Recently, Shirley Williams took part in a debate held by the Institute of Arts and Ideas, on the subject of sincerity in politics. Also participating were George Galloway, Peter Oborne and Philip Collins, speechwriter to Tony Blair.
We must confess to not yet having had the time to watch the whole thing but we like what we have seen, like the bit when Shirley Williams takes Galloway to task for misquoting her and he, who had been in a massive rant about how politicians were a bunch of liars, was forced to admit he’d been exaggerating to make his point.
Shirley talks about how the media contribute to false perceptions of politicians, giving an example of how someone said to her that they could never vote for her because she was all for state education yet sent her son to Eton. Shirley doesn’t have a son.
This is one to enjoy with a cup of tea over lunch .It’s also available here on the IAI website.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
High Fell leaflet watch (2)
No, Leave didn't win the Brexit referendum because of Northern working class voters
Two new Makerfield by-election polls gives Burnham 5 and 12 point leads
Reform under water
Geoffrey Payne
Richard Whelan
David Raw
Tom Reeve
4 Comments
When I first tried to watch this video – it didn’t work. I tried again this morning and watched nearly 20 minutes – I was required to sign up to watch more – which I was not prepared to do.
Nevertheless, what I did see did provide me with enough information to understand each speakers general view on sincerity in politics. However, I was disappointed that the issue, raised by George Monbiot – in his article ‘When the rich are born to rule, the results can be fatal’ in the Guardian last year – that many public schools do intend to instill into their pupils the certainty that they belong to ‘the ruling class’ – which leads to a detachment from the people as a whole:
“In the Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt explains that the nobles of pre-revolutionary France “did not regard themselves as representative of the nation, but as a separate ruling caste which might have much more in common with a foreign people of the same society and condition than with its compatriots”.
Last year the former Republican staffer Mike Lofgren wrote something very similar about the dominant classes of the US: “the rich elites of this country have far more in common with their counterparts in London, Paris, and Tokyo than with their fellow American citizens … the rich disconnect themselves from the civic life of the nation and from any concern about its well being except as a place to extract loot. Our plutocracy now lives like the British in colonial India: in the place and ruling it, but not of it.”
Clearly Monbiot was referring, in particular, to Eton and other top public schools preferred by the aristocracy – and that, prior to his latest reshuffle, Cameron’s cabinet was very heavily represented by wealthy individuals from these schools [including NC]. This ‘separate ruling caste’ viewpoint explains how the Coalition was able to pass heartless legislation that would cause great hardship to some of the most vulnerable in society.
Apart from never having to experience hardships caused by lack of money – this ‘separate ruling caste’ do not view the people as fellow human beings – but as of a different species and is the underlying reason that the term ‘Westminster Bubble ‘ has been used under this administration.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/28/rich-born-to-rule-fatal
Since it is the 13th anniversary of 9/11, I was hoping that an article on the subject would emerge. Since this is not the case – this seems the most appropriate thread to raise the issue of the 9/11 Truth Movement’s gradual progress in achieving their desired new Inquiry into the event – as this certainly does concern insincere politicians.
Anyone who has followed the movement’s progress will know that their are endless videos on the subject as the official explanation given defies logic in a number of instances. This short video does summarize these discrepancies quickly for those who have not followed the matter.
JohnRoffey,
Thank you for posting that four minute video aout 9/11. It raises some interesting points, someof which I had come across before and some of which I now recall we knew all the time.
One could do a similar video about The Chilcot Enquiry, set up by Gordon Brown when he was Prime Minister, report written three years ago but not yet published because Tony Blair has apparently some sort of right of veto.
A scandal in itself but does Clegg say or do anything about it?
No the Deputy Prime Minister is too busy supporting Cameron ! Last year to bomb Assad, this year to bomb the enemies of Assad. Supporting Cameron to arm the Peshmerga and the PKK after decades of declaring the latter terrorists .
Bombing Libya we were told was a great success, look at Libya now.
Beheading is a terrible crime we are told when ISIS do it but something to be ignored when the Saudi government behead four thousand people, more than two dozen last month alone.
We send bombs to fall on ISIS but we send Prince Charles to Saudi, eleven state visits to Saudi by Prince Charles and not a word about beheading. Does anyone report this at the BBC or the mainstream UK media. No, not at all. Ignorance is strength indeed.
The rise of UKIP and the increasing desire of the Scots to leave the Union are both indicative of huge sections of the electorate being woefully dissatisfied by the political representation of this ‘separate ruling caste’ to which, as you say, NC has remained absolutely faithful.
Since he must be aware that the likelihood of his political career ending in ignominy next May increases each day – it would be truly uplifting if he did turn against his caste and made the greatest nuisance of himself on behalf of the people during his remaining time as DPM – publicly asking questions and demanding answers to these apparent cover-ups – not least – was there any justification at all for the ‘War on Terror’.
If he followed this course, he may not be DPM after May, but he would go down in history as a truly fine politician – and in the process provide a sturdy springboard for the Party’s recovery.