up were in place they wouldn't all be scuttling off like this. I think its a sign they know the game is up.
I wonder why he went now. I hope there is something unpleasant looming over his future. The bullying allegations have not gone away.
It’s a gloomy thought that if the EU says no to an extension then this lot will vote in Mrs May’s deal. As Johnson has prorogued parliament it can be brought back unchanged. I think Mrs May could die laughing.
If that is the case I would not want to be a Tory MP and I can see the Brexit Party making hay but ordinary people who voted to leave will be quite annoyed.
A return of May's WA is always on the cards but the public are now on a knife edge of taking physical action against the betrayal of Democracy.
There has been a slow but gradual 'boiling' of emotions across the country - and I'm not referring to the faux angst portrayed by the Remoaners (who haven't a democratic leg to stand on) I'm talking about the ordinary men and women who's patience is rapidly running out.
Last nights debacle in the HoC only adds to the declining reputation of our politicians both at home and abroad. The public deserve better and the politicians need to held LIABLE, personally and financially, for their treachery and abuse of democratic processes.
The self-serving statements made by many members of Parliament physically SICKEN me and, I'm sure many others, we need to dismantle the system that allows such motives and actions to subvert the will of the people.
Excellent post: "oleaginous encomiums", wonderful.
Jim 06:23 wtf are you on about? Your laughs (and those of JPM have the whiff of the straight-jacketed maniacal kind as the padded cell prevents too much damage.
JPM 08:00. "global celebrity"...you're trying too hard mate, wind down the hyperbole.
The furious pushing and shoving behind the Speaker's chair, right at the moment Parliament stood prorogued, will stay with me as a reminder of how Bercow, like a vampire, drained the magnificence out of that chamber. One of your best Raedwald.
Steve
Is this the very same 'Andrex' that refused to let the POTUS address Parliament some time back? Trump makes him look even smaller than the dwarf he really is. Good to see the back of him.
Truly excellent post. In agreement with Michael - Kate Hoey would be marvellous as Speaker 🙏🏻
" I hope there is something unpleasant looming over his future"
Indeed, but a pity something unpleasant wasn't looming over him 3 years ago...
Kate Hoey would indeed make a good speaker. But so would Sir Lindsey Hoyle and he is one of the candidates - a man of integrity. Please let him win. And no more wimmin screaching and flapping. Already more than enough in positions of power in Westminster and the EU.
Span, "global celebrity" are the Washington Post's words, not mine:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/british-speaker-john-bercow-on-theresa-may-brexit-and-why-hes-staying-on/2019/05/29/089fba8a-7e6d-11e9-b1f3-b233fe5811ef_story.html?noredirect=on
@Charles & microdave : "I hope there is something unpleasant looming over his future" - there already is, his missus.
My choice for the Speaker to follow the paragon of virtue that sadly is now retiring would be David Lammy. His supreme ignorance and stupidity, as well as cupidity, would be a true reflection of how low the current House of Clowns (and thieves) has sunk,
JPM, you wrote "He's deservedly the global celebrity that he has now become.", the WP had - in a very obsequious piece IMHO - "Bercow, 56, has become something of a global celebrity because of his starring role in Brexit".
Hmmm, I put it to you that to retain any credibility you should have put your words in quotation marks, or even hat-tipped WP, or "according to the WP"...you didn't, you stated quite unequivocally that he was a global celebrity. He is not. Also the phrase “starring role in Brexit: is very telling, especially when one reads the penultimate paragraph: “Over the next year, Britain will see the ushering in of a new prime minister, possibly a general election and the success, failure or maybe even reversal of Brexit.”
W…T…F? With those very words he destroys and contradicts his previous claims to impartiality in the very same interview. Complete and utter dwarf shit for brains cunt. His only redeeming feature being his fastidiousness about the use of correct English.
Oh what a lovely idea from Doleful DEdward. Lammy would be an end of pier comedy act, cancelled before the end of season
I'd prefer our Kate though. She wouldn't nag and she's always been sound.
You can't dispute that Bercow has been good for British comedy.
That's going to be a major Brexit growth market after all.
It looks like Harriet Harperson, her of the (alleged) support for the Paedophile Information Exchange, may be the next Speaker. If so, will consider seeking asylum in a more free society. Venezuela looks nice!
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