On the face of it, it seems an innocuous enough phrase. A simple telling it like it is without being too specific or a way of summarising all those professional politicians and others in the orbit of government. It’s handy when the column inches are tight. So why am I so vexed with this now? After all the phrase and the theory behind it isn’t a new one as it has been around since the middle of the 20th century. Why now?
Because in the last few years its usage has been subtly usurped and now it hides a whole series of insinuations that undermine many of the core principles not just of those who read this here but of anyone of any political stripe who takes what democracy gives us to heart.
I’ve heard it used more recently but here is a good example of how the phrase has been corrupted. Nigel Lawson (a member of the political elite if ever there was one) on Question Time.
- A lady asks a question to do with issues around Europe.
- Nigel Lawson responds by blaming the ‘political elite’.
- The lady’s question is based on her understanding of a binary ‘us and them’ scenario but surreptitiously his response has changed this to a trinary ‘you and I against them’ condition.
- He then goes on to state his own opinion.
- He and the lady nod as if agreeing although their interests are poles apart.
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