I agree that he is getting a lot of money, and seems to be awarded for failing. But I also think that the Sir Fred story is a bit of smoke and mirrors. If Labour can make us concentrate on what is actually, in the scheme of things, a completely irrelevant story then we might just miss the fact that they are using all our money to stoke up the system.
I am, however, fascinated by Harriet Harmans comments. There are two that really do take closer examination. The first is "The prime minister has said that it is not acceptable and therefore it will not be accepted." Now that seems to endue dear old Gordon with rather more power than to which he is entitled. Surely that is the kind of comment you would make about a dictator. It suggests that Gordon can rewqrite the rules to suit himself. Am I mistaken in thinking that the point of a democracy is that no-one is above the law (although recent behaviour by Labour certainly indicates they have lost sight of this rather basic fact). I rather think that Gordon feels that it won't be acceptable for the Conservatives to win the next election, but I am hoping he doesn't think he can stop it happening.
Which brings us rather neatly to her second comment "And it might be enforceable in a court of law, this contract, but it is not enforceable in the court of public opinion." Correct me if I am wrong, and I know people with a better understanding of the law than me happen to read this blog, but surely the point is that the court of law takes precedent over the court of public opinion. I feel that if public opinion still held sway then we would be dunking witches, burning people at the stake, and doing unspeakable things to them with sharp pointy implements.
The problem with politicians is that they are too ready and willing to bend to public opinion. I want my politicians to stand up for what is right. To be the moral weather-vane when the tempests blow. To stand up and tell us that while they understand how we feel they also know that the law protects our culture and our lives. That erosion of small parts of the law simply because society doens't like something is the first step to undermining the entire structure of our being. I need politicians that are willing to be unpopular because they know that being right sometimes means make the unpopular choice.
1 comment:
The rule of law is essential to a democracy - that the law is over and above and everyone is subject to it. Obvious Gordon Brown is in a good position to influence the rules that are made, but he can't work round them - he has to change them.
The government should have been more careful about where it was putting our money and put constraints on how it could be used before pouring it into the failing banks.
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