The Ministry of Truth

No, not the Blog, but the BBC programme about a reporter trying to get a bill passed in the HoC to make it illegal for MPs to lie while on Government Business.

Some very interesting reactions by the various MPs.

Harriet Harman clearly has the ability to lie shamelessly and parrot spin without batting an eyelid. I think she has had an ethical bypass, I really do.

Ex Lord Chancellor Mr Toad Lord Irvine was very slippery and showed a distinct lack of critical reasoning and irrational discourse. Tried to conflate lying in general with lying while in the House or on Government Business.

One chap who I forget (I wish I have their name, as he is someone I would like to buttonhole) did not like to be reminded that the People are Sovereign and that MPs are appointed to act on their behalf and started to get shirty, using the retort "young man" to the reporter. The mask slipped. I would not be surprised if he was involved in granting the Queuejumpers' Charter.

Some did argue about the problem of the law, in that it might actually place the Judiciary above the Elected Representatives and so open the door for misuse and mischief. The comeback was the problem of strong whips who control individual elected representatives to such an extent that they owe their position more to the Party than the Electorate. Another good point raised was the emergence of ignorant, arrogant, self-serving parasites The Political Class who have no experience outside the writhing cockroach ecosystem atop the midden of bat shit guano that is politics today.

The rather gullible MP who took it up was "huffed" rather swiftly by having his slot for putting forward the Bill, erm, lost... If ever there was a warning about the EU and the State, this is it.

For me, I wonder if it should be better for MPs who lie on record, on TV etc. (i.e. prima facae evidence) should be hauled before the House of Lords to be judged, or at least judged to see if they then go on to the High Court. A trigger could well be a number of HoL members. I know this could be seen as self-regulation still, but I do not get a chance to vote for Judges...

Just thinking of a least-worst path here.