We've had moaning about IPSA. We've heard moaning about how giving us the reform-lite AV referendum is unfair, because it reduces the chances of MPs being tribally nodded into the house as is their God given right.
Meanwhile, our God given rights are stripped from us day after day.
If we whine, we're dismissed. Tin foil hat wearers. Non-progressives. Fantasists. Apologists for terrorism. Eco-criminals. Conspiracy theory nuts. Racists. Sexists. Homophobes. Paedophiles. Smokers. Drinkers. Fatties.
So an MP gets threatened with arrest.
Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood says police threatened to arrest him when he offered to remove an anti-war protestor who had climbed up scaffolding outside Parliament.
Who?
Tory Mr Ellwood – a former Army officer – told the Commons he asked the police why the protestor had not been removed, and was told it for health and safety reasons.
Never heard of him, obviously plod hadn't either. Otherwise the dog wouldn't have snarled at his handler.
“I offered to climb the scaffolding and make a citizen’s arrest. I was told to move off or I would be arrested. It’s a very strange day indeed when an MP is threatened with arrest while a protestor sits on our roof,” he said.
And there we have the mindset laid bare for all to see.
First observation; you'd expect someone making that offer to have done it in a lighthearted fashion. But this is an MP we're talking about. Second observation; In the old days, a PC would have given a grin and a little chuckle with advice to leave it to me mate. Nowadays, you're threatened with arrest. Third observation; only an MP would make the offer to climb up and make a citizen's arrest in all seriousness. Final observation; only an MP would recoil at horror that an MP would be threatened arrest. Us proles, sure, no problem. But an MP?
Not very nice, is it Tobias? Being threatened with arrest like that, when you've done nothing wrong? It happens to the normal, little people every day. And if it isn't arrest, then it is a ticket, demanding money, from some council warden or enforcement officer who's word will seemingly be accepted without question.
Which august institution has overseen this? Yes, that's right, it is our wonderful Houses of Parliament.
Oh, you can argue up and down that you're different to the others. You can bleat about your 'new politics', boast of your public consultations. I don't buy it, and no-one else does either. You've not even changed your tie, more like your socks. You're just the same as what went before, and sadly, what will come after.
You'll certainly not be changing this situation, will you? You may have argued against it when Tony and Gordon unwrapped their new toys under the Christmas Tree. But now you've taken control of the toybox, and the toys are so shiny, so much fun, you just can't help but play with them.
And you're different. Better. What you've now realised is, it wasn't the toys that were the problem. It was the other boys who had them first. They didn't play with them properly, sensibly. You'll use the toys in the manner that they were designed for. And you'll make sure that the toys are used against the bad people, the terrorists, the murderers, the paedophiles, the fraudsters, the people that look at the officer in a funny way, the people that leave their bins open, the people that try to get their kids into the school, the people that disagree with you.
Oh. . .
