PENNY WISE : A wide ranging and comprehensive survey has revealed the Great British Public no longer know what they pay their government for?
The survey, which consisted of reactions to one post on Twitter by this global publishing megahouse, received limited but encouraging feedback. Given that we are in 21st century Brexitannia that is all that is required for a raft of policy changes and opinion pieces.
“No one has the foggiest,” lead researcher, Doctor Puffin’ Stuffed, asserts, “the centre to left clearly think it’s a giant waste of cash. What with the rapid regression of the country to feudalism (complete with plague!) under the current parliament, and the ones preceding it. But the gammon aren’t best pleased either. Desperate people keep making it to our shores. If Priti Patel and Dan the Clandestine Channel Threat Commander are to earn their keep, how the hell is that happening? Why haven’t laser guided, specially trained combat sharks been released to patrol the English Channel? AND DID YOU KNOW THE FRENCH CALL THE english CHANNEL ‘la Manche’? WHY HAVEN’T WE INVADED FRANCE?”
The confusion is well founded, especially when you consider how many additional jobs members of parliament are allowed to take on, with a few hours work often exceeding their MP salary. You can even get your flat refurbed by donors. Who cares about running the country? Except as a racket.
But sadly for the opposition it isn’t much better. There’s a suspicion that decades of enrichment of Labour leaders, Union bosses, head teachers and so on has been an exceptionally clever wheeze by the right wing to draw them into the establishment. If you’re in the establishment and become a multi-millionaire off the status quo, there is perhaps limited internal desire to change it. Although some weekends will be set aside for waving placards.
Unfortunately for the people there maybe limited impact if they simply stop paying members of parliament.
“Most of them have sufficient external streams of income, well padded nests, offshore investments, wealthy donors and so on. They’ll miss the spare change of the MPs salary, but it’ll be fine if they still have the subsidised bar.”
It’s almost like the entire show is no longer fit for purpose.