The politics you don’t see
Today, a Conservative Defence Secretary was dismissed by the Prime Minister following a leak from a National Security Council meeting. For the Tories, for the Government, for the country, it doesn’t really get more serious than that. Added to this, the Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya was ousted by her constituents who voted on a recall petition in enough numbers to secure a by-election. So far, so grim. So far, same old politics. Letting the people down.
And yet, something else happened in Parliament today.
An MP who lost her young son to a road traffic accident secured and, through her tears, led a debate asking the Prime Minister to honour a year-old promise. Carolyn Harris wanted to know when England would follow the example of Wales and Scotland to scrap burial fees for children, sparing broken and hard-up parents a potentially heartbreaking choice at the worst possible moment. It is shameful that parents in England are still waiting for this policy announcement to become reality, but I have no doubt it will happen. You can watch the Adjournment Debate here.
But, it isn’t just the substance of the debate I wanted to highlight here, important though that is. It is worth noting too the simple humanity and decency that runs through the entire proceedings. Carolyn Harris sharing her heartbreaking story again, helping others even though you can see the toll it is taking. The Speaker, John Bercow, calling members to order and asking for respectful silence as MPs chuntered, reeling from the day’s other news. The decent and dignified response — given the frankly unnecessary delays — from Edward Argar, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice. And not least, the early intervention from one Iain Duncan Smith designed to do one thing only — to allow Carolyn a chance to catch her breath, as she entirely understandably struggled with her emotions at the beginning of the debate. It was a simple decency during a moment of courage. And it was an example followed by others throughout proceedings. What also became clear through little asides during the debate, was the extent of cross party talks taking place outside the public gaze.
It may seem impossible to believe, but this is actually, even now, the daily reality for politics and politicians in this country. In Parliaments and councils throughout the UK. Brexit may have exploded a bomb right in the middle of all this, but we shouldn’t ever be fooled by those would have us believe that “they’re all in it for themselves” or that “they’re all the same”. That is absolute rubbish. What I saw today was a dodgy Defence Secretary lose his post, a disgraced MP called to account by her constituents, and a whole bunch of other MPs cracking on with doing real things, the right way. Whisper it, but that is probably how it should work.
