March 2008 Archives

Our unelected leader, representing a seat unaffected by many of the decisions of the Government he leads, has managed to avoid letting we mere peasants have any say about whatever it was he signed, supposedly on our behalf, in Lisbon.

The Prime Minister assures us that it is merely a treaty and "substantially different" from the dead-in-the-water European constitution which the Labour manifesto promised us would lead to a referendum.

Now why am I reminded of Alice in Wonderland . . . "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."

It all came down to honesty and trust. The treaty is merely the constitution dressed up in a new frock. Humpty could have been honest and said there would be no referendum because he would probably lose but that is not the way of politicians. They are much happier with slippery, shiny words that can be interpreted whichever way suits them now and, or course, at any time in the future.

As for the Lib Dems, apart from 13 notable exceptions, they appear to be taking up space that could be used for something more useful - a cafeteria perhaps.

Amid the despair at the sheer dishonesty of our leaders though perhaps we and democracy should thank some of our local MPs, Roger Godsiff, Dr Lynne Jones and Gisela Stuart for Labour along with Lib Dem John Hemmings for defying three line whips to vote for what had been promised at the last election. It is called integrity. Perhaps when polling day comes round again, working on the basis of course that Humpty will not find a way to avoid that one, voters will remember that.

Is there some disease most of us don't know about that prevents people being able to park even the smallest car between two white lines?

I was in a store car park in Walsall and in a walk of no more than 50 yards counted six cars that had missed the target. Two had even managed to get a white line pretty well plumb between their wheels.

Now if it is not a disease the only other possibilities are that the people who parked the cars are pretty awful drivers or they really don't give a monkey's cuss for the rest of us.

We also had the usual show of consideration for one's fellow man with a car parked in a disabled bay without even a hint of a blue badge. Apart from no badges the remarkably robust driver also did not seem to have any noticeable disability apart from a reluctance to walk more than five yards.

Anybody else noticed that the use by date on bread in supermarkets is getting shorter and shorter? Not so long ago it was common to find loaves on the shelf with six days or so life in them according to the label, now it's two or three - if you are lucky.

With the price of bread going up all the time it seems we are being asked to pay more for bread that is going to last for less time. Anyone any idea where the missing days have gone?

What is it about the middle lane on motorways? I was on the south coast this weekend and came back much of the time on virtually empty motorways. It should have been a simple journey but I stopped counting the number of times I had to come from the inside lane out to the third lane and then back again to overtake some moron stuggling to breathe and steer at the same time, trundling along in the middle lane on an otherwise deserted stretch of road.

Then there were the loonies who drive inches from your bumper, flashing headlights as if somehow they have some divine rights of passage, when you are in the outside lane at the rear of a long line of vehicles overtaking a clutch of slow moving traffic. When you finally pull in they surge forward almost taking your rear wing off and flash the next car in the line bullying their way to clear road.

Any obnoxious driving habits that get your teeth gnashing?