I went down to London yesterday with the intention of speaking at this event. I got past the security arrangements at the Royal Mint, easily, and went to the venue on the first floor. They were having a lunch break when I arrived. There were a couple of receptionists, and they were having none of it. I was gatecrashing an event entitled "Every Voter Counts", to protest about the 75,000 voters that the government has decided do not count. I stood my ground and told them that I would not leave until I had seen the head honchos. After about 10 minutes, Pinky and Perky arrived...
Peter Wardleand
Gaël Martin-MicallefAfter awhile they became quite amicable towards me and supported my fight for the vote for the incarcerated. Both agreed that it was simply a matter of repealing s.3 of RPA 1983, and that the politicians were not playing fair. They both agreed to submit my speech into their respective reports, and make my views known to the Venice Commission in Europe, and the government of the UK. We exchanged contact details. They both laughed at and liked the elephant in the House of Commons.
With time on my hands, I went to London Zoo. It took about 20 minutes to get into the Public Gallery. The temporary glass screen erected in 2004 to protect Tony Blair from anymore flour bombs from Fathers4Justice remains in place 6 years later! There was a boring debate on about the budget. My MP Diana Johnson was speaking. I sent her a message requesting a meeting, however, she wrote back saying that she was too busy! Whoever said They Work For You? The servant telling the master that she is too busy!
I am glad that most MPs now have to walk to work, because I was able to approach Peter Hain before he got on a train. "Why don't you support the repeal of s.3 to give prisoners the vote?", I asked. "In principle I do support it", he said.
I took a look and walk around the so-called "Peace Camp/Democracy Village" outside of Parliament. There were lots of bare patches of grass where tents had once stood, a few remained. Those I saw were either drunk or stoned and begging for money! Even Brian Haw was in a bad mood. I did have sympathy with and support the protesters there, from afar, but close up the rabble I witnessed were at war with each other in the camp. They looked and acted just like the drunks and skagheads down the Tracks in Hull!
UPDATE:
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To support in principle = to have it both ways.
ReplyDeleteA useful day out for you, I'd have thought, John. Keep them looking nervously over their shoulders!
A fun day out then John?
ReplyDeleteCC: Yes, it needs wholehearted support.
ReplyDeleteBB: Yes, all those birds with low necklines and short skirts...Phew!
If you wanted to speak to your MP wouldn't it have been a good idea to arrange in advance to meet her at Westminster rather than just turn up out of the blue?
ReplyDeleteI know that your MP meets people down from Hull all the time on lobbies about various issues.
As it turns out, I see that your MP was speaking in the Budget debate yesterday on issues that effect, I would guess, more of her 60,000 constituents than the issue on which you wanted to speak to her.Maybe you could have also lobbied the party that you actually voted for while you were down in London, as they are actually in government now.
anonymong: I had not intended visiting Parliament, and therefore was unscheduled. Nevertheless, Diana Johnson was available but chose instead to ignore me. Probably she feels guilty about following the party line on prisoners votes? Frodl has shown that she was wrong to do this and she owes me an apology. Now she has added insult to injury. The fact that I did not vote for her is neither here nor there, she is my MP and she cannot pick and choose her electorate!
ReplyDeleteDiana Johnson needs to bear in mind but for the Suffragette Movement she would not have been in the position to abuse her expenses. Some of those within the Suffragette Movement would target the houses of certain people and break windows, do other criminal damage and arson...