Parliament rat-infested and collapsing, sometimes metaphors write themselves

One of the greatest legacies bequeathed to the nominally free world is the British system of parliamentary democracy. A practice widely imitated globally, especially in those countries that used to be part of the former British Empire. For the most part it works as it was intended, or at least it gives the impression of doing so, yet the devil is in the detail. With broad checks and balances intended to afford citizens relative stability and crucially legislative freedom from iron fisted authoritarianism.. supposedly trumping dictatorship. These basic elements should enable us to live in a free society under the rule of law governed by elected representatives we choose at the ballot box. Sounds good, doesn’t it? In principle it is, but that sadly doesn’t mean it is immune from abuse or manipulation. The unfortunate reality in recent years has shown a sharp deviation from the original intent. Many of the democratic tenets laid down as the foundation of this system of government are either unrecognizable or have become non-existent in the present age. Some former British colonies and indeed current Commonwealth members ostensibly embrace the parliamentary democratic franchise yet are oftentimes led by autocrats to whom the will of the people is all but irrelevant. In the UK this corruption of democracy is manifested a little more subtly. To wit – a grossly partisan Civil Service that seems happy setting the political agenda rather than implementing that of an elected government. Witness the all-out revolt against Brexit and the seemingly unstoppable advance of wokeness. One of the key factors in the Boris led Tory landslide in 2019 that smashed the red wall was the Brexit issue – and yet the disconnect between the public will and Whitehall mandarins seems to be as stark as ever. The Tories, of course, in entirely predictable self-serving fashion used Boris’ electoral mojo and then promptly ditched him when he became surplus to requirements, or so they thought. The influx of migrants too is a serious concern for many voters. The Albanian gangs appear to operate with impunity, the wokes are rolling out the red carpet, and the state (that’s suckers like you and me) is left to pick up the tab. Thwarted by an unending yardage of red tape we look completely impotent and seem powerless to put a stop to it. Parliament is currently infested with rats and falling to pieces. Sometimes the metaphors write themselves. The ‘mother of all parliaments’ conjures up that romantic yet somewhat misguided notion that here true refuge is to be found in a genuine example of government by and for the people. But the woke mantra of ‘diversity and inclusivity’ mocks the very bedrock of what they so passionately advocate ..whenever one dares to hold views and opinions contrary to theirs. Our hard-won freedoms are being airbrushed out of history to be replaced by a progressive wave of grotesquely deformed political ideology that defies basic logic and common sense. Democracy in the UK is crumbling before our eyes on so many fronts that is effectively stifling genuine diversity and inclusivity. The best of the old should seamlessly merge with the best of the new, strengthening and NOT weakening democratic governance as it evolves. Be honest, when did anyone last have real confidence in our political class?