Poor Man About Town

In Parliament Square, there is this man who has made numerous banners opposing certain Government policies, in particular, war. He is not only a thorn in the side of Government but Parliament - "the birthplace of modern democracy". Legislation has now been passed to make this man's political activity outside the Grand Political Factory illegal. Tony Benn commented on this in the BBC politics programme - pointing out that protest and peaceful political activism especially around the "home of democracy" has always been tolerated - he reminded us of the Poll Tax, Suffragettes and Pro-fox-hunting demos that occurred outside the hallowed church, they were not really wanted there but accepted as part of the democratic process. Some Battersea New Labour MP, Martin Linton, was wheeled into comment on Benn's item. Pointing out that Parliament had been banning protest outside the House for the past 600 years. As you would expect from a New Labour bozo, he pointed out that it was in the interests of security that such protests be banned in the vicinity of the House. The security injunction can over-ride any political principle or ethic. It turns democratic nation like the UK into a sham - it's as if the State is saying (as was in the case in Soviet Union) "yes, you can vote, vote for anyone we select; as for free speech, that is a luxury for the people who you elect, fuck off!"