Let us Pry
Our bishops have done it again – meddled in politics! They
had the temerity to call for a ‘fresh moral vision’ and described ‘a deep
contradiction in the attitudes of a society which celebrates equality in
principle yet treats some people, especially the poor and vulnerable, as
unwanted, unvalued and unnoticed.’
Almost on cue, two of our most senior politicians, neatly
balanced between the two main parties, have shown just how entitled they
believe they are by falling for that oldest of political traps – succumbing to
greed. Their toe-curling attempts to screw money out of a fictitious Chinese
company in return for ‘under the radar’ assistance and ‘access to every
ambassador in London’ can only serve to deepen the growing mistrust we have in
them all.
Which is a shame, because there are examples of selfless and
long-term service to constituency and country on both sides of the chamber. But
what can the average worker on £24,000 a year, let alone the minimum wage
recipient on £13,520, think when he sees someone already on £67,000 claiming
between £5,000 and £8,000 for half a
day’s work?
That puts Jack Straw’s and Malcolm Rifkind’s worth at some
£7,000 an hour, which would cover the expenses of more than a thousand minimum
wage earners. And they aren’t even sorry! Except for being caught out, of
course.
Many newspapers have criticised our bishops for re-stating
the case for moral values. ‘Let us pry’ one of them used as a headline,
implying that Christians can have nothing to say about the way our country is
run. Well, let’s take it as a legitimate slogan. If Channel 4 can pry, so can
we. Go Justin!
Bill Jones
