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Benedict Brogan

Benedict Brogan is the Daily Telegraph's Deputy Editor. His blog brings you news, gossip, analysis and occasional insight into politics, and more. You can find his weekly columns here and you can email him at benedict.brogan@telegraph.co.uk.

Relax, the people are always right

 

You shouldn’t be here. It’s election day, for goodness sake. Go for a walk. Go vote. Go to the pub. Read a book. There’s nothing happening until later. But if you insist, there’s always my column. I took a break from the campaign on Monday to visit the National Memorial Aboretum in Staffordshire, which turned out to be a salutary reminder of the things that matter today.

“The odds must be that before long, Mr Brown’s successor will have to come to the National Memorial Arboretum to acknowledge the burden placed upon him. When the soundbites and the beauty pageant and the impenetrable arguments about in-year spending cuts are stripped away, and the requirements of the job are laid bare, all that remains is leadership, and responsibility for the security of the realm.

“Much of yesterday’s campaigning was overshadowed by the continuous footage of Greece going up in flames, the home of Athenian democracy giving every appearance of becoming ungovernable because it has borrowed too much and failed to face up to the consequences of bad government. Those who predict disaster if tomorrow’s result is inconclusive could not have wished for a better illustration.

“Yet history, and our ability to carry on with the things that matter, even while our politics descends to a level where Simon Cowell’s endorsement is seen as a vital asset, allows us to be more optimistic. In The English People, George Orwell noted that one outstanding quality we can contribute to the world is our habit of “not killing one another”. Compared with our neighbours, we are “the only European country where internal politics are conducted in a more or less humane and decent manner”.”

 

RSS COMMENTS

  • Off to vote now, UKIP in the nationals and Tory in the locals. Best wishes to Nigel Farage, who has been injured in a light plane crash this morning at Hinton in the hedges, just outside Buckingham.

    peteh on May 6th, 2010 at 10:01 am
  • And let’s not forget the adage that the people get the government they deserve.

    Sandy on May 6th, 2010 at 10:12 am
  • Compared with our neighbours, we are “the only European country where internal politics are conducted in a more or less humane and decent manner”.”

    This was written when we were a mainly white and Christian country. Our esteemed leaders have muddied the pool lately and attitudes are changing.

    Off to vote for UKIP and Tory in the locals.

    rogercuul on May 6th, 2010 at 10:16 am
  • Is Nigel Farrage’s little plane crash a metaphor for the whole UKIP ‘campaign’? It seems highly appropriate.

    Davidjay on May 6th, 2010 at 10:19 am
  • I’m sure that the Bercowaffe didn’t shoot down the plane.

    Some of us have to work on Election Day (and have coffee breaks, luckily).

    Clothilde S. on May 6th, 2010 at 10:28 am
  • The National Memorial Arboretum, on my doorstep, and visited it many times to remind me of so many things that were bad in the world, and pretty much good here. I suppose I shall get reminded of some of the not so good things of yesteryear, but for my money they pale into insignificance with the way we are today.
    Yes, you said it * Simon Cowell, an asset*? but lets not get carried away with this English people thing; Englishness is deliberately being strangled by, first labour, ably assisted by the other two, of which the libdems are the most obnoxious.
    Yes, the Arboretum should be a reminder of the things that SHOULD matter today, but don’t. I have at one end of the scale, a 21 year old grandson, and a 12 year old grand daughter, none of whom were the recipients of a decent education, with history of this country hardly ever being touched on. I know we cannot turn the clock back, but surely we can rewind it for better?

    bryan on May 6th, 2010 at 10:29 am
  • @ Benedict Brogan

    The English/British are no longer in control of events since millions of foreigners now live here. When we get smacked with the CDS fallout – and we will when the contagion spreads – then everyone will see the folly of globalization and mass immigration.

    Greece will just be a warm-up for what’s going to happen here.

    It may not even start with Brits/English involvement, it could easily start with Pakistanis versus Indians here.

    When the money runs out then you’ve got an unprecidented number of citizens who rely on the state and are, in a financial sense, liabilities – taking out of the tax pot. This ponzi scheme was never going to last and nobody knows exactly when the music will stop. I’m guessing within two years, or three at the most.

    In other words, within the life of this parliament there is going to be trouble… if of course there is not an election to sort out a hung parliament. All of this simply brings forward the inevitable.

    Time we had a nationalist government and got the hell out of the EU NWO.

    pondy on May 6th, 2010 at 10:46 am
  • [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Christopher Carroll, fitaloon, santi_girl, Frances von Bertele, Telegraph Politics and others. Telegraph Politics said: Blog: Relax, the people are always right http://tgr.ph/93o34l by @benedictbrogan [...]

  • Why are the clapping seals joking about a plane crash? If that is Conservative support, they can keep it.

    Brogan, you say that the people are always right, but you know very well that a vote in this election will mostly make no difference.
    http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2010/05/anyone-but-cameron.html
    Westminster is an electoral college, a provincial assembly, that is directed by the real leadership in Brussels.

    You know that, and yet to keep the British people fooled, you pretend that they do have a choice, and that they they are represented. So, when agents for the EU like yourself say relax that is exactly what not to do.

    In the next few years the EU is coming home to roost. If Cast-Iron Dave gets the most seats in the Westminster assembly, then they will be his chickens to deal with. We won’t relax then when reminding people how he had promised to fend it off. Dave may win today, but it won’t be very long until he will be EU toast.

    watttyler on May 6th, 2010 at 11:28 am
  • ‘the people are always right’ – so, they were right to put Labour in for 13 years, then?

    docholliday on May 6th, 2010 at 11:45 am
  • Just Voted

    Best wishes to Nigel Farage, hope he and his pilot have speedy recoveries and Nigel has a new job in the morning.

    Just seen the pictures and I am gobsmacked that no-one was killed. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

    Bionic Raspberry on May 6th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
  • And you shouldn’t be there either, Benedict. You should be sharpening your wit and your pencils to scribe bons mots about the exit polls and the political outcomes.

    Sadly the people are not allowed to be right. The political system does not have a eurosceptic main party and therefore what most voters want is not an option.

    Likewise the boundary issues that enable Labour to capitalise on numbers of seats whilst having piccolo votes. The system sucks and needs fixing.

    I voted this morning and found that Huntingdon is not even starting to count the votes until tomorrow morning. I thought that bout of whimsy by returning officers had been resolved.

    After that I did go for a walk and to feed my geese – big daffy white birds – who do not know it is election day and are preoccupied with sitting on eggs right now.

    I hope that Nigel Farage is ok and that he knocks Bercow out of Buckingham.

    naomimuse on May 6th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
  • I defy Mr Brogan to consider the effects of Freud on advertising and politics and say “the people are always right” again. Watching the “Century of Self” documentaries was an eye opener for me and would be for many others, I suspect. (See http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6718420906413643126#)

    After, that I would like to know how he could have made such a statement if he is aware of the activities of the Frankfurt School of Marxism, the significance of Cultural Marxism and the work of Antonio Gramsci. I am new to all these subjects being an civil engineer but having realised that our democratic law making powers have been given away to the EU without “the people” stirring, I am trying to find out why.

    And don’t give me that “conspiracy theory” politically correct putdown-shutup line. I’m pretty sure I understand the Cultural Hegemony idea now. As an engineer, if I see a structure which has stood for centuries showing signs of collapsing, I want to know why. There must be a reason. Our society is being demolished and I don’t think it is an accident.

    George Orwell’s comments about humanity and decency may sound sadly dated in a few years. Perhaps politics and philosophy should be taught in all schools along with history of why the two world wars were fought – to preserve our democracy which politicians gave away with no democratic mandate.

    Andrew Townsend on May 6th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
  • All this anger and disenchantment and yet the majority of the people will vote liblabcon today.
    Yes, nuliebour have indeed tried to destroy the English culture and the English way of life, but so have the tories. McBroon and co simply did it by stealth which made it more noticeable. There were many no-go areas for whites in the early 90’s aswell as today.
    The liblabcon and their puppet masters have deliberately undermined our collectiveness as it was the best strategy to integrate us into their NWO one-world-government plan.
    The old divide and conquer routine.
    If the tories win, their frankfurt school policies will just be done and a slower rate, but they’ll still be done.
    I loathe the liblabcon and fifth columists like this Brogan chap.

    stolenfrom on May 6th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
  • Andrew Townsend 12.09

    Very astute thinking sir. The reason that the electorate do nothing, is not because they are unaware, but because they have been cowed into inaction by the insidious poison of political correctness.

    If you wish to kill a giant oak, chop away at its roots bit by bit so that people do not notice.

    Our political class hate the English, of that I have no doubt. Ask Mr Straw about that one.

    Until the English people throw off this cowardly mantle of servile non-resistance, the politicians will push and push until we no longer exist as a nation.

    owd Al

    owdal80 on May 6th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
  • Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say that the English people have fallen out of the habit of killing each other? As the example of the U.S. Civil War proves, it’s a habit easily re-acquired, given the right set of circumstances.

    stuiec on May 6th, 2010 at 6:49 pm

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