Politics and the real world. Why the two will never be mentioned in the same sentence.

Boris Johnson arguably a politician.

 

For those fortunate to live in a fairly sane country like, say, North Korea where you have an absolute dictator and don't have to choose your leaders this blog will mean very little. Less enlightened countries like the U.S.A. and great Britain we have this mad system called Democracy.

It is this  concept I wish to examine today. Basically, many years ago ( in the U.K.) we developed a system based on a legislative body called Parliament. This consisted of two groups of loonys people called The Lords and The Commons. The Commons were elected by the people (Or at least some of them!) and would invent laws which they wold debate endlessly and would eventually pass on to the Lords.



Typical members of the modern House of Lords 

These Lords were not elected, being hereditary inbred idiots  nobility or raised to the nobility by the monarch. The Lords debated the measures further before passing them to the Monarch for Royal Assent. This actually meant something at one time but now the Queen has the power to veto any act of Parliament but promises not to use it. This says a lot about British politics.

But to return to the House of Commons, it is an elected body. Each constituency is fought by whichever Political Party can field a candidate. Each candidate pays a deposit which is forfeit if they do not receive a certain proportion of the vote. It may come as a surprise to learn that some parties field candidates who have no hope of winning and frequently lose their deposit. This is to prove that Parliamentary democracy is alive apparently, though I firmly believe that they are just a group of people with way too much money and nothing better to do with it. One such is the Monster Raving Loony Party. I feel this may not be believed by some but this bit is absolutely true.

Recent Monster raving loony party candidates at a recent election.

 

 

Now in the far past anyone could stand for election to Parliament. Absolutely anyone. Except Women. And the insane. And peasants. And those with no money. Alright a few people were qualified from a very narrow social and financial group with loads of vested interests. It is not surprising therefore to realise that it did not have the best interests of every inhabitant of This Scepter'd isle in mind when passing laws.

 

 

Then came a little conflict called the English Civil war, whereby Parliament objected to the king only allowing them to sit when he wanted money for wars. After a bit of a brouhaha and  some population thinning (Mainly peasants, you guessed didn't you?) we had a few years of Parliament running the country under the control of one Oliver Criomwell (A miserable sod by most accounts).

 

The English civil war in a nutshell.

 

It was at this point that the King lost most of his real power. This was the last real major change to British politics and Parliament now rules with the Monarch reduced to traditional ceremonies which bring in the tourists but mean very little, and waving duties.

 

Any one who can afford the deposit can now stand for Parliament even Women. The insane are still barred but judging by the members of the commons a fair few slip through the net. The enfranchised voters are now anyone over 18 without criminal convictions though I am not sure how the Insane stand re voting. There are those who say that voting for some of the M.P.s that get in these days ARE exhibiting insanity.

 

 

So there you have it, an irreverent look at a very brief potted history of English politics. It doesn't tell you everything but then all history is boring. Rotten boroughs and other types of corruption are not even mentioned. I may Blog irreverently on other quirks of the British Isles at a later date because we are a delightfully silly race.  I merely wrote this for two reasons

 

 

1. Because I enjoy making fun of pompous British tradition.

 

 

2. Because, unlike North Koreans, I can satirise my country and it's government without fearing the knock at the door from an unsmiling gent with no sense of humour. The History of my country allows me to do that and, despite the tone of this piece, I am very proud of it.