Writing in the Sunday Times, John Humphrys tells of a friend
of his who dreads the end of the pips before the news because
she fears that the first item will be an announcement that the
bombs have started to rain down on Afghanistan.
I have exactly the same feeling except that my fear is that I
will hear of another attack on one of our major cities.
Old Grumpy was fascinated by the reasons provided by Cllrs
Llewellyn, Edwards and Wildman for their defection from the Conservatives
to the ruling Independent Political (sic) Group.
Councillor Wildman's " explanation ": that the decision
by the Tory-three to switch sides would allow the council to function
more '' efficiently '' particularly caught my eye
It is worth pondering what this means.
Does he mean that, because the political wing of the Chief Officer's
Management Board (COMB) now as a majority of 41 - 19, rather than
as previously 38 - 22, the services provided by the council will
be better?
Is he suggesting that we can look forward to improved GCSE and
A-level results; even more timely refuse collections; and a more
responsive social services department?
For myself, I can't see any reason why three additional hands
shooting up to rubber-stamp whatever COMB has decreed will make
any difference at all.
After all, the Independents already had a two-to-one majority;
enough to give them absolute control of the council.
So, I assume, what Councillor Wildman means is that there will
be less debate and general argy-bargy.
No longer will council meetings have to drag on while members
listen to Councillor Wildman's erstwhile leader, Phil Llewellyn,
denouncing the '' democratic deficit '' resulting from the Independents
abuse of their majority to stifle debate, nor to suffer his "
nit-picking " over the budget proposals.
But such " efficiency " is only won at the expense of
democracy.
And, in any case, efficiencies gained from totalitarianism are
wholly illusory.
After all, both Stalin and Hitler were able to crush the opposition
and rule by decree rather than debate and look what misery that
brought on the heads of the German and Russian peoples.
What those of a totalitarian mindset overlook is that regimentation
is no match for pluralism (what Milton Friedman calls the free
market in ideas) when it comes to delivering either material comfort
or political freedom.
Pluralism doesn't stop the majority getting its way, but, by allowing
the minority to put forward counter-arguments, it does rescue
the majority from delusions of infallibility, plus, of course,
the minority might be right.
For, what is often not properly understood, a majority vote and
the truth and not necessarily the same thing.
For instance, if a referendum had been held in 1540 on whether
the Sun went round the Earth, or vice-versa, there would have
been an overwhelming majority in favour of the geocentric view.
In 1543 Copernicus published his great work proving the heliocentric
opposite.
What I'm trying to say is that the mere fact that 38 out of 60
members vote for something doesn't make it true, and increasing
the number to 41 doesn't alter that fact.
All a majority means is that one action is taken rather than another
but that is no guarantee that the action is right.
That is why intelligent politicians listen to what the opposition
have to say rather than bully them into silence.
It is strange that less than two months ago Cllr Phil Llewellyn
seemed to appreciate the threat to democracy posed by the Independent
Political (sic) Group.
On August 3 he told the Mercury: "With no manifesto pledges
for the county, no direction or clear leadership except from the
chief officers management board they are deceiving the people
of Pembrokeshire by hiding behind this coalition of convenience".
Now he's joined in the deception himself, a decision that he claims
"will now allow me to make a more positive contribution to
the future of this county…"
With that sort of ability to turn logic on its head, he should find himself at home with his new-found chums.
Old Grumpy spends a lot of time sitting in the public gallery
at the County Council.
Occasionally, I am joined by members of the public who have some
particular interest in an item of business on the agenda.
This might range from a proposal to close their local school,
to plans to build a McDonald's restaurant on their doorstep.
What always impresses me about these protesters is their deep
understanding of the principles of democracy and their deep sense
of grievance that their rights are being trampled on.
Invariably, their case is lost despite a passionate appeal by
their elected representative (usually a member of the governing
Independent Political (sic) Group that has brought a proposal
forward).
They award brownie points to their elected member for so forcibly
standing up for them, though, within 10 minutes, he may well be
instrumental in trampling on someone else's rights in an area
where his seat on the gravy train is not at risk.
So it is that the Independents pick off the people one by one
without any individual having to take responsibility.
It is a truly remarkable situation where members can move seamlessly
from government to opposition and back again without anyone apparently
noticing.
The most recent example is that of Councillor George Grey leading
the protest about the newly introduced arrangements for the provision
of school transport for children Johnston.
What is overlooked is that Councillor Grey is a loyal and obedient
member of the party that voted through these changes
If these proposals, however unjust, had been somewhere else, where
Councillor Grey's electoral prospects were not an issue, you can
bet your life he would have voted with the majority
Could I commend two quotations , both from men who fought injustice.
Firstly, Reverend Martin Luther King: " Injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere ''.
And, secondly, the Reverend Martin Niemoller, who was persecuted
by the Nazis.
'' In Germany they came first for the communists and I didn't
speak up because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak up because I wasn't
a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because
I wasn't a Catholic.
Then they attacked the unions and I didn't speak up because I
wasn't a trade unionist.
And then they came for me and there was nobody left to speak up
''.