Double standards and high flying Commons hypocrisy

Op-ed: Westminster parliament finally got back to work Monday after a long Easter break. High on the agenda was the fall out of the panama leaks scandal.

It was a damage limitations exercise for PM Cameron, his Chancellor and most of his MPs.

As slippery as an eel Cameron slithered on and off the hook a few times but his reputation is forever tarnished and he has lost the trust of many people around the UK.

Many like me never had any trust in 'Call Me Dave' in the first place.

The Commons debate was a mixture of many things with double standards and hypocrisy riding the crest of a wave.

Veteran Labour politician Dennis Skinner was thrown out of the chamber for calling a spade a spade or rather PM David Cameron Dodgy Dave.

Skinner's 'red card' highlighted Commons' hypocrisy when the PM is allowed to disrespect Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn by telling him by proxy to do up his shirt, put on a tie and sing the national anthem and simply attracts hoots of laughter.

That incident was reported by the Guardian as follows "Dave let rip: “I know what my mother would say. I think she’d look across the dispatch box and she’d say: ‘Put on a proper suit, do up your tie and sing the national anthem’” in a piece that was aptly titled "David Cameron lets his mask slip with 'do up your tie' jibe at Corbyn."

When a Tory backbencher and his pals looking and sounding for all the world as if they are in a drunken football thugs stupor attacked Mr Corbyn with 'Who are ya Corbyn' they were allowed to continue. 

We reported at the time "It is sickening to read in the Independent that Tory backbenches opted to try once again to drown out the words of the leader of the Labour Party, the official political opposition in the Commons but this time they overstepped the public school bully boy mark. Chanting 'who are ya' as Mr Corbyn began to speak shows the Tories in all their despicable glory. A bunch of hoodlums who do not respect democracy or our parliament. Neither do they respect the electorate many of whom will have tuned in."

House speaker John Bercow, Conservative, was the speaker of the day on both of those occasions but he failed to hold Cameron or his MPs to account.

Perhaps calling Cameron Dodgy Dave was a step too far and not really funny as it had more than a ring of truth to it.

It certainly hit the mark for many people as Dodgy Dave has become a well-known description of Cameron over the last few years.

Either way Mr Skinner, 84, left the chamber like a naughty schoolboy after Bercow spoke to him as we would address a three-year-old child.

Dennis Skinner is a giant of a man in all but stature. He has served his constituency well over many years and has humble roots in a coal mining community and as a former coal miner. If you want a glimpse into this man who still refuses to cosy up to the establishment and British royals check out his book "Sailing close to the wind."

This is not the first time Mr Skinner has called Cameron Dodgy Dave to his face.

In July 2015, during a heated Common's Exchange, as Skinner tried to discuss the closure of Doncaster's Hatfield Colliery, one of Britain's three remaining deep coal mines Mr. Skinner shouted "No wonder they call him Dodgy Dave... A man who went to Eton.." 

The rest of the MP's pronouncements were drowned out by jeers as Speaker John Bercow tried desperately to restore order reports the Daily Mirror.  "It's very good to see the Labour party in full voice cheering on Jurassic Park," joked David Cameron.  "I would stick to the movie."

So it is OK for Cameron to respond to a jibe with an ageist comment?

Monday one low-life MP stood out and that was Tory Sir Alan Duncan.

His assessment of low achievers as judged by a lack of wealth really says it all about the British Tory party. If you are working or middle class and fall for the hype shame on you.

Monday and into Tuesday #lowachievers and #DodgyDave trended on Twitter and social media as people vented their fury.

Has Cameron and his government reached their 'let them eat cake' moment yet or have they raced past it?

Saturday a long planned national protest in London will go ahead; it will be supported by last weekend's 'resign Cameron' protesters and more.

Alan Duncan high achiever:-
Alan Duncan claimed thousands for gardening
Alan Duncan links to Libya oil cell
​William Hague's clumsy friend Alan Duncan

Related reading:
Happy birthday Dennis Skinner political hero and funny man
Theresa May to heed Battle of Orgreave campaigners

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