Lies, Lies, Lies and more Lies

Here’s a little intellectual exercise for you. It’s not too onerous. This, first, from yesterday’s Grauniad following the fifth defeat of the ID cards bill in the Lords:

“I take the view that it is part of being a good citizen, proving who you are, day in day out,”

And this, from the Observer last Sunday:

“ID cards will be used when it is important to verify identity. That is not an everyday occurrence for the majority…”

Notice anything about these two statements? Like, for example, that they are totally contradictory? Now, unless you are schizophrenic, a complete charlatan or we have stepped into a parallel universe where nothing makes sense anymore, they cannot both be true.

Yet… wait for it… they were both made by the same man. Yes, step forward, the mendacious lying little shit; Andy Burnham. Now, I know that an honest politician is an oxymoron, but to lie so blatantly in such short order is unbelievably temerarious. Or is that just plain stupid? It’s difficult to tell with Burnham. Does this imbecile not realise that even a cretin can see that he has contradicted himself in plain sight in a matter of a few days? Even a cretin would not be fooled into believing both statements to be true – it just isn’t possible. Therefore, Andy (bumbling) Burnham is a liar and here we have the evidence before us. That, or he is a schizophrenic or we have stepped into that parallel universe. Frankly, I’m inclined to the more simple and logical explanation that he is a complete charlatan.

It’s not the lies that anger me most, though. It is the cynical disregard for the electorate. The belief that we are as stupid, vacuous and gullible as he is. That we will not see the contradiction and just swallow his dissembling whole without questioning or noticing the lies for what they are.

Incidentally, Burnham, being the mendacious lying little shit that he is, is not someone to lecture anyone about good citizenship. Out in the real world, confidence tricksters are criminals and go to gaol for their efforts. Well, there or the Costa del Sol. :devil:


On the matter of that fifth defeat, I noticed this comment from Baroness Scotland:

“We do not have the right to hold up legislation in a way that’s improper. There will be those who will use this opportunity against this House.”

She said that Lord Armstrong’s amendment would “blow a hole” in the legislation, putting “a coach and four through the Bill”.

It would seem that when they made Burnham, they didn’t break the mould. The Lords do have a right to hold up legislation; that’s why we have a second chamber; to hold up bad law. This gives parliament an opportunity to check and review. It defends us, the electorate, from a series of bad laws. At least, that is what is supposed to happen. Given that the ID cards bill is atrocious law, it is entirely proper for the Lords to hold it up and they should keep doing so. And, yes, Lord Armstong’s amendment would “put a coach and four” through the bill. That, surely, is the general idea? And, did you notice the veiled threat? Pass this bill or the rancorous thug will kick you all out and replace you with Tony’s cronies reform the Lords.

Ah, the rough and tumble of modern politics. Perhaps that’s what the egregious Tony means when he obsesses about modernity?