Smother of Parliaments

Back in the day – say in 1914 or 1939 – this country’s first response to a major threat was to thrash out the options in Parliament.

Yesterday, the Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh suggested that a proper, full-day, debate on Ukraine would be a good thing. After all, our leaders and the mainstream media are united in trouser-button-bursting, eye-rolling rage at the threat posed by Russia’s temerity in backstopping its regional interests.

Fat chance. Speaker Bercow described the reaction of House leader Andrew Lansley, who gets to decide on such debates, as “impassive”. Synonyms for impassive include unresponsive, empty, vacant, glazed, fixed and lifeless.

Which rather sums up the current state of our democracy.

Thanks Andrew.