No one likes a grass, so let’s be upfront about it

By Dwylo Cerrig

Dwylo Cerrig takes a look at the weekly sport the bubble has with our former leader’s column.

Class and grass, sometime partners in rhyme (depending on where on the former’s spectrum you are), have been much in the political news this week.

The Prime Minister’s clunking move from class warfare to the battleground for Middle Britain and his rejection of Alan Milburn’s social mobility proposals, alongside the consistent focus on Dave Cameron’s blue riband background, means that this week is not uncommon in seeing class near the top of the political agenda.

Grass, or to snitch, tell tales, sneak on your buddies has been put up front by our colleague from Montgomeryshire. His reaction to the political and personal relationship between Northern Ireland first couple has exercised many commentators worth listening to, including y Brenin Bubble at WalesHome and Valleys Mam as well as those with more vested interests.

The man himself hasn’t come out all segways blazing to defend himself, but I would venture that his defence of the Robin(son) Peter to pay Kirk family fits in with his own personal narrative of defending his honourable profession from the press pack’s wish to only focus on the sleazier parts of politics. In that, he has a point. The dumbing down of political coverage and much of the media’s reluctance to inform, educate and explain is an opinion shared by others.

Yet this is not a fight he can win – the message will not be listened to if it comes from the Daily Sport via Hello, All Star Talent Show and Ant and Dec. Sir David Frost used to say that “the clues are there, as we go through the keyhole”. With Lembit, you know that the talent is there, but we have to go through the dodgier cakeholes first.

He is proud (and should be) of proclaiming that he is the most libertarian MP in the house. We need to see more of that in his policies and writings. He can be an advocate for cutting through the liberal-left consensus on the nanny state and obsession with telling us all how to live our lives. Why then does he stand up for a woman who not only describes gays in the worst possible way but also believes that homosexuality can be cured? Someone who epitomises the worst excesses of “do as I say not as I do” political leadership, let alone her alleged financial misdeeds.

One of the factors behind the electoral shake up in Northern Ireland in recent years was the perception of the gulf between the political class (the traditional mainstream parties) and the working class voters. Hence we arrived at a situation where the Robinsons’ DUP was top of the pile. It’s not surprising to see alleged financial impropriety and sexual adventures catching up with them. Alongside money, sex and class are the two constant factors in political developments of these islands.

If we’re cleaning up politics, perhaps it’s time to think a bit more about how we associate with one, and show a bit more of the other.

Related posts:

1. Chocolate Santas and Oliver Cromwell
2. Lembit writes on those defection rumours
3. Unnamed Minister strikes a sour note on expenses