(no subject)

[therealpm]

Parliament is often accused of being old, antiquated, or out of touch; so it's wonderful to see that at least one member of the Commons is willing to modernise.  Step forward, Bercow.   Your new, prohibition era 'greaser' hairstyle is wonderfully fresh, coming straight from the 1920s.

Comments

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

Good.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Indeed, watching the Coalition govt frantically U-turn on forests is going to be far more amusing. I do hope they make a habit of this sort of thing.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

I hope not; it would be nice if the government could actually govern occasionally, rather than spending all their time in the House saying sorry.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

You don't think they should be forced to apologise and be held accountable for trying to introduce ill-thought out schemes for which they have no mandate? I am surprised, John, I thought you had cleared your eyes of Tory wool years ago.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

You're willfully misunderstanding my comment. I would prefer that the government's policies are well thought out and held to account in the proper way rather than rushed and constantly forcing ministers to take up time in the House apologizing.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

It makes a nice change from the usual chanted slogans, surely?

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

For the moment, however if apology statements become the semi-norm then soon enough they too will become dull and repetitive.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the coalition could simply announce a blanket, or generic apology, valid for 6 months, on 'Newsnight' or somewhere similar. I'd suggest they announce it in the House, but Govt. seem to prefer introducing govt. policy over the airwaves and would hate to discomfort them.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure you would detest causing the government distress. Having said that, announcement of policy to media outlets prior to a statement in the House isn't exactly an invention or innovation of the coalition...

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

It would simply break my heart if this government collapsed under the weight of its own inadequacy.

There is a difference between assuring proper briefing of the media and disregarding the primacy of the Commons.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

You are such a compassionate and benevolent individual.

I'm sure there is a difference, and I'm just as sure that it is easy to 'accidentally' end up on the wrong side of that divide.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Flattery will get you nowhere, Bercow.

Having a competant press officer can certainly help in these matters. I wonder why the coalition couldn't fin... ...oh yes, he had to leave after some rather convincing evidence suggested that he's a crook.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

That's what you get when you hire from the News of the World, I suppose.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Truly, a paper unburdened by journalistic integrity. One can be assured of a lack of bias in evidence presented due to the complete absence of the same.

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

That's one way of putting it.