How would you feel if your MP described you as "among the worst idlers in the world"? You would feel pretty insulted I would imagine. I would also imagine that you would be pretty angry that the person you elected was using the platform you and your neighbours gave them to insult the British people.
Well, Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne), Priti Patel (Witham), Dominic Raab (Esher and Walton), Chris Skidmore (Kingswood) and Elizabeth Truss (South West Norfolk) have done exactly that.
They have co-authored a book "Britannia Unchained – Global Growth and Prosperity" in which they claim that the British are "the worst idlers" in the world preferring a "lie-in to hard work".
I am in favour of free speech. I am also in favour of high standards in public life. If these MPs genuinely have such a low view of the British people, then they should resign their public offices and make their views known as independent commentators.
As well as being insulting, their comments make no sense.
The MPs claim the British workforce should model itself on the workers of South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. Why exactly? The UK is rated the 7th largest economy in the world compared to South Korea, 15th, Singapore, 38th and Hong Kong, joint 39th (IMF data from 2011).
Being an MP is a position of trust. An MP represents the people who elected them and must be an advocate for them. This book is a complete betrayal of the relationship between MPs and the people. It is insulting, dishonourable and wrong.
Kwasi Kwarteng, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, Chris Skidmore and Elizabeth Truss should all apologise and resign.
3 comments:
As well as being insulting, it also states the bleeding obvious. Doens't EVERYONE prefer a lie in to hard work? I certainly do. But it doesn't mean I didn't work hard to get a good job and work hard now I'm in it.
OK - it may be a bit rude, but it's probably meant slightly in jest. Are you serious that these MPs should resign over this? And you pointing out that the UK's economy is rather bigger than Hong Kong's is very silly - we are a country of 60 million people whilst Hong Kong has 7 million. There is a legitimate debate to be had on the question of how British workers might be treated and whether we want to adopt Asian models, but you haven't entered that debate. In fact, your response would entitle the average Tory MP to write you off as "whingeing leftie" which is probably very unfair.
Now, I suppose I better resign for having written that.
Economic measures first. I used GDP because that's what most people are familiar with, but obviously other measures are available. The point is that this is an advanced country with a strong economy. We have creative, banking and knowledge industries that are the envy of the world. Why are these Tory MPs asking us to ignore that and take on the mindset of the developing world. It's nonsense.
Now it's true that amidst this success there are some people not sharing in the prosperity. It's also true that a proportion of those are missing out through their own lack of effort and motivation. A dysfunctional minority does not justify calling the British in general "idlers". So these Tory MPs are wrong and they are insulting because they are disparaging millions of people who don't deserve it.
Representing the people is a privilege, every MP says so in their acceptance speech. Insulting the people you represent is hardly consistent with that privilege. So should these MPs resign? Yes, they should. Their arrogance, lack of respect and stupidity demeans the position they hold.
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