Saturday 20 March 2021
Wince
“I wish you wouldn’t keep all these things to yourself and then spring them on me,” I told him irritably.
“But you asked me for an opinion and I gave it, for what it’s worth. Mavin would wince if he had to wring a chicken’s neck.”
Christopher Bush - The Case of the Corporal's Leave (1945)
The quote is from a detective story of the Golden Age style although this one is later. Not a very quotable writer, but what struck me about this quote is that we could still use the idea behind it.
For example, all MPs could be required to wring a chicken’s neck without wincing before they actually become an MP. It could be a way to weed out the weeds. The chickens could be sent to the nearest food bank.
Not an entirely serious suggestion of course but we do appear to need some kind of test. The ability to think for example. The ability to withstand fads and fashions. The ability to identify and close worthless institutions such as the BBC. At the moment, far too many MPs would score Fail, Fail, Fail on these three tests alone.
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6 comments:
I've said for years that we need an age qualifier for MPs. We need to make politics something people do in their later years after they've had a family and a lengthy career doing something else. Then we would get people who at least have experienced real life outside politics, rather than the band of narcissists and borderline psychopaths who are attracted to the fame and power of politics like moths to a flame. I would say 50, no standing for Parliament until at least age 50. That gives you 15-20 years-ish to make your mark in politics rather than be a perpetual politician in manner of Jeremy Corbyn (for example). It would create a faster turnover in candidates as well, giving more opportunities to people to have a stab at it, and providing new faces to the electorate on a regular basis. And as MPs would be older (and hopefully less ambitious) it would make MPs more independent of the party whips. An MP in his 30s or 40s will have family and career to think of, and be looking for extra salary, so the whips can control him with promises of promotions etc. An older MP wouldn't be in that position so better placed to tell the whips to stuff it, and vote with his conscience or principles rather than party lines.
One problem is that MPs have to be very very bad in their jobs before they suffer any consequences. Which is why most MPs are happy with the status quo. They stripped the teeth out of the Recall act so only convicted MPs (seriously convicted at that) could be considered for a Recall vote.
I like Sobers idea but it would be impossible (I suspect) to implement. But stiffen the Recall Act and set a few examples to encourage the others might be achievable (eventually).
"For example, all MPs could be required to wring a chicken’s neck without wincing before they actually become an MP. It could be a way to weed out the weeds."
In-ter-es-ting.
I think we possibly do get some interesting and capable people who want to be MPs, but the current system means that we never get anyone who does not conform to the prejudices of weak-minded party careerists. Imagine the people you have known who are highly political: saloon-bar brayers, dreary trade unionists, autistic oafs who ride their hobby-horses through any social gathering, and inadequate dreamers of all persuasions. Well, they are the gatekeepers, the ones who decide who will be selected.
It might be cheaper to send the eye-watering money failing MPs take, directly to the food bank, and cut out the middle-chicken!
Sobers - I can't disagree with any of that. Too many MPs are an embarrassment because they so obviously lack outside experience and even maturity. I'd raise the voting age too, for similar reasons.
DJ - to my mind at least part of the problem is down to voters who vote along party lines and this makes them easy to manipulate. Unfortunately public enthusiasm for lockdown policies makes me think the whole issue is not resolvable.
James - I thought a requirement to bite its head off was going too far.
Sam - "Imagine the people you have known who are highly political" that's depressing. Point made.
Scrobs - or maybe MPs could have a review system like Amazon where their pay is linked to good reviews. Too many one star reviews and it's off to the food bank.
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