Saying Sorry and Political Expediency.

Hazel Blears on apologising:

"You can't win as a politician," she said. "If you say you are sorry somehow you are responsible for every single thing. If you don't say you are sorry you are arrogant and out of touch. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't."

As always, Blears manages to completely miss the point: this time of apologising. The reason for saying sorry is because you are actually sorry about something. It is very telling that Blears simply sees apologising as a matter of expediency, and seems to almost conclude that it is not worth doing as it might not make things easier for the politician concerned.

I almost want to tut at her, like an peeved primary school teacher, and point out that you should only apologise if you actually mean it. But such concepts are never going to work for our esteemed leaders. All Blears is actually doing is (albeit unintentionally) again illustrating the central mindset of Nu Labour (and, I'd argue, all the other parties in Parliament) - that they work for themselves, and everything is about making their lives easier regardless of whether it is in the best interests of the people and regardless of whether it leaves them wide fucking open for a charge of insincerity and/or hypocrisy.

Another good example of this if those godawful fucking adverts showing fat chavs and warning them that if they are dole cheats, then they will be found and charged by the authorities. Grand, I say. Lock 'em up, and remove any benefits they might yet claim. They are rinsing the public purse for all it is worth. But the irony is lost on our elected leaders - they too, are effectively cheating dole scum. They are paid for from the public purse, and they are determined to get as much as possible from the people, regardless of what they actually contribute to the country. There isn't one - not one - politician in this country who actually represents value for money. So yeah, benefit cheats are leeches on the taxpayer's money. The reality is that they are indistinguishable from our MPs - except the latter take more, and dress a little better.

Of course, it is human nature to be, at least on some levels, expedient and self-centred. Most people manage a balance between that and being at least a little socially aware and a little philanthropic. Not so our politicians. They are simply out for themselves, and will only do things if they make life easier for the self-perpetuating oligarchy in this country. Politicians may despair about the levels of cynicism in this country, but in this area they truly are leading by example. There is no-one more cynical and self-serving in this country that Blears and the shower of shits who surround her.

They work for us? Really? Don't make me fucking laugh a hollow, bitter laugh.