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This week has seen 2 dominant politicians leave and 1 make the same dangerous mistake.
The first was Silvio Berlusconi. Like Boris, he presents himself as a disruptor, there to shake up the system for the benefit of the people. This is a big fat lie. Berlusconi is a product of sleazy clientelism embedded in Italian politics since WW2. That’s how he makes money; collapsed as a result of fierce magistrates threatened to die, results. He lost his protector in the anti-corruption court and entered politics for only one reason: to protect his personal interests. His great skill – like Boris – is in persuading voters that he is there to help. He didn’t; he didn’t. Despite the Italian electorate’s longing for change, Berlusconi squandered Italy’s best chance for economic and political reform. Worse: they seek to destroy the bodies, laws and structures that support democracy and good governance, public and private. Those years have been a carousel of externally unelected technocrats and unreliable and ineffective populists. This is a country that can survive despite the political class, but it could be more so if the public realm and those in charge at least try to act with competence and integrity.
So for Boris. In July 2020 I wrote this: “Johnson likes to be loved but he prefers to be feared. This can get you far in politics, it has really gotten him to the top. When love fades and fear becomes – and they will, one day – fall which will be worth watching.” Indeed it has. The report of the Privileges Committee scathing – scathing about the lies, the contempt for the Parliament, for the process, for the very idea of being held to account – is an inevitable consequence for those who lie as easily as breathing. What is worse is the way he – and his supporters – are now seeking to undermine the process which finds him misleading Parliament. This has gone beyond simple disagreement with the results. Courts, committees, judges can make mistakes. Sometimes decisions depend on difficult judgments well balanced with which others can legitimately disagree. There is an appeals process. But, finally, once the process is over, you have to accept it. The tantrum of Boris and co., not crying from someone who claims a miscarriage of justice with evidence to support this. This is the cry of those who think they should not be counted, who think the processes and procedures in their way don’t matter, to be ignored, attacked and humiliated, people who don’t understand. know this harm to democracy.
It is not only elections that make a democratic country: it is also a structure and process that obeys the authorities, obeys the law, establishes independent bodies and systems of investigation and justice, understands the importance of the separation of powers. , make it clear that the system is bigger than one party, politicians, values of integrity and trust and strives to include them in their government. It is the duty of all democratic politicians to pass these structures and processes well for the people who will come, so that they know that they are not the owners, but the custodians, as John Nott said – “here today, gone tomorrow” politicians and our democracy, the country and the way it works – or tries to – with some level of competence, trust and integrity are more important than what we do.
Boris didn’t know about it. Also his supporters. In attacking the Committee, they are destroying democracy and the country they claim to love. They consider it similar to what Berlusconi exhibited in Italy. He did it because he valued Boris’s personal interests more than anything else. This happens when the party becomes dominated by a larger personality and thinks that the party and the leader are one. Pretty soon began to think of the party, the leader and the country as well as all one – and said otherwise lèse-majesté. There is more than a hint of this in the reaction to the Committee’s report. This is one of the best reasons why the Tory party should be in opposition – to remind itself that its interests and those of the country are not automatically one and the same, what matters is how leaders and MPs do it.
So on to Scotland where Humza Yousaf, strangely, told her MSP she must stand behind Nicola Sturgeon or leave the party. What on earth do you think? What does he think? Police Scotland arrested and questioned Ms Sturgeon (the once dominant SNP and Scottish politician) because she had “reasonable grounds for suspicion“She has committed a criminal offense – see S.1(1) Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. She is not being questioned just to make her evidence admissible. This is a very serious situation. Ms Sturgeon has not been charged; she may not ever and, even if he, has the right to the presumption of innocence. However, this is a direct independent investigation into a potentially serious offense. The FM should not comment at all. He should not demand that his MSP stand behind the leader or leave. This should not be like “If you are not with me, you are against me“Kab test. The risk of putting pressure on the police, especially those who have just been appointed as new leaders and in a country where the SNP is dominant. For now, anyway. Most importantly, it creates the impression that they do not understand the value of an independent investigation by an independent police force or FM should be neutral carefully and not appear to be a party. The SNP must be more than one politician. There is no answer to say, as Mr. Yousaf did, he tried to unite the whole party on independence. Ends and means, Mr. Yousaf. This is the same reason as Boris: they are under attack because of Brexit. To protect them, they should not be under attack. This is laughable I am a country region and despise politicians and parties who talk like this.
Starmer must have been watching with glee. He had to be careful. His decision to appoint Tom Watson to the legislature is one serious statement, especially for the former DPP. Nominating someone who seeks to manipulate the criminal justice system and the police for party political purposes is shameful. We must hope that they do not make the same mistake in the future. If he becomes PM there is a lot to fix in the UK. No less than that, our democratic politics has been seriously damaged by the current government. It is not constitutional change that is primarily needed but the understanding – and then action – of trust, integrity and good judgment should govern everyone’s actions since the PM steps down. This may not be the main concern of voters every day, but, as shown in Italy: if the structure of the state is rotten and untrustworthy, if those in charge are untrustworthy and misbehaving, then so is the country and its people. will earn less than used. Britain cannot afford the luxury of selfish, untrustworthy and thoughtless politicians.
Cycle free
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