With the British political scene in unprecedented turmoil – and yes, I would like to see an early general election so political associations
and the electorate can decide who they can trust as their MP – I am delighted to say there is some good news on the political scene.
I’m afraid it does not originate from this country, but from Kuwait, where for the first time ever women have been elected as MPs. This is clearly an astounding achievement.
Women won four seats in Kuwait’s parliament in Saturday’s election, the first to do so in the Gulf Arab state’s history, and a blow to the Islamists who have long dominated the assembly. Sixteen women were among 210 candidates for the 50-seat assembly, including the victorious, smiling Aseel al-Awadh. Good luck to them, and I hope this is the start of many more to follow.
Meanwhile, if we think things are bad in this country, it is reported here that 150 newly elected MPs in India have criminal cases pending against them, including some of a serious nature. I hope the number of our disgraced MPs will not reach that figure!
I believe the day of reckoning will come for all our politicians. It will be decided by voters at the ballot box. And the sooner the better. Regardless of whether ill-gained money has been paid back, our honourable members cannot be seen to be above the law or profiteering 
from their job representing the electorate. A man’s reputation is priceless and has been destroyed for many politicians since the Telegraph began its lurid revelations.
*Tomorrow our Conservative MEPs and candidates launch the Eastern Region European election campaign with Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport. I’ve been ringing the local media to inform them and one radio journalist (female) told me:
“Ooooh, I’ve met Jeremy, he’s really lovely. I’m sorry I can’t be there to meet him again, but we are not covering the European election. It’s an admin nightmare because of the rules which state we have to give equal coverage to all the political parties, including the small ones. And with news bulletins only 90 seconds, that doesn’t allow much time and we can’t guarantee following the rules, so we decided it’s better to do nothing until the day of the election, and then we will just say voters have gone to the polls.”
So guys, if you don’t hear or read anything about your European parliamentary candidates, believe me, it is not from lack of trying, it is because of the bureaucracy which the media is embroiled in. Fortunately, local BBC radio is planning debates with lead candidates. We need the regional media to carry informative and impartial reports about candidates, and we value the role of local media to promote the voice of democracy.
*Do sign up for our RSS news feeds if you want to follow the regular news updates about our candidates canvassing in the region which can be found at our Eastern Region election website.
And you can also follow our candidate Vicky’s vivid campaigning reports on her excellent blog. This is her latest thought provoking report on why it is so important to keep knocking on doors, however uncomfortable it might feel.
*I have just had an interesting email from another of our excellent candidates, Jonathan Morgan, about a debate he participated at in Great Yarmouth yesterday against lead candidates, Richard Howitt for Labour, Andrew Duff for Lib Dems, and Rupert Read for the Greens. It was a TUC organised event and only 14 people turned up.
What was interesting was hearing Richard pleading and begging with the 14 unionists in the audience for their vote – not once, but three times during the 2hr session. He didn’t get a particularly warm greeting. Greens are clearly going big time for the Labour protest vote.
So who will the disaffected Labour supporters vote for on 4th June?
V.Good news in Kuwait.
Jeremy looks to be quite a honey but I can’t help wondering what his expenses claim included. Sadly most poeples trust and respect for parliament has diminished. Is this time to do away with our costly parliament in the UK as we are ruled by Brussels anyway?
I happen to think that £65k is not enough for an MP – at least if they weren’t so useless. The expenses scandals are the least of many betrayals that our politicians have perpetrated against the hard working and honest British public. But this is the issue which appears to have got the publics’ goat and which will mobilise and focus their anger – so it will have to do.
You may well celebrate suffrage in Kuwait but in Britain we have taken a thousand backward steps in terms of democracy at the behest of politicians some of whom we now know to be thieves and liars and of the incorrigible belief that they are our betters.
I really do fear for Britain. It’s becoming a frightening and ugly place in which to live.
Pip, Yes, it’s great news about Kuwait, and Jeremy does look a bit of a dish. I’m sure you will be able to check his expenses online soon.
Kevin, yes, I agree we have taken a huge backward step as far as political trust is concerned. Parliament – and its honourable members – will have to work hard, show humility, and be scrupulously transparent in their future actions.
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Ellee, the danger is the thinking ‘why have MP’s at all?’
75% of our laws are just rubber stamped by us anyway as they come from Brussels. If the rest is social engineering, we don’t need it.
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I don’t think I’ve made my point clear, Ellee.
The greatest blow to our democracy has been the signing of the Maastricht treaty by the Tories – thereon Britain ceased to exist as a sovereign nation. Whilst politicians over-regulated every aspect of our personal lives they have failed to regulate what matters: financial institutions, their own institution and our borders. They’ve failed abjectly to deal with crime and have left many of us woefully exposed to the lawless and predatory not to mention the criminally insane. They’ve failed to stand up for our industries or plan to any degree for our future energy needs. They’ve led us into illegal wars and now they bankrupt us through a property boom in which they had vested interest.
Britain is finished. This is because they ignored the people when they complained – worse and most wickedly, they branded us as nut jobs, racialists or Little Englanders.
It’s not a matter of mainstream politicians making good the expenses fiasco and carrying on. Their parties are entirely fake and offer the voters no effective choice. I hope they are utterly demolished as people vote for fringe parties in protest. Let’s only hope that not too many go over to the BNP.
Congratulations, Kuwait
Wonderful news about Kuwait – thanks for alerting us Ellee..
Hi, Ellee. A bunch of crooks all those MPs . Who do they think they are? – On the fiddle all the time and not even on the same planet as the rest of us, it seems, given the amounts involved.
That’s brilliant about the Kuwaiti women.
Our Green MEP candidate had an endorsement from Joanna Lumley on her leaflet
Who’s the man with the grin? Is this another get rich quick scheme? If yes then sign me up!
Good news in Kuwait indeed Ellee. There is hope after all, although often I doubt it. Let’s hope they can be heard in that forum, despite the odds against them.
It seems that politicians pretty soon do what they think everyone else is doing anyway, no matter how principled they start out. Very sad indeed.