A friend of mine once told me of an encounter he had with Richard Drax at a local college. The south Dorset MP was invited by a student to address her peers (apparently he was a family friend). His opening gambit was that he had been at a local school that morning and he had told the pupils that he was now on his way to xxxxxxxx College and that he expected a much harder time there. Having effectively told this audience of young people that they were just a bunch of middle class sycophants that had let him off the hook big time he then continued to condescend his new audience by assuring them that he could not accept dishonesty in politics. But what came next was the crunch. He started ranting about lone parents and how they should not expect the state to pay for them and that they would be better served by applying for vocational courses and earning money in local care homes. A lone hand then went up from – yes you have guessed it – a lone parent. She explained how she was completing her A levels in the hope of studying medicine at university and that her task was undermined by her having to battle this type of prejudice from politicians and the media (and those who are easily influenced by one or both). He then stammered that of course he did not mean her and that he was certain that she had earned her place on merit. So much for honesty!
When a person tells you that honesty is the virtue not to be compromised by politicians the first thought may be that this is to be applauded. But then the thought occurs that actually if the person is an ignorant egomaniac this might not be the best option. A better option would be to have an open mind and to sincerely listen to all constituents before reaching a judgement.
Unfortunately Mr Drax’s desire to appear the village idiot is littered with supporting evidence of which many who follow this column will already be aware. Here is another to keep you fuelled. In September 2012 he pronounced in Parliament that this country is full. What he forgot to mention is the virtually unoccupied 7000 acres that he himself owns surrounding his Charborough House. A letter to Bournemouth Echo at the time suggested that a town with a population of 112000 would fit nicely in to his private space. Of course he is not the only one to own sizeable amounts of land and to then tell us that we should grip the barricades against foreign invaders for our lives. The same ‘invaders’ who if they all returned to their country of birth tomorrow would precipitate the entire British economy to collapse around us. These millions of low wage workers from care homes (remember the lone parent strategy) hotels; restaurants; agriculture… and small businesses/agencies across the country would suddenly find that the avoidance by their employers of paying minimum wage to them and not declaring these wages to the Inland Revenue was not such a good idea after all. The land that Mr Drax celebrates would disappear up its ‘black economic’ backside.
The crème de la crème though came a couple of weeks back when the local Echo did a piece on poverty and those struggling under the weight of the cuts. Having interviewed some local people the reporter had also contacted Richard Drax. Now without being churlish because it is nice to see the Dorset Echo showing some concern (genuine possibly); but to ask Richard Drax to comment on poverty and show any sympathy is up there with asking a serial paedophile to be an entertainer at a children’s birthday party. It always seems unfathomably weird in hindsight.
Will he be honest enough to admit this or does he say these things merely to appeal to the politically illiterate and bigoted readers of his chosen media? Honesty eh? Not on your life Mr Drax!
Flora the Implorer
