IF anyone still took our politicians seriously, their minds would surely have been changed by the ludicrous scenes in Parliament this week.
A socially distanced ‘conga line’ of MPs more than 1,400 yards long waited in blazing sunshine to vote on Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg’s motion that remote voting from home should no longer be allowed.
I wonder what Alfred, Lord Tennyson would have made of it all?
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the MPs knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to vote and cry.
Into the House of Commons
Walked the six hundred.
Whips to right of them,
Whips to left of them,
The Speaker in front of them,
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shout and yell,
Boldly they queued and well,
Into the House of Commons,
On the division bell
Walked the six hundred.
If you’d ever wanted a graphic demonstration of the total disconnect between public and politician, here was a prime example on live TV. Never was the term ‘lobby fodder’ more appropriate, as we watched Honourable Members who had no idea whether they were supposed to vote Yes or No, and in some cases struggled to remember their own name.
It would only have been funnier if the poison dwarf Bercow had still been in charge, as he would surely have spontaneously combusted from sheer frustration.
