I love BBC Parliament, I think if anyone wants to gain a sense of perspective on issues and political reality they should watch an hour or so of a key debate. I did that along with many others on Tuesday when MPs debated the amendments to abortion law. It was a great debate which highlighted many tensions within both parties and key dividing lines. Yet after Mad Nad made her case arose the Labour MP for Broxtowe, Nick Palmer.
He has now replaced the likes of Jim Murphy, Steve McCabe and Sion Simon as my favourite MP. The man is a comic genius, as demonstrated by this wonderful passage in his speech on Tuesday;
“I must declare a personal interest. I was born with a cleft palate, and my parents were advised by the surgeon that I could still have a decent quality of life so long as I did not make the mistake of choosing a career that involved public speaking.”
He then continued with further insights;
“It sometimes seems as though we as a society place too much emphasis on physical perfection. Looking around the Chamber, I see that all hon. Members present are exceptionally good looking, but the sad truth is that none of us is perfect, however much we may look it.”
I have now signed up to recieve email updates of all of Dr. Palmer’s appearences in the commons – stay tuned for BULS’ selection of Palmer witisms.
Key dividing lines?
It’s a single issue on which MPs have a free vote on which 80% of both major parties voted as you might expect. Looks to me like you’re trying to expose division where none exists.
Cameron gave his backing to Mad Nad, did he not? I think that’s quite a contrast from Gordon Brown’s position.
The division is plainly there for everyone to see.
Sorry – I thought you meant within parties.
I thought Nick Palmer was excellent too, performance just jumped out really.
I was very dissappointed to see a lot of MPs I would otherwise hold in high regard voting against hybrid embryos.
The quality of debate on the abortion night was shocking. How MPs get away with some of it is beyond me, some of the studies they were quoting were so unsound. I listened to it sporadically, I had to keep turning the volume off for the sake of my blood pressure.
Thanks! – I don’t think anyone has ever called me a comic genius before: boring old sobersides, more like.
Stephen Pound is the comic genius in the House – read his maiden speech in 1997, you’ll never forget it…