Parliament means a place for talking

They do talk, our MPs, and at length. The problem is that the most important things are decided outside the House of Commons.

Much is decided in Brussels, of course, and we make the pretence of agreeing what our betters hand down by pretending that we have some power.

Much is decided in number 11 Downing Street, -I suspect I mean number 10, and the Treasury. All the policy to deal with the recession/repression is conducted behind closed doors, and is seldom debated fully. If there is a debate, it will be effectively nodded through because of the power of the government whips.

At the moment "quantitative easing is being conducted by the Bank of England, - let us preserve the fiction that it acts independently of government. The Tories have called for a proper debate on what is arguably the most important issue outside war for perhaps a century, and they have been denied. An opposition day is coming soon, and they can choose the subject for debate, but they have been told that MaCavity will not be available that day.

It is frustrating being in opposition, and it is dismaying believing in representative democracy!