“The threat to democracy…”

No, not the expenses crisis, but people attaching themselves to it for their own purposes. First, Norman Tebbit, who on 12 May gave an exclusive to the Daily Mail in which he proposed not voting for any of the main parties in the European elections, so as to give them both a shock.

He wouldn’t say who you should vote for – but there are only two real options: the BNP, and the UK Independence Party. He can’t advocate UKIP without being thrown out of the Conservative Party, but everyone knows it’s what he means.

On the BNP, the Mail says that he didn’t advocate them, but it’s not put in direct quotes. The same on the Today programme on the morning of the 12th – Jim Naughtie quoted him as saying this, but you didn’t hear Tebbit say it in the interview.

Tebbit does say between quotes that the BNP is “socialist”, and is “Labour with racism”. This sort of madness is consistent with a twist to his mind that he’s always had – back in 1975 he called Michael Foot an advocate of “pure undiluted fascism”.

Tebbit’s move legitimates the far right in British politics. It’s a step towards fascism. We shan’t arrive there, because the far right isn’t (yet) strong enough. But fascism has always needed legitimation from “real” politicians. Tebbit was a minister of some kind from 1979 to 1987.

Oswald Mosley was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1929-1930.

Norman Tebbit was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 1985-1987.


Second, airhead journalist Marina Hyde, advertising her new book on airhead celebs who get into politics and like Angelina Jolie go “wandering about Baghdad”, as she put it on the Gabby Logan show on Sunday morning (10 May).

Now that people “literally despise politicians” (is that something you can do not literally?), Marina says that Joanna Lumley gets it right over the Gurkhas, because she is “unsullied by the democratic process”.

Pardon? The democratic process isn’t the problem, it’s what people do within it, which can be sullying.

And Joanna Lumley, talking to Phil Woolas, haunting Westminster, and demanding to talk to Gordon Brown – she’s the one who is committed to the democratic process.

Come on Marina – get the air out of your head and stop saying stupid things about democracy.