‘THATCHERISM’ TO ‘FLAT-EARTHISM’?

Trevor's Website www.thebaldtruthjersey.co.uk 

                  

Never mind ‘Tweeting’ in the Chamber…

                            there may be ‘Bats in the Belfry’

Look, let’s get one thing in the open straightaway. Not only do I loath 99% of Senator Sarah Fergusson’s political views I’m equally sure that unchecked pursuit of them could lead only to that final slide over the edge of the economic and social Abyss. Just a few hours analysis of the writings of Ha-Joon Chang - highlighted in my last post - make that quite clear.

Nevertheless, as much as you can do with someone who actually stands up in the States and talks about “the so-called poor” in Jersey with a straight face - on a personal level I actually get on pretty well with Sarah. Why? Well, firstly unlike all too many in the States Chamber whilst she is happy to dish it out in putting her right-wing views across she is also equally willing to take it: and take it without running to teacher to blub about how horrible those nasty Progressives have been in challenging her politics.

Secondly, Jersey’s answer to Margaret Thatcher also has a decent sense of humour. I only mention this last fact because this sense of humour is surely just as well given her bonkers amendment 26 to P48 (the Island Plan) i.e. seeking to remove all reference to climate change/global warming from consideration due to it apparently being pseudo-scientific! She is just having a laugh surely I can almost hear you say? Sadly, like Eddie Noel’s contention that making multi-millionaire tax-evading parasites even wealthier with tax breaks makes us all “better off”, the Senator is not!

If the public doubt the States’ credibility now they sure will if we debate this!

Now, I have absolutely no intention of boring readers here with a few thousand words of my own analysis of the ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments on global warming. Firstly, because there are a myriad of sources which put this across far better than I could. Secondly, because even leaving aside the dreaded ‘experts’ the argument is so obviously cut and dried. A basic fact: for every one report dismissing the concept there is at least three fully in support.

But being on the subject what I would like to flag up briefly as a result of this nonsense being put forward for debate is this. How desperately we need this next election to bring us more support in the Chamber in terms of people able to actually focus on, and work toward the bigger picture.

After all, one of the really disappointing outcomes of the last elections in 2008 was that only Daniel Wimberley of the four ‘Green’ candidates who stood got elected. For all of his now legendary over long speeches – make no mistake - Daniel has been a real breath of fresh air for anyone, who like me, really cares about Jersey’s long-term future.

Indeed, from what I saw of them, and I spoke to each at some length during the 2008 Senatorials and quite often since, Chris Perkins, Mark Forskitt and Nick Palmer would all have been equally welcome additions to a Chamber where a few of us are constantly fighting against the ‘quick buck today – tomorrow will never come’ mentality of the crackpot, free-market fundamentalist Establishment.

If nothing else this madness flags up how government needs a reality check.

And why that little bit of faith in me that hasn’t yet been curdled to utter cynicism after two years in the Chamber whispers that - surely we won’t be that stupid to vote Senator Ferguson’s amendment through - I can’t help thinking that just to be on the safe side we really could have done with Chris, Mark and Nick in there with us to be on the safe side.

As I have said more than once, I have never believed in what was the so-called ‘move to the next item’ motion but I must admit, faced with a two day debate on this amendment I could almost be persuaded otherwise. It is quite frankly a complete joke.

A silver lining for every cloud?

But ever looking for positives the way I see it there can only be two possible plus factors as we draw nearer to the Island Plan debate. One is that through a lengthy series of informed speeches as a final result some of the numpties who will usually vote for anything – so long as it isn’t being put forward by a so-called ‘leftie’ - will actually wake up and smell the coffee of political credibility brewing! It is election year after all…

The second is that the amendment may not even get debated at al. Rumour has it that the Senator may actually be out of the island investigating another Thatcherite antipoverty proposition: this being that the “so-called poor” who can’t afford Jersey’s inflated bread prices can actually survive by buying cake instead…

Keep the Faith!