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| Parliament - Who is listening? |
During Britain's escalating Brexit crisis I have been watching chunks of live television coverage on the BBC Parliament channel. You get to witness emerging debates and I must say I have been uplifted by the eloquence of several of our Members of Parliament.
However, something else emerges and it concerns the conduct of our elected representatives within The House of Commons chamber itself.
Before I reflect upon that behaviour may I first say that as a secondary school teacher I had a set of basic classroom expectations. These unwritten rules included the following:-
No mobile phones
No chewing or eating in class
No sleeping
Listen politely when someone else is speaking
Do not chat with others or make faces across the room
I will be the first to admit that my teenage scholars would occasionally break these "rules" but my expectations were clear and they were all about having the best learning atmosphere possible.
Back to our MP's in The Houses of Parliament. At least three of my five rules are being broken all the time. Though some of our "right honourable" representatives listen attentively, many others think nothing about texting on their phones or checking their Facebook accounts or sending tweets during debates.
To my simple way of thinking, this is is just plain rude. If another MP is speaking then they should be listening - paying attention. And they should not be gesturing across the aisle or thumbing through papers or having conversations with their parliamentary chums. If they wish to do such things they should do them outside the chamber.
Apart from anything else, our leaders should be modelling good behaviour for our young people. In addition, it seems to me that it is insulting to the democratic process to brazenly display such careless inattention. People like the fellow shown below are currently paid £77, 379 per annum plus generous expenses re travel, meals, accommodation and office support.
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| Conservative MP asleep during a debate |
I have to agree, although the culprit concerned would probably claim that they are multi-tasking!
ReplyDeleteI understand that only women can multi-task. That is why I cannot listen to the radio when cooking or look at the road when steering Clint. It's a bit of a problem for men.
DeleteIt is just rude and ignorant not to listen when others are speaking.
ReplyDeleteTo me - if they don't want to listen they should get out of the chamber
DeleteFor once I have to agree with you. Possibly 10% have something of value to say. The rest are there because the salary is pocket money and they are unfit for employment anywhere at the minimum wage.
ReplyDeleteYou are a little too partisan, Lammy, Abbot are just as bad as the so called Tories. Your MP is a total wash out.
Here, here.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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If you were The Speaker there'd be no messing about but you'd have to tart yourself up before sitting in The Speaker's chair.
DeletePoliticians are the only people who need to shape up and follow some rules for decent behavior.
ReplyDeleteSome think that ordinary rules do not apply to them.
DeleteI am frustrated often by situations like this. Just because we have the advantage of the invention of cell phones does not mean that invention comes with the right to be rude and show a lack of respect and basic politeness.
ReplyDeleteIf someone's phone rings in an important meeting people just giggle when they should be calling the offender out.
DeleteWho knows? Perhaps they were taking notes. Is there proof they were checking their Facebook accounts etc?
ReplyDeletePoliticians bore most of us...maybe they also bore each other! Most of what they talk is dribble anyway....
If I was paid so well for sleeping, I'd make sure I had more Nana Naps! :)
Actual tweets and Facebook posts have been matched with the timings of some MPs' attendance in parliament.
DeleteI was thinking along the lines of Lee, wondering whether they were maybe taking notes or telling someone who could not be present about the current goings-on at the meeting.
ReplyDeleteHere in Germany, whenever the Bundestag (one of our parliaments) is shown on telly, I am appalled (spelling?) by the vast number of empty seats, with just a few delegates scattered around. Sometimes there are more people on the visitors gallery than in the main room!
I mentioned this to my sister and she told me that it does not mean the politicians skip work. She has a friend whose husband is a member of the regional government here, and has also been sent to Berlin a few times for meetings. He says that often, before a topic is brought before the Bundestag, months of meetings in smaller working groups and discussions have gone on, so that those who were involved in that won't listen to the same old arguments all over again; they have already done their part by the time we hear about it on the news.
I know there's a lot of background work going on - often in committee rooms. However, in Britain at least, if MPs are in the debating chamber they should show good manners. After all, they know that they are being captured on TV!
DeleteI imagine by the time these issues have reached parliament they all already know what each other thinks and how the debates will be framed. They probably don't need to give their undivided attention. Now kids in a classroom -- that's a different story! No phones, ever!
ReplyDeleteThat's the kind of response I expected from a guy who is the MP for Croydon!
DeleteI recently read 4 of the 6 books in Trollope's Palliser series, and learned a lot about the British Parliament in the 1860's--70's. Not paying attention and being rude was well established at that time, according to Trollope; so it has a long and proud history wherein cellphones are just the latest version. (I doubt our American Congress is much better, tho they may be more discreet.)
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