Re: Yesterday we received the great news that the Hunting Bill will be reintroduced to the Commons next week.

From: BAC (casswalk_at_NOSPAMdircon.co.uk)
Date: 09/16/04 

Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 11:31:38 +0100

"Paul Rooney" <paulrooney@aol.com> wrote in message
news:8poik0127nd2r01i0eq99mp0l91d4c61m0@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 10:32:35 +0100, "BAC"
> <casswalk@NOSPAMdircon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >Of course they hold strong views about the supremacy of the commons,
since
> >they happen to command a majority in it at the moment, and don't like to
be
> >thwarted.
>
> It wasn't the current lot that passed the Parliament Act. Even the
> pro-hunters there, and even most Tories, accept that principle.

It could be argued that the Parliament Act is illegitimate, because it
received Royal Assent without the approval of the Lords, and before the
Parliament Act existed to legitimise ignoring the Lords. But, in any case,
how many times has the Parliament Act been used, previously, on trivial
matters?

Perhaps earlier 'lots' were less inclined to believe election to the UK
parliament gave them the right to act in a dictatorial fashion, even if it
did give them the power to do so.

>
> >Having to support a right wing authoritarian government must be
> >very frustrating for them, so exercising power over a politically
incorrect
> >minority must come as a great relief.
> >
> >Ironic, really, given what is going on in Leeds Castle at the moment, as
a
> >result of a minority refusing to recognise the legitimacy of a
> >'democratically' elected regional parliament, all those years ago.
> >
>
> Eh?

Many years ago, Northern Ireland was administered by a parliament in
Stormont, which was heavily dominated, under the first past the post system,
by the majority protestant population. Even though that was a 'democratic'
process, a significant minority felt oppressed by the majority, and, seeing
there was no way of altering things by that 'democratic' process, were
perhaps fertile ground for those wishing to bring about change by
extra-parliamentary means.

Leeds Castle is hosting another round of discussions between the factions
aimed at bringing about 'power sharing', in other words an equitable system
of government, not necessarily the same thing as would emerge from the sort
of 'democracy' which holds sway in the UK parliament at the moment.

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