The Sir Grimstones of this world are the reason that in 1872 parliament passed the Ballot Act requiring parliamentary and local government elections use a secret ballot aas the Chartsts had demanded 40 years earlier. You may read about it in Wikepedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballot_Act_1872
It was of great importance in Ireland where tenant farmers faced eviction if they voted against their usually English landlord. It is the core of Trollope's Palliser novels where Phineas Finn showed great courage in supporting the Act and was rewarded by marrying the rich and lovely Madame Max Gessler, a Viennese Jewess.
We face the same problem today except Sir Grimstone is more subtle. His views are worth no more than any one elses. The English are always very deferential to Sirs and Lords. The Scots are not.
Consider Norway, I quote from Wikipedia
A referendum on whether Norway should join the European Community was held on 25 September 1972. After a long period of heated debate, the "No" side won with 53.5 per cent of the vote. Prime Minister Trygve Bratteli resigned as a result of the defeat. This was Norway's second attempt at becoming member, after having been rejected by France in 1962 and again temporarily in 1967, but the first attempt with a referendum on a set of fully negotiated accession terms.
A 1994 referendum on entry into what had become the European Union also resulted in the rejection of membership.
In both referendums the majority of the Norwegian political, business and media campaigned for a join the EU vote with the usual FUD campaign the Sir Grimstones love. On both occasions the Norwegian people rejected their arguments and voted to stay out. Result, Norway is now along with Switzerland the richest country in Europe. If you want to see what the EU has done to the UK fishing industry view John Humphries BBC documentary which went out this week on the destruction of Lowestoft once one of the biiggest fishing ports in Europe. Humphries as a fully paid up member of the BBC elite did not of course explain the connection of Lowestoft's demise to his beloved EU
4 comments:
"Sir Grimstone?" Well, it certainly sounds more Dickensian and menacing - like Mr Murdstone but don't you mean Sir Gerry or Sir Gerald?
I mistrust all public figures who use the false familiarity of a diminutive of their Christian names. Like
Mr Anthony Wedgwood Benn becoming Tony Benn - and that other Tony!
In our county we have a Chief Constable who styles himself "Mick" and a Lord Lieutenant who is reported as "Willy".
I don't think it adds to the dignity of the office in either case. Do they imagine that this somehow makes their distinctly superior functions more acceptably egalitarian in this trashy age?
No, I mean Sir Grimstone.
The SNP want to abolish the HoL - Good! Also have you noticed SNP MPs don't accept knighthoods.
Dignity of office my cancerous left bollock!
It's the faux egalitarianism which disgusts me.
Also the rabid authoritarianism of the SNP, making the state the third parent of every child with its "named person" scheme shows a far from egalitarian outlook - more oppressive than anything known before.
The " named persons" and their superiors will be the commissars or Gauleiters of society, even if they ostentatiously refuse titles .m
The SNP are national socialists - or translation for wee Deric "complete Nazis".
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