Quote of the day 29th October 2014
"No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition. "
(Benjamin Disraeli, from his novel 'Coningsby')
(Benjamin Disraeli, from his novel 'Coningsby')
Nick Herbert on his visit to flood hit areas of Cumbria
Please note that the post below was published more than ten year ago on 21st November 2009 Nick Herbert MP, shadow cabinet member for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, was in Cumbria this morning to see the areas affected by the flooding. He writes on Conservative Home about his visit. Here is an extract. I’ve been in Cumbria today to see the areas affected by the floods. I arrived early in Keswick where I met officials from the Environment Agency. Although the river levels had fallen considerably and homes were no longer flooded, the damage to homes had been done. And the water which had got into houses wasn’t just from the river – it was foul water which had risen from the drains. I talked to fire crews who were pumping flood water back into the river, and discovered that they were from Tyne & Wear and Lancashire. They had been called in at an hours’ notice and had been working on the scene ever since, staying at a local hotel. You cannot fail to be impressed by the
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My current favourite saying along the same lines is:
"I'm not saying I'm Batman, I'm just pointing out that no one has EVER seen me and Batman in a room together"
And he listed ways that a strong opposition helps the system of government do its' job better, such that it "employs the energies of aspiring spirits."
That, at least is the obvious way to make sense of it.
However, reading the longer quote I must confess to some doubt about whether Disraeli, who had a strong sense of irony and used it repeatedly in the novel "Coningsby" from which this quote is taken, actually meant the entire thing as an ironic comment - like the previous day's quote about "Tory men and Whig measures."
The problem of course with the current system is the simple fact the government does not have to brilliant, it does not have to even be mediocre, it only ever has to be "better than the other lot". Which, lets face it, could currently be managed by Ant and Dec.
The security aspect, at least to me, comes not from the opposition but indeed from the voters (or none voters), who eventually get fed up with it all.