Labour MP Paul Flynn concerned strong handshakes equal assault, PC madness?

Dear All

Paul Flynn is a Labour MP and fully paid up member of the awkward squad which is sometimes known as the 'usual suspects', Labour MPs who aren’t 100% behind the government.

Mr. Flynn, 74, represents Newport West and has come out with an off the wall suggestion, people who use bone-crushing handshakes to prove the strength of their personalities should be charged with assault.

This is a non starter because in order to prove assault, you have to prove intent, the mens rea or as the plebs on a housing scheme call it, ‘guilty mind’.

Mr. Flynn believes that shaking hands is getting less popular and he would like to see it ended;

"Good riddance. They are unnecessary, unhygienic, germ-spreading intrusions."

It is true he has a point about the spreading of germs, and some people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, shame on them!

His main gripe appears to be that;"oafs use them to prove the strength of their personalities with bone-crushers".

He should man up and thank god they aren’t shaking anything else on the body which would bring tears to a glass eye.

As a victim of a solid handshake he said;

“Even yelps of pain or sarcasm has no effect."

I would find that hard to believe and if that is the case he should take lessons in serious sarcasm.

As to getting people charged with assault, this has to be tongue in cheek and if it ever went in front of a jury would be flung out.

He should stick to causing trouble on the green benches and forget about certain body parts getting shaked.

There isn't a big interest in handshakes; the market is over saturated to make it a good political crusade.

Now, if he was campaigning on shaking ass; he would get cross party support.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University