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Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:55 pm
by Malcolm Armsteen
I'm not sure if this is down to sheer ignorance, profound stupidity or the corrosive drool that is Twitter.

Someone has posted a list of Labour MPs who abstained from the Paterson Escapology Bill. Cue numbers of people speKing there BraNes about how disgusting this is.

One Labour MP has said that she is paired because she is on maternity leave. Many others are likely to be the same, with at least 50 MPs away from the house either isolating or ill with Covid. Others are still at COP or on other duties that keep them away from the House.

Many of us are trying to explain pairing to the ignoscenti.

But the narrative continues - they are all dishonest, self-serving etc. etc. I really despair sometimes.

(Of course, we would teach this in schools if we were allowed to...)

You can see the thread here:


Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:59 pm
by Oboogie
What percentage spelt disgusting with a letter c?

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:09 pm
by Malcolm Armsteen
It comes close to that.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:22 pm
by Watchman
Bit worrying, on that thread someone commented that they may have paired and NF replied “Maybe, I don’t know”….is that the level of research one should accept from a barrister

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:26 pm
by Malcolm Armsteen
He's stirring amongst the ignorant. I've told him so.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 8:31 pm
by Boiler
Hasn't there been a recent case where the Tories have chosen to ignore the pairing agreement?

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 8:57 pm
by Tubby Isaacs
Like the way Inspector Clueso there tells us it's up to MPs to answer the question he's just stupidly raised.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:01 pm
by Tubby Isaacs

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:14 pm
by Malcolm Armsteen
This puts me in mind of the Twitter posts showing the House half, or more, empty, and then a picture of the House full, claiming that the first is MPs discussing some important matter and the latter is MPs debating their pay claim, provoking shrieks of anger and disgust from the intellectually challenged, until someone points out that most MPs are working on other matters, in committees at at any given time, and only come together for big debates, and the 'full House' picture is at the State Opening.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:28 pm
by The Weeping Angel
Yeah I saw this arsehole's thread it's depressing to see the people quoting this and treating this as gospel.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:29 pm
by Abernathy
See also : Second homes, expenses. It’s like nobody knows (or wants to know) that the whole fucking system changed radically after the 2009 scandal involving houses for ducks.

See also :
They’re all the same.
Only in it for what they can get.
Snouts in the trough.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:30 pm
by Tubby Isaacs
I remember that. Wasn't it claimed that the full house was "MPs discussing their own expenses?" I think the empty house was actually something that was a formality or something that had no chance of going anywhere, even if the subject sounded important.

This stuff always brings out a particularly high standard of Wolfie Smith posts. Don't work and commit tax evasion, that'll show them.


Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 10:18 pm
by Nigredo
Lest we also forget that attending/voting remotely via digital means was a proven success until that loathable prick Rees-Mogg abolished the practice.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:08 pm
by RedSparrows
I am increasingly convinced that whilst there are numerous structural issues in society, a lot of people who HAVE been given access to good education and much opportunity need to do a fuck load better with their understanding and appreciation of the world.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:29 pm
by mattomac
If this barrister bloke has so many questions why doesn’t he do some research, dunno if Luke Pollard but I believe he is at COP or due to be.

I’m also sure that I saw that Beckett was isolating during the summer. End of the day the issue isn’t whether some abstained, the issue that such a disgusting thing was attempted in the first place.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 6:16 am
by Youngian
RedSparrows wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:08 pm I am increasingly convinced that whilst there are numerous structural issues in society, a lot of people who HAVE been given access to good education and much opportunity need to do a fuck load better with their understanding and appreciation of the world.
We’re all ignorant of most subjects but I don’t personally have any problem spotting the people who aren’t if I want to increase my knowledge. Before I open my gob.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 8:12 am
by RedSparrows
Well, quite.
Coupled with a recognition of one's own bias and prejudice.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 12:13 pm
by The Weeping Angel


Of course it's all the fault of the pairing system and politically illiterate arseholes.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 1:03 pm
by Tubby Isaacs
I think she's right that it could be transparent. Always going to be fools and misleaders about but it would help.

Re: Political Illiteracy

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 1:09 pm
by The Weeping Angel
Ok yes being transparent would help still she is editor of LabourList and maybe she could try to find out herself.