Thursday, March 19, 2009

Sorry, I'm aleady taken darling.

Not sure whether to be uplifted or offended. The letter starts off "As a person of standing we are contacting you directly......with our message to clean up politics" and follows up with "In view of your position and the issues for which you stand, we very much hope that... you ....will seriously consider applying to become a candidate." The letter ends by describing the team to which I am invited to sign up as "a new generation of independently minded, honest individuals who are pledged to the improvement of governance in this country and on the continent." Yes, that's right. I have been invited to stand at the imminent European Election and the next General Election as a candidate for The Jury Team.

This would easily be possible to become all puffed up reading such nice things written about oneself. Except that there are some quite derogatory statements about those who represent existing political parties - which includes me of course. I am being invited to establish within my own body a political battleground. I think its best if I write back to inform Paul Judge and his team that I'm already taken, and have sold my soul to the Conservative Party.

If I had been interested in becoming a candidate for The Jury Team, I would have been required to pledge support for three principles.

1) Government should be run for the benefit of the people and not for the benefit of any political party.
2) MPs and MEPs should vote according to their view of what is best for the country and their constituents.
3) Politicians should fully comply with the Nolan Principles of Public Life.

Also enclosed was a 'Handbook', which looked a bit like the Owner's Manual that came with Mrs D's Merc. Must have cost a bomb to produce. Its called the 'End of the Party'. It opens with a bit of Gilbert and Sullivan.

'Now jurymen, hear my advice.
All kinds of vulgar prejudice
I pray you set aside:
With stern, judicial frame of mind
From bias free of every kind,
This trial must be tried.

3 comments:

Victoria Winckler said...

Glyn I had the same twaddle too - I suspect we are not an exclusive club of two. Come on the rest of Wales, reveal yourselves!

Anonymous said...

That word "standing" reminds me of that classic lyric line "stand by your man/woman/mammy/journalist".

Is it ethical for a journalist to accept payment for travel and/or accommodation from the Welsh Assembly Government to cover an event for a national Science journal?

Can a journalist cover the event objectively if they have accepted ‘free’ accommodation and possibly other considerations such as meals at a plush hotel?

What does this say about the Welsh Assembly Government team behind such payments?

Who countenanced such financial favours?

How far up the bunny chain does this fandango go?

"Oh mammy, tell me I’m wrong.
Oh mammy, what’s going on!"
Source: "Mammy Song"

Glyn Davies said...

Victoria - Are you accepting Sir Paul's invite?

Not so bunny - Quite so. At its highest level, how objective is the BBC, when it is funded by a Goverment imposed tax, in the form of a licence fee.