Thursday, 27 November 2008

The best bit is...

Quentin Letts:

George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor, tried to make a speech. It is possible he gave a good speech, or an indifferent speech, or maybe a truly awful speech.

Much of it, alas, was inaudible, such was the shrieking from Labour.

An astonishing 17 members of the Government Whips' Office rushed in as Mr Osborne started speaking, to mix with Labour backbenchers and give an impression of widespread outrage.

The way they appeared from nowhere it was as though someone had just lifted a manhole cover and so many sewer mice had come scampering into the cockpit of democracy.

I have noted before the rising tendency of these state-paid Whips (they receive ministerial salaries which place them comfortably in the current top-rate tax bracket) to pack the Labour benches when a Tory is speaking. Never has it been so bad or obvious.

Whips traditionally kept silent in the Chamber. Under the leadership of Gordon Brown - the same Gordon Brown who poses as a defender of Parliament and who claims to want to hear the Tories make their case - this custom has been trashed.

The Whips are now rent-a-gob.

Today a twitchy little man called Lucas, one of the Whips' number, stood by the double doors heckling Mr Osborne like a football hooligan.

The place where Mr Lucas was standing was not officially part of the Commons playing-field.

A moment later he stepped over the red line on the carpet and strode to a seat.

So it can be said legitimately that a servant of the Crown entered the Commons bawling abuse, like a drunk entering a Wild West saloon.


Fantastic.

Oh, and that "best bit"? You are paying extra, specifically for this behaviour, out of your tax money.

Guido has more.

7 comments:

Shades said...

They must be really worried about him.

Trixy said...

Oi, Clown. About that poll. Where's the milihunk option?

Obnoxio The Clown said...

Trixy, I'm trying to rescue you from the Shapeshifter. :o)

Trixy said...

I don't want to be rescued. Well, only in a sort of tower, big dress, white horse kind of way.

Obnoxio The Clown said...

Can I put you down for Ed Balls then? ;o)

Trixy said...

No. Bugger off.

Obnoxio The Clown said...

How about Katy Clark then? That would be a very popular choice for us blokes. :o)