Working Class Britain

In an article on the BBC website, a journalist recounts his fond memories of going to his working-class friend's house for tea. He writes with some kind of romantic attachment to a lifestyle (he calls it a culture) he never knew.

The comment below was made by a reader of that very same article and I think any middle class people out there who believe in the romantic, quaint notion of working class tranquility should read it - and take note.

"I am "working class", at least I used to be. Grew up in a council house on a rough estate that's been pulled down now, and thank god for that. It's very easy to see the romance in a life style that you are not required to take part in, unless you want to. Of course there is a "culture" but it is not always a good one. Working class environments can be choiceless, hopeless and dark, with few ways out.

I would like to know what happened to Jim? Did he go to college? Get to debate cultural and bourgeois issues? I was lucky enough to pass the 11+ and work my way out of a lifestyle that none of my family willingly stayed within, once they had a choice. Choice is the key, and being "middle class", with all the baggage the term carries with it, gave more choice than a traditional working class life. I think its funny that so many people carry on about how wonderful the old working class lifestyle was, but so very few people want to live it."
Lyn, Maidstone, UK

Gypsies are not the State's problem

This question was posed on the BBC website:

"Gypsy dilemma

Where should councils place travellers?"

It's indicative of the problem with many British people nowadays. People - not just gypsies - such as single parents, criminals, the unemployed and the young expect their problems to be sorted out by the state at the taxpayers' expense.

Let me illustrate this with an example. One teenager who I know recently said to me: 'I can't get a f****** job anywhere - Gordon Brown's a c**t'. While I agree with the latter point, I disagree with the general thrust of the statement: it is NOT Mr Brown's problem that the teenager is too lazy to look for a job. It's his problem.

As a nation, I think we need to break free from the expectation that there can be an omnipotent, omniscient state that can provide for our every need. There can never be a state like that; it's a dangerous ideal and one which we should be careful from slipping into.

Tories Apologise to the North? No Way!

ConservativeHome, the leading grass roots Conservative website, has an interesting post today:

Should the Conservative Party apologise to the North?

It's interesting that Michael Gove and Alan Duncan believe that we should say 'sorry for the pain that was caused' to the North due to Thatcher's economic policies.

As a Northern Tory activist I welcome most Conservative Party efforts to make headway in the North, but this suggestion by ConservativeHome and the Southern MPs mentioned above is patronising and absurd. Thatcher turned the North from a state-dependent, inefficient industrial area into a shining beacon of redevelopment. And, I mean that; Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, York and Newcastle are all world-class cities; centres of business and culture. That was the result of Thatcher's economic policies in the North - not some left-wing babble summed up in Billy Elliot. Yes, the mining communities suffered high unemployment and social problems, but it's time to understand that those effects were necessary in order to make way for today's prosperity (they were, of course, exacerbated by the Unions themselves).

The greatest gift the Conservatives can give to the North now is not a feeble apology - but real conservatism. By that, I mean grammar schools, respect (for the police) and a wealth-inducing economy. The North has suffered for too long under the iron grip of socialism - it's time for the Conservatives to look back at their treatment of the North with pride. There should be no apology.

RMT and London Underground Strikes

Generally speaking I have little sympathy with strikers; particularly, teachers and people who provide public services (such as the Royal Mail workers who refused to process BNP election leaflets). I have even less sympathy with the lazy, pathetic, selfish London Underground members of the RMT, led by the arch-militant Bob Crow, who have this week gone on strike.

I'm not fully aware of the reasons of the strike, so I apologise for my ignorance. But, I do know it only takes 6 weeks' training to become an Underground driver and you end up with a salary of £40,000 per annum! Ridiculous, especially compared with the wage of our soldiers, nurses and carers. For that reason, I see absolutely no moral basis for a strike from these over-paid train drivers in the middle of the nation's worst recession in over two decades!

They should all be sacked. Simple, and fair.

Devolution

It's a historical fact that Scotland, and in some lesser respects Wales, has always been a little different to England. For example, ever since the Act of Union Scotland has retained its unique legal system and its own cultural distinction. However, under this Labour government the hideous idea of devolution has accelerated and this has proved to be a huge blow for the strength of the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland. In that sense, I object to devolution and Scottish and Welsh legislatures on a patriotic and sentimental ground.

However, as a conservative, I am more ideologically opposed to devolution. It's nothing more than an extra layer of bureaucracy . I believe in small government. Devolution is the antithesis to that sacred conservative belief. As such, I believe that the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Assembly should be scrapped - the people of those nations are not different to the English; they are as British as someone from the Home Counties (to use a stereotype) and they should be governed by the British legislature - the Westminster Parliament.

Since the Euro elections are today, we have seen huge debates about whether or not we should be in Europe. The argument spouted by the Eurosceptics is that giving more power to the EU is a loss of parliamentary sovereignty and is undermining the British sense of identity. Why then, do many conservatives support the present system in the UK of multilayered, wasteful, inefficient government? It's sheer hypocrisy from conservatives and the whole issue needs to be confronted by the main representative body of UK conservatives - the Conservative Party. However, I predict they will bow to pressure for keeping the status quo.

Politicians and their Expenses

Recently, the British public seems to have turned on its elected representatives. According to one Tory peer, Parliament has been 'dragged into the pits'. Much of this public anger has of course been fuelled by the Daily Telegraph's recent revelations about MPs' misuse of their parliamentary allowances. The British public have been provoked into writing strong letters to national and local papers, MPs have been reluctant to appear on television and being an MP has suddenly become far more dangerous than an out-and-proud homosexual in Iran.

I can't help but think, however, that this public ire has been bubbling away under the surface for some while and the Telegraph's 'Expenses Files' have just been the catalyst for an almighty explosion, of which we are going through now. The British it seems, just have absolutely no time for politics.

I just think that all of this has been blown a tad bit out of proportion. Yes, nobody thinks MPs should 'flip' their homes to make financial gain and of course, no taxpayer wants to pay for Douglas Hogg's moat to be cleaned. However, we must also accept that making a few dodgy expenses claims is not the most heinous of moral crimes. For example, Michael Gove 'flipped' his house quite legitimately, yet, the Daily Telegraph felt the need to parade his face on their front page and suggest him of some financial impropriety.

We should stop this nonsensical witch hunt immediately. We must recognise that the vast majority of MPs (including Labour ones) went into politics for the right reasons - to make this country better. Let's have none of this talk about being 'dragged into the pits' or the need for an 'immediate general election' because of it. Stephen Fry put it nicely when he said 'let's concentrate on what politicians get really wrong, like wars' - a reasonable voice in an unnecessary bout of public hysteria.