Casting my eye over political message boards yesterday lunchtime, I was heartily amused at the reaction from many right-wing posters to the shock revelation that the Scottish government could actually decide for itself (!!!!!) whether to mark the Royal Wedding with a bank holiday. Never mind the fact that there wasn't the slightest indication that the extra day off wouldn't in fact get the nod - the indignation went straight into overdrive without passing go. "They'd better, or they'll have a riot on their hands!" declared someone smugly, apparently oblivious to the fact that not everyone in the UK regards deprivation of their Royal conjugal fix as an obvious trigger-point for mindless violence.
But hang on a minute - can you think of a single other circumstance in which the Right has ever regarded an extra holiday as acceptable, let alone desirable? I must have imagined CBI Scotland's apoplexy every time the possibility of a St Andrew's Day holiday is mentioned, let alone the attitute towards more generous maternity or paternity leave. Yet put an ostentatious ring on a posh woman's finger, and suddenly it's a moral outrage that there's even a theoretical possibility that we won't be getting a random lie-in one day next April.
I even saw a newsreader who felt bold enough to decorate her dutiful explanation that Scotland would make its own decision by adding "let's hope we all get a holiday, though". Has the world gone mad? Since when did such blatant breaches of BBC impartiality in support of the workshy provoke nothing more than a cry of "ooh, isn't that sweet" from the decent, hard-working, law-abiding, fox-hunting people of this country? I demand that they come to their senses immediately and jam the BBC switchboards in protest at this brazen show of leftyism - if it isn't nipped in the bud pronto, we'll be turning into FRANCE.
You forgot to sign that "DISGUSTED of Tonbridge Wells", although given the subject matter I wonder if Tonbridge Wells is quite appropriate.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that, although the Windsors and Middletons, mindful of the economic situation are to pay for the festivities themselves (the Queen's large pay rise should help with that), it will cost the UK around £7 billion in lost "production" to celebrate the holy day. And of course there is the security, which with crowned heads, presidents, prime ministers and all sorts of "important people" in England's capital, will also amount to billions of pounds worth.
I wonder, when all the benefits of this carry on (several billion in tourism, food, hotel rooms and tat) are for London, why the Scots, Welsh and Irish or indeed Northern Englanders, will have to make their contribution to the expense.
No doubt China has gone into overdrive in order to get that huge containership filled and on its way in time for the April 29th tat-athon!
ReplyDelete