The trouble with politics…
…is encapsulated by the UK politician who, on BBC Radio 4 this morning, said in relation to his party’s manifesto commitments: “…it is our firm intention to keep the promises…” [Today, Monday 12 April, approx 08:18]
Politicians live in a parallel universe that is inexorably drifting away from the reality that the rest of us know. In their universe it is, apparently, acceptable to make promises that they do not intend to keep, for that is the implication of the quote above. I accept that circumstances may change and plans may have to be altered in response to them, but this politician was not prepared to say so. Perhaps this was from a simple fear that an unhelpful soundbite may result. So why did he have to say anything?
I’ve deliberately not named the politician responsible for this quote, or even the party concerned, because it seems to me that most (if not all) politicians, from all parties, exhibit this behaviour. Their media appearances are tightly focussed on saying what they want to say, regardless of the question posed, with the use of potential soundbites to the fore. Interviewers, meanwhile, are mainly concerned with tripping up the interviewee. So it becomes a battle of semantics, of word play.
The end result, for me at least, is that no real information is imparted and little or no respect earned. Is it any wonder that there is a universal lack of trust in the political classes?
