That's a word that seems appropriate to what's going on in our politics at the moment.
We have eight candidates to be leader of the Conservative Party and therefore prime minister. They are currently battling between themselves before pretending if elected that they are no longer battling against themselves. I can't say there's a single one of them that would make me vote Conservative if there was a general election tomorrow. Their pitches for the top job appear to be something like.
"If I win I will cut taxes."
"If I win I will cut taxes more than you"
"If I win I will cut taxes more than anyone else."
"If I win I will cut taxes the most."
"If I win I won't cut taxes." (Deep intake of breathe at this one).
What we really want is a leader/party that will
1/ ditch their egos for the good of the country
2/ work for the good of the country
3/ attack the rise in the cost of living
4/ deliver on their promises
4/ ditch their egos for the good of the country
5/ ditch their egos for the good of the country.
Yesterday it was more like a talent show than a political pitch.
"Please welcome Rishi Sunak" we were told at one point as if Rishi Sunak was a star rather than a public servant. Then two of the candidates were thrown out and more will be thrown out today. Well we do live in a throwaway society.
I have mentioned many times in the past the fact that I am not a political animal. Somebody on Facebook stated (quite rightly) that the two party system is dying on its feet and needs to be replaced in some way.
The real problem I have is that in South Norfolk we have an MP who is definitely not fit for purpose and really doesn't represent our area. He is not someone I could ever vote for. Having said that when it comes to county and district level, all our representatives are Tories but they live in the village and work tirelessly on our behalf. I know them well and have worked closely with them on a number of ideas and projects. So for district and county elections I would definitely vote for them. I suppose what I'm saying is I vote for a person rather than a party. I'm not so naive as to think that things will change just because we have a different prime minister.
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IT must be the heat - well that's my excuse. Yesterday when talking about the former bus shelter on the B1172 I said it had been demolished by a library. That should have read lorry.
It gave a few people a smile, particularly as I couldn't edit the entry.
It did get the creative!!!!???? juices working as I pointed out that the driver of the library got booked by the police and expects a sentence after which he/she will have to start a new chapter in their life.
* * *
The years were rolled back yesterday as I met up with Patsy who I worked with at Lowestoft almost 50 years ago. We were trying to find her ancestors in the parish church graveyard and I had information on their whereabouts. Sadly I took the wrong info with me, although we were able to find the general area where they were buried.
On returning home I was able to pin-point it much better. The problem is the ravages of time have taken most of the descriptions off the older gravestones and I don't think that even a good clean up would do the trick. I guess it's a mixture of time, poor materials and the crap in the air.
A number of years ago the war memorial had a serious clean-up which left it bright and sparkling. Now its back to looking grimy and dull.
It was good to look back on 50 years ago - a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then as they say.
It reminded me that many many years ago I wrote a silly little heap of piffle about a young reporter in a seaside town (I'm sure you are getting the idea here). If I can find it I will subject you to a chapter or two.