Don Quixote Davis

Vacuous self-indulgence.

It’s the atmosphere at Westminster that drives MPs mad. The heightened drama, the merciless searchlight of public attention and the heady wild rhetoric of tabloid drivel upsets the balance of their fragile minds.

David Davis’s resignation is a piece of vacuous, vainglorious self-indulgence. It will baffle his constituents in Haltemprice and Howden. He is seeking to become the Knight of  "noble endeavour".  He told us that is what Haltemprice means.

The Lib-Dems, Labour and UKIP are unlikely to stand against him, rendering the gesture even more futile. Electors do not like being bothered unnecessarily. They did their bit voting Davis in already. Why should they do it again in a one-candidate election? It's hardly an act of courage to stand as a Tory candidate when Labor is on 26% in the polls and the LibDems are on 18?

The Knight David is tilting at a frail windmill.  Why should anyone risk committing political hara-kiri over the popular surveillance cameras and identity cards? The Lords will trash the 42 days bill anyway.

His chosen cause for personal martyrdom is 'the erosion of British civil liberties'.It's largely a tabloid exaggeration. But we are hardly in Mugabe-land yet. Most of the objections are minor irritants.  Yes I too am angry about the 42-day bill. That is why I voted against. I have also voted against ID cards. But if I had resigned every time I was angry, Newport West would have had an election every three months.

Why should taxpayers foot the bill in order to massage the Davis ego? He should pay for the whole elections expense himself. That would discourage other MPs from aping this tomfoolery.

Repent on Dore

The promised Early Day Motion on the promotion of DORE was tabled today. Will the media react and repent their gullibility ? Persuade your MP to sign. The number is 1770.

EDM 1770

DORE PROMOTION
11.06.2008

Flynn, Paul

That this House is appalled at the gullible uncritical promotion by the media of Dore, a claimed miracle cure for dyslexia, in the absence of scientific proof of its value; notes that there were five resignations from the editorial board of the journal Dyslexia in protest at false claims published in that journal on the efficacy of Dore; welcomes Ofcom's finding that Dore's television advertisement was in breach of its rules on evidence,; calls on the Jeremy Vine Show, Channel Five News, Radio Five Live, BBC London, ITV Central, ITV Yorkshire, the Daily Mail, the Daily Record, Scotland on Sunday, Tonight with Trevor McDonald and You and Yours to correct the false impressions they broadcast on an unproven treatment; and congratulates the bloggers and journalist Ben Goldacre for exposing this bad science and other exploitative snake oil salespeople.

Comments

[valleylad]

I as a rule despise the Tories, listening to David Davis, I find it hard to disagree. If I was one of his constituents I'd be torn between voting for him with a peg on my nose, or spoiling my paper.

The only reason zanu-labour will do everything to weasel out of fielding a candidate is they will get trashed. If they don't stand, perhaps a cabinet minister could try the same stunt.

ID cards (or rather the surveillance database behind them) are not popular. Forcing people to pay for them less so.

CCTV and speeding fine collection cameras are not popular either. I could mention the NHS spine (93c3 time), the childrens database (from which it seems the kids of ministers will be exempt), banning many forms of speech, criminalising the suicidal via ASBO's, data retention, RIPA (when is someone from Poole council going to enjoy porridge?), DNA database of anyone who is even arrested, Policing VED via database, etc, etc, etc. I can't even remember most of the numerous new offences this govt has created in lord only knows how many new acts of parliament.

This govt has repeatedly attacked and destroyed civil liberties in this country, in a totalitarian attempt to see all, control all and create a gilded cage for the population. I despise them.

[Jolly Roger]

The madness at Westminster is part of your choice.
Presumably you attend to air your voice.
Are you another victim, Paul?
Have you been seen climbing the wall?
Has David Davies been a fool
By resigning over this 42 day rule?
Has he thrown away a nice little earner
Just to occupy the front burner?

There's more to this 'madness' than meets the eye.
He'll be back, bye and bye,
He's no fool as well you know it.
When he returns, he'll surely show it.
He'll keep the pot of Civil Liberties bubbling.
And do his best to keep on troubling
Gordon, to the very end,
Of his shameful Prime Ministerial stipend.

You quibble at the cost to the Public Purse
How come you're suddenly so averse?
You eat my food, you use my fuel.
Whilst I survive on tea and gruel.
I'm all for Davies's principled stand.
Let's hope he returns, not cap in hand,
To hasten the end of the Zanu-like Labour.
Believe me Paul, he'll be doing me a favour

[John]

I found myself in a horrible position yesterday a place of darkness that I never thought I would enter I actually agreed with David Davis. We have had an erosion of civil liberites in this country the whole population is scaremongered in to subliminal fear about terrorists or what ever that they will agree to losing our hard won freedoms.

Nevertheless my ray of light was although I agreed with what he was saying his Hissy fit resignation just shows that after all he is the p***ock I thought he was. But it does go to show that even the biggest p***ocks can speak some semblance of sense now and again.

[Brainduck]

Good grief, never thought I'd get a *positive* mention in Parliament!

However, should you *really* want to do the public understanding of science a favour, how about free academic journal access for everyone? As things stand, in a week's time I'll lose the right to read studies published in academic journals when I graduate. Seems a waste of time & taxes to spend 3 years teaching me how to read & understand the literature, then once I've got the hang of it to stop me!

Parents *should* be able to read all about how the research was done & exactly what was found, instead of having it filtered via inaccurate journalists. People *should* have all the information before they make what can be huge decisions, but as it is only those working in academia can read this stuff. That's wrong.

[Huw O'Sullivan]

Sorry Paul, you may be right in it being self indulgent and you may be right that is a futile exercise, but it has hit a chord with people and will make people relate more with this politician than with any other.
He will seem like someone who shares their sense of powerlessness in the fact of the juggernaut of government decisions and policies.
It does in fact make people think that this politician is on their side and one of them and possibly an all around good egg.
If I were in his constituency and there was a by election for this reason, he would get my vote. Even though he wouldn't in any other circumstance, I would no more vote for the tories in a general election or any other more regular election, than I would for new labour, as you know its your membership of that blackly twisted mockery of the real Labour party, that prevents you getting my vote. Not that you seem to need it.

[paulflynn]

Thanks. I have the advantage, or disadvantage, of observing David Davis over many years.

42 days is not a great issue. Neither are CCTV cameras or a DNA database. Identity Cards are important because the technology will be an expensive failure.

We have great issues hat dwarf these into nothingness. Global warming, world water shortage, energy, oil peak, population growth, food famines.

David Davis is not an inspired politician in any way. He is pedestrian with limited horizons. His chosen subject for resignation proves it.