Monday, November 29, 2010

Labour MP Gordon Brown accused over his poor record and attendance in the House of Commons, evidence of why Parliamentary recall system is needed




















Dear All

Elections are interesting to watch, particularly on election night.

It has a feel rather like a carnival with the excitement from those standing and the press in the hall wondering if anyone will make a breakthrough.

Candidates line up and the Presiding Officer reads out the votes of each candidate and then declares that so and so has been elected to serve as the representative of the people of wherever.

Once in, it is not unreasonable to expect those elected to do the job they were elected and paid to do.

Gordon Brown’s attendance at the Houses of Commons is a disgrace; it makes a mockery of democracy and shows contempt for the people.

Brown made great claims about his moral compass and what his father taught as well as espousing what his social values credentials were.

This was simply words.

However his non attendance joke has gone too far and he has come under fire in the Commons for his apparent failure to attend debates and votes.

Tory MP Greg Hands quite rightly is flagging up that Gordon Brown has spoken only once in the House since May's general election.

The other part of his record is equally appalling, tabling no questions and had made only five of the 131 votes.

During Commons question time, Mr Hands (Chelsea and Fulham) asked the Deputy Commons Leader:

"Would you agree to have a word with the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, assuming he can be found, and perhaps suggest some orientation might be needed?"

Heath replied:

"I'm sure it would be invidious to discuss the attendance record of any individual right honourable Member. It does worry me, I have to say, if some Members do have problems reconciling the competing pressures of writing books and making well-paid speeches with their duties in this House. However, I do hope that in the context of the present economic situation, those with particular experience of, say, ending boom and bust will feel able to contribute to our debates."

Although this is slapstick by the Tories and Lib Dems it does raise serious points.

I favour a recall system for MP’s such as Gordon Brown who steadfastly refuse to participate in the job they were elected to do.

His time isn’t spent enhancing Parliament; it is spent writing books and getting paid for making speeches on the lecture circuit.

If he thinks this is acceptable then his moral compass which he attributes came from his father is well screwed up.

Gordon Brown isn’t the MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, he is the MP for Gordon Brown PLC, cash cow private businessman for rent.

Quite simply, he is a disgrace to public life and as I previously blogged, no leader of men.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

2 comments:

cynicalHighlander said...

Talk comes cheap with Brown as with most Labour politicians its about themselves, nothing more.

Anonymous said...

Hi! Do you use Twitter? I'd like to follow you if that would be ok. I'm absolutely enjoying your blog and
look forward to new posts.

Also visit my blog :: Sac a main Guess