The Rules of Engagement

Monday lunchtime and we are back after our walk. A nice day for it. But our city is showing signs of wear. And it has been for a while. But it was nice to be out there. But the state of our city got me thinking.

There’s much I could say about the state of it. And the state of our country in general. But the more I thought about it, the more caution crossed my mind. See, if I’m going to write anything drifting near politics there has to be rules.

I’m governed by the same rules as everyone else. But I mean there are my rules. Three of them that go like this.

First, you won’t know how I vote.

Second, I’ve got no time for people who enjoy being politicians.

Third, I’ll give credit where it’s due and criticism where it’s deserved, regardless of which rosette is attached.

Right, let me put some detail on those rules.

To start with, how I vote is irrelevant. Because I prefer independence. I want to write about any mainstream political party without travelling up one lane or another and having to stay there. Political tribalism is shit, I can’t be arsed with it.

I’ll say this. I’m a freedom-of-speech advocate. I think we’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with speech we dislike. And it does my head in. So, when I write this stuff, that’ll be loud in my mind.

Next, I have a simple belief. Anyone who likes being in politics is the kind of person who shouldn’t be. It’s a crap business to work in. Why would you want to be in it of your own choice? We don’t need people who like politics. We need people who love our country to the point that they want to fix it and keep it going.

After that, there’s one other thing. I’ll write about the good things and the bad things. Regardless of who does them or says them. I don’t care from which part of the political landscape they happen to fit into.

Ah, hang on.

This is not me saying my columns are going to get political all of a sudden. All I mean is, if I happen to mention it at all, these are my rules of engagement.

That brings me to the kind of things big enough to make me pay attention. This one is from a while back. Our new PM, Andy Burnham, decided to bugger off on holiday after two weeks in the job.

What? it’s not like there was nothing that needed sorting out, right? When you start a new job, your new employer often will honour pre-booked holiday. But Burnham was taking the biggest job in the country. There’s a difference.

Oh and don’t get me started on the fact that we didn’t get to elect him as Prime Minister…

Here’s another example. Donations. Reform need to clean up the noise round where there’s are coming from. Because if we are meant to take them as a serious political option, the sleaze potential needs to go.

But at the same time, the government is planning to introduce retrospective caps and tighter residency requirements on political donations. Meaning Reform could have to hand back some of the £72 million it’s received in recent days. That feels off to me.

A scan of the news today and I see a story about the Lib Dems. Their leader, to be precise. That bloke who goes around doing pointless stunts thinking that impresses us. Ed, mate. The stunts aren’t helping. We can see you. Now tell us what you’re actually going to do.

Now, I know there will people who don’t agree with what I say. And that’s fine. That is how it should be. I write a column to express a view on the state of things. I’m expressing a point not signing up to someone else’s.

So, there’s my rules of engagement if I happen to wander into politics now and then.

Right, being a Sunday and being in my sixties means I might have a nap. The city will be alright for half an hour or so.