Twice a year we have the blunt reminder, that despite all that rhetoric from established politicians about democracy and equality(, often deployed to justify questionable foreign policy), that Briton is less of a democracy and more of feudal society than we are supposed to believe (yes we are talking about the "homours system" of establishment patronage).
"What's that for? Doing his job? (Mrs Me) is a sentiment that will have been replicated in many millions of households this morning applicable to many of the new year's honours , as once the bulk, again appear in the main to go to those on the public pay roll just doing the job for which in most cases, have attached to them generous pay and fat pensions that money can't buy (except with taxpayers money).
Locally comes the news that Roger Gale MP has been awarded a knighthood, and for those who find these things important, it will be necessary for prefix "Sir" when speaking of Thanet North MP.
Frankly it would be mean, to apply the sentiment referred to earlier, in the case of our esteemed representative in the House of Common's, despite the likelihood, that unkind critics, might point out that his constituency has and probably always will have, a big fat conservative majority or that apart from dealing efficiently with local constituency business, that Roger Gale MP has rarely come to national attention.
Still perhaps we should take comfort that Gale has been awarded a knighthood, I'd be surprised how many of us lower orders such as in my own industry has ever received any recognition, none I suspect. Despite my selfless commitment to highlighting some to the rights and wrong in our society mostly created by politicians, its unlikely Mrs Windsor will be tapping me on the shoulder with a sword anytime soon.
Previously I have awarded myself the GBE a self created honour (Grafter for the British Empire), which I suggest you award yourself and tag after your name on correspondence, since this is a self assessed award there are few criteria but I suggest, you should be taxpayer outside but funding the self serving public sector.
Since we at Bignews Margate believe in democracy, equality and don't happen to have any affiliations with free masonry or the Windsors, we are happy to allow you to bestow the GBE for whatever reason.
Anyway have yourself a good New Year and lets hope it's a flipping better one than last year.
Tony Flaig GBE
Tony would it be different were he a liberal? You cant be happy about anything can you? He has done a good job and it is as a reward for being good at his job. I for one am pleased for him I just wish I had learnt of his news from someone who wasnt moaning
ReplyDeleteI would like to congratulate Roger Gale on his award. He has worked tirelessly as a good constituency MP for many years now and he deserves this recognition for his work.
ReplyDeleteMost awards come from doing a job well, be that acting, playing sport, military bravery or serving in public office. Unfortunately, most of us are in too low a profile role to come to anyone's notice. That's life and most of us will not win the lottery or X Factor either.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, well done to Sir Roger and let's not be mealy mouthed about it.
There's no apostrophe in Commons.
ReplyDeleteIt's a tradition and a harmless one at that, that long serving non Ministerial MPs, who have worked hard and kept their noses clean. get knighthoods.
Congratulations to Roger Gale.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I can't get too steamed up about the Honours system - every country has one in some form or another - if you want to see how many people still feel "honoured" you just have to watch the interview with Dickie Bird on TV this morning. I also somewhat suspect that if a monogrammed letter had dropped through the letterbox of Flaig Towers back in October offering an OBE or similar there wouldn't have been so much fuss.
As usual there will be the complaints about why so-and-so got it but we only ever really pay attention to the headlines. What about the hundreds of ordinary people - dinner ladies if you like - who were recommended by their peers. How do you think they feel when some old Scrooge tries to diminish their reward? It's the same sort of reaction as we get every year at A-Level results time. Kids work ruddy hard - I've watched both of mine go through this particular mill in the last few years so I know the effort involved - and then some miseryguts says that A-levels must be getting easier.
Five comments so far, and all telling you to try, just for once, to see the cup as half full. Make it a 2012 resolution to try and see the bright side of things and stop being so envious.
The award is a complete and utter joke. Gale has achieved little or nothing for the constituency, which has seen a gradual decline in its fortunes, even during periods when the Tory Party has been in control at all levels of government - ie he cannot blame Labour.
ReplyDeleteAs Tony has pointed out, he has simply been doing a job for which he has been paid well. He has also added to the family purse by employing his wife as his "Parliamentary Director" - a nice little earner.
My only hope is that this award is a retirement gift and signals that he will not be standing at the next Election. Being rid of the Gales is something to look forward to.
Cameron should have more support for non-Tory things now.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting news to hear at a time when Roger Gale has had his eye off the ball in his own back yard..
ReplyDeleteSIR ROGER of LABOUR THANET..
I don't agree with Ted Clarke that GALE has become closer to Cameron, after all he failed to hang on to Thanet's only Cameroon councillor!!!
2:23 Is that you my civil service friend and, if so, how ungracious of you. You display a lack of knowledge of the role of an MP and exactly how much influence he can have on an area.
ReplyDeleteThe day to day running of Thanet is down to TDC, not its MPs. MPs deal with issues on the bigger picture, like the Sandwich Enterprise zone for example, and with the often individual concerns of their constituents. On the latter, Sir Roger has an excellent track record.
Could you very evident dislike of this particular MP stem from his criticism of the public parading of sexuality by any chance? You really should broaden your horizons to the greater world.
I wish I had been awarded a Knighthood
ReplyDeleteA system that can reward ex jail bird Gerald Ronson sets the standard for the value of these awards. Jailed and fined £5 millions for false accounting, theft and conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's new Sir Paul Ruddock, share speculator, whats he done for the UK? Oh yes he gave £500,000 to the tory party.
Sir Roger can reflect on the the poor company he is in.
No Tom Clarke, my dislike of Gale is based on a wide range of issues. I am not narrow-minded, whether or not you believe it.
ReplyDeleteI do find it not a little hypocritical of you having, in other guises, filled many blog pages with criticism and condemnation of the public sector over their pensions, other rewards, and current dispute with the Government, that you fawn over an award to this public servant - simply for doing his job. He is a public servant - the award is for political and public service - so it is curious that you feel able to justify patronage of this kind. Clearly principle, once again, takes second or even third place to your political bias.
I am well aware of the role of an MP, and in my humble view, his lack of effectiveness and achievement contributes significantly to the problems suffered in Thanet over time. If he, like you, felt that the responsibility for Thanet's wellbeing rested just with TDC, why would he say, today, that there are still things he wishes to do for his constituency? Incidentally, just as many people are aggrieved at Labour for not delivering on all its promises despite 13 years in office, I think there must be many who would ask Gale why the hell he needs more time when he's been here for 28 years!
He is paid well for doing his job - something in excess of £75,000 - and through his job he also pays his wife. Cushy. In Thanet and elsewhere, there are volunteers who work with the Samaritans, homeless charities and a huge range of other organisations, who get paid nothing for doing much the same as Gale does in his "constituency work". If we must have an honours system, they should be the ones who are rewarded through it, not public servants, and certainly not politicians.
Gale should not have received his knighthood, Labour's Ruddock should not have been made a Dame, and Kite, Tory Leader of Dartford Council, should not have received his honour either.
Many people within the public sector get awards for long and satisfatory service. I really do not have a problem with people who get to the top of their tree receiving such honours. Where would the world be without its Sir Humphreys.
ReplyDeleteI accept that many people in the public sector perform highly essential work, but any critcism I have made of them stems from the little for nothing attitude of some in the lower echolons and the lack of grasp of financial realities arising out of our nation's near bankruptcy.
Be that as it may, and I think you may be confusing me with others much more vociferous on public sector workers than I, I do not begrudge those that get awards. Enjoy life too much to be eaten up with such petty jealousy.
Roger Gale ??? Ok can someone please list the so called achievements that this man has had regarding Thanet.
ReplyDeleteI have been pondering this question for some time and i cannot come up with one thing that warrants merit or special reward, Roger has always been the shadow in the background and wholly ineffectuall...
Jasmine Revolution?
ReplyDeleteIts quite sickening really, what if anything has he or any of the elite really done for the people they are supposed to serve , in my opinion none are even worth the minimum wage ?
ReplyDeleteWe should be demoting them for not speaking out about all the corruption and yes they do all know about it !
daily mail has actually got something right
The spectre of 1932: How a loss of faith in politicians and democracy could make 2012 the most frightening year in living memory
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080534/Loss-faith-democracy-make-2012-frightening-year-ever.html
Courts, Councils, and collusion
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuJAVn4tW6o&feature=endscreen&NR=1
And we are silly enough to be paying for this whilst big fat awards are being given out for silence
GBE's all round I think Peter for brown nosing, Don for super strength rose tinted glasses, Dr M for being nothing if not predictable, Tom Clarke for being reasonable, VPPartner for being getting worked up about apostrophes', usually one the sort of things that bothers DrM
ReplyDeleteWhat are GBE's?
ReplyDeleteoh and well done roger maybe you could retire now and give a job to a younger person.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could retire too Tony and give your job to someone younger (and fitter).
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on Tony ignore the brown nosers. I agree the best thing that could happen is for Gale to leave along with all the rest who do nothing but benefit from the gravy train at our expense.
ReplyDeleteLets hope 2012 will out the useless hangers on once and for all.
Peter, you are like a sycophantic court jester, except, just not very funny.
ReplyDeleteGet a clue, will ya, ffs?
I am delighted with Sir Roger's honour if only for the obvious upset it is causing to some of the less gracious contributors on this page. Eat you hearts out folk for the system ain't gonna change because of a handful of pathetic hate merchants.
ReplyDelete2012 is not going to see the end of what you describe as 'hangers on' for, if it was ever going to happen, it would have in 1917.
How about trying to exercise a little more grace and enjoy what is good in life in the New Year. You might even surprise your miserable selves.
The politicians should be running for cover and many will start ratty on their fellow criminals.People are waking up to the absurdity and greed and about time too.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2tPuqcn55w&feature=related
Oh dear Anon, what a shame you have to label those who disagree with you in such unpleasant terms. I guess your debates usually end in a physical fight.
ReplyDeleteNot everyone supports political honours. Not everyone likes Gale. Not everyone thinks he deserves any sort of honour. They are entitled to think that and to express their views - as you are yours.
It is not even that with Gale and his wife, we get the supermarket BOGOF offer - because we pay (handsomely) for both of them out of the public purse. Still, it keeps their nest well-feathered.
12:25 I am with the earlier anon about hate merchants although I would be more inclined to describe them as anarchists. There are one or two, hard to tell exact numbers with anons, who consistently peddle their people waking up nonsense.
ReplyDeleteIf there were any truth in it, you should be more worried than I, for the history of revolution shows that those that serve the establisment are frequently treated by the mob as part of it.
If you think giving Roger Gale a knighthood is a step to far for somebody that has been well paid for just doing his job and ensureng that his wife also receives more than the average Thanet wage then there is more to come.
ReplyDeleteSo that he goes quietly when the boundary changes come in he will become a lord.
The decline in the meaningfulness of our awards system started post war with Lord Ted Hill of the Boiler Makers and has gone further downhill since. Once the preserve of the truly greats like Lawrence Olivier and Malcolm Sergeant, we now give them to pathetic game show prsenters and questionable pop stars.
ReplyDeleteRoger Gale is a star, not to mention a pillar of decency, compared with some recipents so why pick on him. If you feel so strongly, form a 'Get Rid of Honours' party and see how many votes you get at the next election.
The system is riddled with corruption and rewarded for it listen to the people not give out badges of dishonor
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/broaderviewYT
"Roger Gale is a star"... Pass me a very large sick bucket immediately.
ReplyDeleteI think the lady said Sir Roger is a star compared to................
ReplyDeleteThat is not quite the same as saying he is a star in isolation. Thinking about all the crooks, druggies, back scratchers, small time celebrities, over paid sports people and wide boys who have also got honours over the years, I am inclined to agree with her.
Look at a comparison of Bruce Forsyth and Ronnie Corbett. One was a simpering, unfunny game show host and he got a knighthood. The other actually made people laugh and he gets the lower award of a CBE.
Why waste your time picking on our local MP who has, over the years, helped sort out a few peoples problems.
As to our anon sick bucket friend, I hope you choke in it.
I would have liked to have seen, Councillor Ian Driver awarded a Knighthood for his action against Animal cruelty... keep up the good work Ian, maybe next year!
ReplyDeleteJohn, now I know you have totally lost the plot. Credible though Ian Driver's efforts may have been, it hardly amounts to a lifetime achievement deserving of a knighthood. An RSPCA certificate at best I would say.
ReplyDeleteTom Clarke, I agree with you. A knighthood for Driver would have matched the travesty of a knighthood for Gale. Two wrongs don't make a right.
ReplyDelete11.48, the system is on it's way out precisely because it is run by a pathetic bunch of hate merchants, namely Rothschild, Saxe-Coburg Goethe etc.
ReplyDeleteHad they had been a bit more generous and a bit less cruel, their empire may have gone on a bit longer.
Other than substituting 'dick' for 'nob' you really have found a highly suitable name for yourself.
ReplyDeletePlease spare us this year, all your silly rants about people waking up and evil finance houses running the show.
Think about it, even when the finance houses screw up, who bales them out, why the people of course. And why, because it is the system and, in the absence of a better one, it is not going to change in a hurry.
The people are not some collective force, but a mass of diverse views and opinions. Even when they have got enough together to stage a revolution and overthrow the leaders, what happens? Up springs another group of leaders, often more brutal and evil than that they replaced.
You have a good New Year and work on your fantasies.
Nobhead, Goethe was a German poet. Gotha was the family name you were searching for. A little knowledge, or in your case minimal knowledge, is a dangerous thing. Best go back to playing with your Lego.
ReplyDeleteNice team work, Tim, happy new year.
ReplyDeleteAnd to you Tom. Nobhead or Dickhead; still trying too hard. Best to wait at least until IQ exceeds shoe size! :-)
ReplyDeleteA Gotha bomber crashed in Westgate in 1916 but now I'm confused because it might have been a dead German poet instead!
ReplyDeleteActually, Simon, I think the dead poet was Robin Williams, just to add to the confusion.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I'm beginning to wonder if Tom Clarke, Tim Clarke, Will Lambert, Guy Lacoste(plus a few others) and Moores ALL emanate from the same keyboard.
ReplyDelete6:57 You are not beginning to wonder, for you have been making these ridiculous accusations for years. As I have said before, how anyone who posts anonymously can criticise those that use a name is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteI see that you now include Simon Moores in my ever growing list of aliases. Perhaps I am also Peter Checksfield, Tony Flaig, John Worrow and, possibly, even you. Now wouldn't that be a turn up. From true blue to rampant red at the touch of the keys.
Suggest you check the voting in Thanet and you will find that more people vote Conservative than any other party. Much as it evidently upsets you, there actually are a few of us with similar, if not always identical views.
By the way, are you still enjoying sick pay on my taxes or have you used up your annual quota yet.
It was a joke, Tom Clarke, and I have NOT criticised you for not using your real name. I have simply commented on your posting under different names.
ReplyDeleteNow why not get back over to Thanet Life and join the increasingly infantile, pathetic and ludicrous Moores in what is becoming your joint campaign of playground-style pot-shots at Worrow.
If this is the best the Tory Party can offer...
You did not answer the question about going back to work which, I take it, means you are still off. Hence your day time blogging.
ReplyDeleteOK, I will accept it was a joke, but you keep commenting on the aliases you allege I use. Whatever you may think, I am either Tom Clarke or Anonymous and the latter only when I forget to sign in.
Tim Clark and I exchange comments occassionally though, if you bothered to wake up, you would note he is more critical of Simon Moores than I. I have no idea who Guy Lacoste is and Will Lambeth has not commented since before Christmas on any of the blogs I visit.
As for the Worrow saga, I must admit that boredom is creeping in, though I find it hard to resist responding when he starts on about blackmail threats and police involvement. The latter don't turn out when you are being burgled, unless you stab the burglar, so why they would be interested in the silly allegations of Worrow escapes me.
Anyway, the weather is dreadful, the drive to Sandwich this morning was grim and I am off to make some tea.
Tom Clarke, given that you have now made my sick absence - which I covered in exchanges with you under one of your other guises (Will Lambert, not Lambeth) of course - a matter of personal insult, you can, as they say, go whistle on that front.
ReplyDeleteI have no personal knowledge of Worrow, but I would say that his allegations and claims appear less fanciful in the light of the disgusting muck-raking and spreading being carried out by your Nasty Party associates. As I have said elsewhere, goodness knows what they will do next.
His wife will have to clean up her act now. I don't think rugby shirts and leggings are the most flattering of outfits on women of 70 odd, let alone a 'lady' !
ReplyDeleteFollowing the blogs as I do, I see you have made a mistake my friend. As I recall you made reference to being off sick in your exchanges with another civil servant who was off to Nigeria, as I recall. He must have been at least twenty years younger than me.
ReplyDeleteSorry if I don't know my Lamberts from my Lambeths, but since I am neither of them that is hardly surprising.
By all means think I am everybody who ever comments if it amuses your tiny mind, but please tell me, do you get some erotic kick from repeatedly referring to the nasty party. I wish I could get my thrills so cheaply.
At this time of gracious awards bestowed by HM, let us not forget those she gave to Messrs. Isley, Chaytor, Devine and Morley for services to their own back pockets.
ReplyDelete