At 2.30 pm last Monday the House of Lords Chamber was packed. It is normally full, in anticipation of ministerial questions but there was a particular reason why the noble lords were high in number. At 2.37 precisely, a new Peer Elect wafted into the chamber, to be elevated into the nobility. I had met him fifteen years ago in a BBC interview room. Peter Mandelson, the former Member of Parliament for Hartlepool, was about to join us.
It was like a scene from the Mikado, with Peter and two noble supporters clad in red and gold shimmering ermine. Peter gently, but firmly, approached the Clerk of Parliament with his supporters Baroness Jay and Lord Faulkner. I almost expected them to break into song. But instead of a Gilbert and Sullivan rendition of Pirates of Penzance, Peter raised the Bible and took the oath. Perhaps the Clerk was nervous, because he dropped the oath card on the floor.
The new member was elected to “the state, degree, style, dignity, title and honour” of Baron Mandelson of Hartlepool and Foy in the County of Herefordshire and Hartlepool in the County of Durham. Quite a mouthful, but Peter is quite a personality.
It will be interesting to see how he performs as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The debates in the House of Lords are more polite than the cackling, squabbling arguments in the House of Commons. But the advantage that the House of Lords has, in particular to industry, is that many of their Lordships are captains of industry. The debates are not just about politics but substance. Peter should be on his mettle when dealing with issues now. Political posturing will not be enough to win.
Lord Mandelson has four years experience as Britain’s trade commissioner in Brussels, but will find himself against men and women with decades of experience in leading private and public enterprises all over the world. So, in this sense, the Prince of Darkness has come into the light.
“So, in this sense, the Prince of Darkness has come into the light.”
Sadly very few of you, and I say this with the greatest respect to you ALL, you are failing to see what you are doing. When people are blind to what is going on around them, it matters not if they are in the ‘light’ or in ‘darkness’. They remain blind for though their eyes be wide open, they see nothing.
They hear not the voice of the people because the many did not want to listen to them, and those that could hear, heard no voice for those voices that should have spoken, remained silent.
I speak perhaps of the past, yet the past is now but a hazy memory. The present is but an illusion, a silent thought, the future is the nightmare yet to come. The ghosts of those now gone will haunt forever.
Democracy was among the first of those victims to lose its head in those once hallowed Halls where honourable men and women of yesteryear did sit. But yesterday’s men and women fought and won a great battle, those whose names will ne’re be forgot, yet on they linger in the thoughts of man.
They that gave ‘their all’ that we might live in peace, freedom and liberty, to be governed by laws the true Brit shall writ. To no man shall we be beholden or bow, for we are well able to look out for ourselves a once great Statesman said. They would weep for their beloved countryman for the betrayal of the innocent that know not yet what is to befall them.
I have no stomach to speak of truth, honesty or integrity, for they were the next victims to fall by the wayside, yet still ye look to the Crown alas reduced in the signing of that first document, to just a figure-head.
Hope is only a promise of deliverance left for you, unless you have “courage” to face that which is yet to come. But the way be strewn with debris that others before ye have cast away.
Your patron saint, St George was indeed well chosen for the dragon spewing forth flames of hate of all things good, feeds on greed and power, a power that will in the end, devour itself.
I’m surprised Baroness Jay wasn’t in tears – having arranged the booting out of so many hereditaries to, in a manner of speaking, make way for reprobates like this.
“Political posturing will not be enough to win.” Indeed not, and why bother with that, when malevolent bully boy tactics and disguised threats are enough to do the trick ?
http://londonersdiary.standard.co.uk/2008/10/hell-hath-no-fu.html
Perhaps you will be able to teach him some manners and the rules of good behaviour while he is in your company ? One can but hope…
My only comment, a propos of nothing or no one in particular, are a couple of quotes from blog banners whose views I don’t necessarily endorse, but which provide some humour for me..
http://devilskitchen.me.uk/ “Politics is the business of getting power and privilege without possessing merit”—P J O’Rourke
“The injury, therefore, that you do a man should be such that you need not fear for revenge.” – Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 3. “
Thank you for your witty comments Bedd.
I naturally cannot discuss my personal views of Lord Mandelson but, suffice to say, I have had a few political disagreements with him in the past.
I look forward to debating with him in the House soon. We both share an interest in business and economics so I will relish the opportunity.
On a personal note, I think Machiavelli’s idea backfires in the end – just look at Macbeth!