I've been watching the boy Dave (C)'s webcameron response (embedded below I trust) to the slow-motion collapse of ZANU labour and I can't help but feel that he's being somewhat stingy with the truth.
The bit I'm suspicious of is the place where he says it's time for an election now. I don't think he means it. What he actually means is "can we have the election sometime in October when I've done the cleaning out of the tory troughers (who aren't my pals) and arranged for smart new Cameroonian lackeys to be selected in their place". As Rod Liddle says in the Speccie:
There was a bitter and angry gathering of these plainly victimised MPs in the Commons Tea Room this week. They are aware that the playing field is not level, that there is no justice in the sentences handed down by Cameron; that, despite his epic sanctimony, he is determined, primarily, to keep his friends and those MPs he believes to be onside, and ditch those he believes are useless or even vaguely oppositional. In other words, his response to this crisis — aside from those high-minded soundbites — is entirely rooted in self-interest. It is self-serving and, you might argue, corrupt. His mates comprise the panel which will ‘investigate’ the allegedly errant MPs, including himself. I bet he’ll get a really rough ride. Watch this space, but I suspect it will be a clean bill of health for the likes of Patsy Wynde-Turbine MP and deselection for the likes of Sir Bufton Fascist from the shires.
This is where I have problems with the Head Cameroon. He's more articulate than pretty much any US politician and most ZANU labour ones but he has the same air of mouth says one thing hands do something else that Tony Blair had and that Bill Clinton had. A lot of what he seems to be saying - regarding Europe, reform etc. sounds wonderful, and to be honest if he only does 90% of what he's promised it will be good. But my fear is that he'll do 10% and claim he's done 90%.
And it's the same regarding the election. He certainly doesn't want ZANU labour to continue in power for another year, apart from anything else who knows what a year of politics may do to the relative popularity of Labour and the Tories, but that doesn't meen he'd like to start the campaign next Tuesday. He also is undoubtedly correct that the country wants an election to choose a new government and PM. However if we aren't to have a general election next month, then for the benefit of the conservative party he almost certainly wants HMS Gordon to remain afloat for a few more months before sinking. A new PM now and elections in 4 months time could be worse than an election now.
So all these pleas for Prime Ministerial resignations and fresh elections sound to me very like St Augustine of Hippo when he prayed for chastity. But at least St A. was honest enough to explicitly add the "but not yet"! That probably explains why he's a saint and the boy Dave (C) is a smarmy pol.
*Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, sed noli modo - St Augustine
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