Well I see cycling and politics have merged again this week. This time Lord on-your-bike Tebbit has stepped out of line with his grumpy writing to a fellow Parliamentarian.
This time he wrote to Ruth Cadbury MP objecting to the Parliamentary Cycle Ride on 8th June, as you can see from the above letter. As you can see it’s been tweeted and widely circulated.
Still, I don’t suppose Lord Tebbit could care less about the negative flack. At 85 he’s grown used to the media picking up on his various gaffs over the years. If my memory serves me right, the “on your bike” jibe originated from him when he was an MP and offering advice to the unemployed at the time.
Perhaps I ought to have said this post is a deviation from the usual cycling theme, apologies, I thought it was important to comment on a few things around at the moment.
I always used to see Norman Tebbit and Michael Howard in the same light. It was Michael Howard who, as Home Secretary, thought prison was a good thing for giving a “short sharp shock” as a way of rehabilitating the country’s youngsters who were getting into trouble. It was there he broke ranks with all other Home Secretaries by saying “prison works”. Every other Home Secretary, regardless of their political party, always believed the use of prison was only when absolutely necessary.
And the EU debate in Dunstable
I think it was the Dunstable Community Church who organised a fascinating debate on Friday, which we went to. Hear hear for that church for organising and hosting such an event, all done in a very neutral way.
They had managed to get local MP Andrew Selous and Graham Colley from the Liberal Democrats on the ‘remain side’ against Kelvin Hopkins MP and Peter Lilley MP for the Brexit side.
I am so thankful we live in a society where we can hear personally from our politicians and challenge them. The debate was well ordered and pretty balanced and fair.
I was equally surprised and disappointed that Andrew Selous had such a narrow argument for remaining in the EU. His argument was based around remaining being best for the economy with its wealth and prosperity allowing you to fix social problems. Of course he’s right but only to a point. Lilley and Hopkins put up an eloquent argument for leaving the EU with many valid points.
However, it was Graham Colley (not an MP) who travelled up from Kent to make the wisest, strongest argument for remaining in the EU ahead of the referendum on 23rd June. He argued that maintaining the EU was the very best option for continued peace, stability, the rule of law and democracy. I agree. He referred to the inherent unity which was a strong driver in the original vision for a closer Europe after WW2.
I am not sure what impact Graham Colley may have had on the audience, as it was not the usual for-or-against argument. There was one young man in the audience worth mentioning, he was sitting a couple of rows in front of me. He clapped very enthusiastically at the Brexit points being made, especially the more ‘right wing’ in inference. His body language disapproved of the remain arguments but he was listening closely to what Graham Colley had to say. Later on he looked as if he was about to explode at some of the other arguments.
Sure, a very forthright looking young man, with strong views it appears. I just hope he can reflect on what Graham Colley had to say. Colley’s arguments were rising above the debate on immigration, the economy, straight or curved cucumbers. Instead a man of real humanity and, as I have already suggested, probably the wisest man there.
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