The Night Mail

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Just because there an MP doesn't stop them from making stupid decisions I'm afraid. 

 

GIGO applies. As it is us the electorate that is responsible for the GI, we have only ourselves to blame for the GO.

[Dave Hunt]

I once asked an MP at a large public meeting why he wasn’t representing what from the tone of 100% of the inputs from the floor were obviously the views of his constituents. His reply was that he wasn’t elected to represent the views of his constituents but rather their best interests.

 

Dave

[Compound2632]

18 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

His reply was that he wasn’t elected to represent the views of his constituents but rather their best interests.

 

That is indeed the classic position, as expressed by Edmund Burke:

https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch13s7.html

 

This position was more radically expressed by one of his contemporaries, whose contempt for the opinions of his electors was compounded by his boast of the liberties he had taken with their wives - unfortunately I've not been able to track the quote down.

[rockershovel]

Not quite - read it again. My understanding has always been that MPs owe the electorate the exercise of their best judgement and intellectual capacity. 

 

After all, Burke did not represent most of the nation, but a specific constituency of interests. There was no universal franchise. MPs were elected through a mechanism of nepotism and corruption, and exactly where they happened to sit for , was something of an irrelevance. 

 

I think it's about time we moved on from this. 

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, rockershovel said:

After all, Burke did not represent most of the nation, but a specific constituency of interests. There was no universal franchise. MPs were elected through a mechanism of nepotism and corruption, and exactly where they happened to sit for , was something of an irrelevance. 

 

Plus ca change...

[enz]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

I once asked an MP at a large public meeting why he wasn’t representing what from the tone of 100% of the inputs from the floor were obviously the views of his constituents. His reply was that he wasn’t elected to represent the views of his constituents but rather their best interests.

 

Dave

Correct and brave to say it. cf my understanding of "the speech to the electors of Bristol" by Burke (I think), which basically was "I am your agent in Parliament, not your mouthpiece, so I will act in what I believe to be in your best interests given the information I have not necessarily what you may tell me".

 

enz

 

Edit: now I see I'm late to the debate - apologies.

Edited April 5 by enz

[Northmoor]

2 hours ago, GMKAT7 said:

Good morning folks,

 

In other reports this morning, the True Blues considered setting up an app that gave out the personal details of all party members in return for a donation to their coffers.

 

Not sure how this squared with data protection rules but as money-grabbing bar stewards that's got to be up there with the orange man-baby and his 400 dollar trainers!

 

Cheers, Nigel.

As GDPR would mean that the party could be fined up to £1500 per breach (so that's £1500 multiplied by their membership) or 10% of their turnover, that could have worked out quite expensive.

[Oldddudders]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Just because there an MP doesn't stop them from making stupid decisions I'm afraid. Much as though we'd like to think otherwise they are still subject to the same 'emotions' as the rest of us.

Indeed so, but as one of the democratically-elected (?) elite, they are vulnerable to blackmail, and other pressures like bribery, that the man on the Clapham omnibus is not. Dating sites are used by the full spectrum of singles - and some not-so-singles - straight or gay, to fulfil basic human needs. But an MP needs more circumspection than this chap exercised. 

[polybear]

10 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Indeed so, but as one of the democratically-elected (?) elite, they are vulnerable to blackmail, and other pressures like bribery, that the man on the Clapham omnibus is not. Dating sites are used by the full spectrum of singles - and some not-so-singles - straight or gay, to fulfil basic human needs. But an MP needs more circumspection than this chap exercised. 

 

And sending mucky photos to someone you've never met isn't the smartest idea anyway

 

 

[Oldddudders]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

And sending mucky photos 

I'm sure he washed everything first. 

[Dave Hunt]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

And sending mucky photos to someone you've never met isn't the smartest idea anyway

 

I joined the RAF at the same time as a chap whose rise through the ranks was verging on the meteoric. He was regarded by his contemporaries as a pillock and no-one could understand why he was getting on so well until someone suggested that maybe he had mucky photographs of the Chief of the Air Staff.

 

Dave 

[Winslow Boy]

4 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

GIGO applies. As it is us the electorate that is responsible for the GI, we have only ourselves to blame for the GO.

What I forgot to also state was that it is the subsequent actions they take in response to the stupid act that then mark them out as to whether they are worthy of being an MP.

[Winslow Boy]

4 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

I once asked an MP at a large public meeting why he wasn’t representing what from the tone of 100% of the inputs from the floor were obviously the views of his constituents. His reply was that he wasn’t elected to represent the views of his constituents but rather their best interests.

 

Dave

But they only represented the opinions of the people at that meeting.

[Winslow Boy]

52 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

I'm sure he washed everything first. 

I use Persil as it gets everything sparkling.

[Winslow Boy]

51 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I joined the RAF at the same time as a chap whose rise through the ranks was verging on the meteoric. He was regarded by his contemporaries as a pillock and no-one could understand why he was getting on so well until someone suggested that maybe he had mucky photographs of the Chief of the Air Staff.

 

Dave 

I believe there is a well known stratagem where pillocks are promoted out of 'harms way'. Something I think is in use with the current crop of occupants of the Palace of Westminster. 

[Compound2632]

Just now, Winslow Boy said:

I believe there is a well known stratagem where pillocks are promoted out of 'harms way'. Something I think is in use with the current crop of occupants of the Palace of Westminster. 

 

That's a General Election, isn't it?

[SM42]

7 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I believe there is a well known stratagem where pillocks are promoted out of 'harms way'. Something I think is in use with the current crop of occupants of the Palace of Westminster. 

 

The Dilbert principle. 

 

Unfortunately it doesn't quite work with MPs and they can do a lot of damage

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

10 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

The Dilbert principle. 

 

Unfortunately it doesn't quite work with MPs and they can do a lot of damage

 

Andy

So can a couple of tonnes of gunpowder just so long as it's kept dry.

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, Northmoor said:

As GDPR would mean that the party could be fined up to £1500 per breach (so that's £1500 multiplied by their membership) or 10% of their turnover, that could have worked out quite expensive.

I suspect the app would contain the details if those who had “agreed” to have their membership details distributed. That is why reading those  “I  do , do not “ tick boxes on membership forms is sensible. 

[Winslow Boy]

20 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

That's a General Election, isn't it?

Is that a multiple choice question?

[Winslow Boy]

1 minute ago, Tony_S said:

I suspect the app would contain the details if those who had “agreed” to have their membership details distributed. That is why reading those  “I  do , do not “ tick boxes on membership forms is sensible. 

Always, always, always read the small print. What the lord giveth with one hand he takes away with the other.

[bbishop]

34 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I believe there is a well known stratagem where pillocks are promoted out of 'harms way'. Something I think is in use with the current crop of occupants of the Palace of Westminster. 

Peter Principle?

[Northmoor]

2 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

I joined the RAF at the same time as a chap whose rise through the ranks was verging on the meteoric. He was regarded by his contemporaries as a pillock and no-one could understand why he was getting on so well until someone suggested that maybe he had mucky photographs of the Chief of the Air Staff.

 

Dave 

When I worked in defence procurement consultancy, when a certain contractor had won yet another huge deal we used to refer to them having "invoked the French Maids Outfit Clause".

[polybear]

6 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

When I worked in defence procurement consultancy, when a certain contractor had won yet another huge deal we used to refer to them having "invoked the French Maids Outfit Clause".

 

If it's the one I think it is then I very much suspect there's more than a shred of truth in it.....

[Compound2632]

25 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

"invoked the French Maids Outfit Clause".

 

I'm now speculating on the military uses of French Maids' outfits. An extension of the use of the kilt by the Third Foot and Mouth?

Edited April 5 by Compound2632