Blog 2023 Malcolm Blair-Robinson

Mr & Mrs Speaker

I really find this hard to believe but it is apparently true. Up to £45000 of taxpayers’ money is to be spent,  much of it at Sally Bercow’s request , on tarting up the Speaker’s flat to make it homely for this curious couple and their children.  It is difficult to believe that this reforming Speaker is so utterly insensitive to public anger over the expenses scandal or the suffering brought about by the recession, that he happily allows this squandering of public resourses, which even the officials cautioned against.

Parliament is all but running amok. Something needs to be done to put a stop to this cynical, corrupt and rotten assembly.  If we had a Constitution it would be a whole lot easier. A few of them are honest and decent and they will survive. The rest will live on solely as names on a grimy list of one of the most contemptible parliaments in our history.

Iraq

Disturbing news has come to light of possible further significant abuse of Iraqis by British forces. This is very worrying. A proper enquiry is needed. We take huge pride as a nation in the heroism and honour of our armed forces. We need an enquiry to resolve all this. There are allegations of systemic problems going through command chains into the MOD. This must be sorted out. The MOD has a bad record of wasting huge amounts of taxpayer’s money in botched procurements, sending troops into battle missing vital equipment and now this. The MOD is beginning to look like a bad Ministry. Perhaps we were better off when we had an Admiralty, Air Ministry and War Office. That structure brought us through WWII to victory. Smaller units, better managed with a clearer mission may suit our national character better. Trying to copy the Pentagon could be a mistake. The Americans are different. They like big. They spend a lot more money too. But they get a bigger bang per buck.