It’s a bit of a mouthful and it’s just had its second reading in the commons. So, what does it mean? well, Spyblog and Talk Politics have some comment, so it’s worth visiting them for a bit more detail.
In essence, this bill means that ministers can repeal, amend or replace acts of parliament without going through all that tedious parliamentary process. Gets in the way, doncha know? Why waste MPs’ precious time scruitinising bills if ministers can take all that burden from them and shoulder it themselves? Such caring, selfless types, these ministers; thinking only of the good of others. Halos all round, chaps, you deserve it.
Of course, why should we, the electorate, worry? After all, these are elected representatives and they are only doing this for our own good. Er, well, not all of them are elected… Oh, yeah, good old Charlie Falconer. This unelected chump who thinks we should all be compulsorily tagged like cattle and entered onto his chum’s Stasi database will be able to meddle about, making it up as he goes along, all without recourse to parliament and all without any recourse to the people he works for… That’s us in case you were in any doubt.
If you thought Hitler’s enabling bill was bad and the Civil Contingencies act was worse, then this is the cherry on the cake – it is a totalitarian dictator’s dream. After all, if ministers can mess about with legislation without recourse to parliament, why bother with troublesome MPs at all? The treacherous buggers can’t be relied upon to vote properly without rebelling anyway, so what purpose do they serve? And the opposition are just an assortment of oxygen thieves; who needs ’em? Do away with the whole bunch of wasters and el Tone won’t have to bother with tedious parliamentary votes and keeping up appearances or losing face – just tell Charlie boy and the other brown nosed cronies to get on with the agenda and hey presto. Who needs parliament?
They’ll be thinking of cancelling elections next… Oh, shit, they already did…
Democracy – it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, you know.
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