Do-gooders do bad

Naivety

Political myth number four is "All problems have legislative solutions. The admirable Denis Mac Shane MP has fallen for it.

His solution to the serious suffering of trafficked women is an amendment that will criminalise males who are the demand side of this seamy trade. His estimate that 25,000 are trafficked in the UK has been described as "preposterous". If it is true than the chancellor should be warned that £3 billion in compensation is likely to be claimed. That was the going rate for the handful already compensated. Last year, 85 trafficked woman were discovered in raids on 515 establishments. That's a serious problem but the findings should not be exaggerated.

I have supported the suggestion that the law should demonstrate equality of blame. However, it's alarming to hear proponents suggest that prostitution can be ended by a simple amendment to the law. It smacks of the naivety of all parties in 1971 who believed that harsh drug laws would end drug use. They did not. They created a vastly profitable trade that saw all drug abuse and drug crime grow.

That flourishing drug trade fuels the prostitution business. Inequalities in wealth is the other main factor. We already have severe penalties for abduction and enslavement. They should be enforced.  But the continuance of the world's oldest profession mirrors human nature - not the lack of a well intentioned but illogical amendment.

Doughnut disgrace

The holiday gives political nerds the chance to wallow in weird spectacles such as watching debates in the devolved assemblies.

It's alarming stuff. The Scottish Parliament is a televisual mess. The cameras and the lighting were added as an ugly afterthought by the designer of the Chamber. the pictures are marred by a background of unsightly cables and trunking.

The Senedd cameras are an unobtrusive element of the original designs. It's the conduct of AMs that wrecks the impact of almost all speeches. Speakers are ringed with a doughnut of AMs who show no interest whatsoever in what is being said. They are all staring at the screens or typing their letters. The lack of attention is absorbed by the speakers who voices fade into monotonous gabbling, rushing to get the thing over.

Can the camera's angel not to be changed to avoid the distracting doughnut. Can AMs be persuaded to desert their monitors while they are in shot to pretend to be interested in  their party colleagues.  The trained doughnut should feign the sincere devotion of El Greco angel admiring the redeemer. They should  by shocked into admiration at the beauty of the oratory. An emotional tear in the corner of the eye is very televisual.

Sensible Westminster MPs speak from the last of the backbenches. The only doughnut is the flattering oak panels, that never distracts.

Comments

[CHRIS]

Switched on today to Parliament channel to find you grilling Yates of the Yard!

[Paul Flynn]

The parliament Channel seems to have broadcast several items ins a continuous loop over the holidays. That PASC committee on Cash for peerages has been broadcast at least ten times. It enjoyable TV for we nerds.

[Andrew Sherwood]

A cynic might think that you were worried about the effect of an extra 20 AMs on the number of MPs needed to represent Wales.

[paulflynn]

To Andrew Sherwood. Why? I have always argued for more AMs. They need backbenchers - especially on the Government side.