PM has put politics in the grubber
There is no Statesman to lead the country through Brexit stalemate
Back in the days when I packed a reporter’s notebook, I was once despatched to Greenock Town Hall to cover a memorial concert.
From memory, I think it was musical tribute to honour the Scottish folk legend Hamish Imlach who passed away in 1996.
The usual urn of weak tea and tray of curly sandwiches had been laid on in a back room for VIP’s and the press and I found myself chatting to a lovely old gentleman in a boiler suit.
It turned out he was the town hall’s caretaker.
The hall looked almost full and - to gain some background for my article - I asked if he could recall the last big name to pack the grand old hall to its rafters.
I was half expecting a “Slade”,
“Cliff and the Shadows” or maybe a “Francie and Josie” to be among the answers.
The old boy gave a nod that told me he knew the answer right away. “Sir Winston . . .” he said. “Churchill?”
“Aye, there must have been a thousand people here just to listen to him – and another thousand outside just wanting to see the Prime Minister.
“My father was one of them . . . and I was on his shoulders”.
I recall thinking that our Prime Minister at the time was John Major.
And if he was giving a speech in my back garden – I wouldn’t even open the curtains.
Not even his predecessor, Margaret Thatcher, would have filled Greenock Town Hall – and those that DID turn out would have been more in a mood to lynch her than listen to her! I concluded that the era of the genuine political statesman – or woman – had sadly gone.
Fast forward 23 years – to last week’s events in the House of Commons . . . and it looks like my conclusion is still holding water.
In the embarrassing rabble that consumed both sides of the House after Bonkers Boris returned from New York – there wasn’t a political statesman or woman in sight.
I doubt there is even anyone resembling a statesman or woman on the political horizon.
And such is the vicious divisiveness of Brexit, it’s going to take a team of Winston’s and a David Lloyd- George on the subs bench to sort this mess out.
We now live in a political age where hectoring has replaced rhetoric and debacle has replaced debate.
In today’s Pariament, the witless have consumed the witty and hubris has triumphed over humour.
Sadly, even at local level, politics appears to have lost its civility, politeness and courtesy.
In the days when I first packed a reporter’s notebook, I can recall committee conveners personally welcoming members of the public.
They sometimes got offered a cup of tea! Judging by Alloway and Doonfoot Community Council treasurer Andrew Russell’s letter last week – it appears any welcome mat has been withdrawn and it’s now acceptable behaviour for councillors to offer hostility and not civility to members of the public.
Councillor Saxton should be ashamed of his “serial objectors” jibe and apologise immediately.
But then again . . . why should he? If a Prime Minister can give illegal advice to Her Majesty The Queen – without a scintilla of remorse – politics is truly in the grubber.
What would Sir Winston have made of Downing Street’s current inhabitant and the behaviour of the House of Commons ?
I imagine he would sum them all up with just two fingers!
We now live in a political age where hectoring has replaced rhetoric and debcale has replaced debate