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Part of my family went off to see our local pantomime, Cinderella, last evening.
Pantomimes are a constant source of puzzlement to overseas visitors and it is difficult to explain quite what a pantomime is. Here, in ludicrous settings, men dress up as women and women dress up as men in a tradition dating well back into Victorian times. They act out impossible scenarios, making themselves appear foolish in the process. Usually, the good guy wins in the end.
The thought occurred to me sitting in the peace and quiet of the house once everyone had gone off yesterday, how much like the doings of this government a pantomime is. Or should I say how much like the doings of a pantomime this government is?
I’m not sure whether there are any cross-dressers in government, though I would guess there must be a couple at least, but some of its antics are certainly pantomime-like material.
Take for example, last week’s advice from the Department of Health recommending that everyone take a good walk on Christmas Day to burn off some of the calories consumed during the traditional Christmas lunch. Rhubarb to that - I had my traditional snooze after my traditional lunch!
Or the news a couple of days ago from the Public Health Minister that the tots of spirits we serve ourselves at home are larger than those served in pubs and restaurants. We didn’t need her to tell us this as we already knew it. And the advice that we ought to be careful when pouring drinks over New Year was not only self-evident but totally unwelcome as the whole point in having a drink at home is that you are able to treat yourself to a ‘proper’ tot!
Then the latest silliness is that the Justice Minister plans to add £15 to every fine paid by motorists caught speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt or flouting parking restrictions. You might think that this £15 levy is going to help build new roads or repair existing ones. But no, they will raise money for support services for crime victims.
Say that again? If you are convicted of a motoring offence, £15 will be added to your fine and this will help pay for something entirely unconnected with motoring.
Only this sort of government could come up with these sort of silly schemes and spend money on telling people what they already know.
As I said before, just like a pantomime!
But it remains to be seen whether there is any hero in an incoming government that will save us from this type of nonsense.
,
Part of my family went off to see our local pantomime, Cinderella, last evening.
Pantomimes are a constant source of puzzlement to overseas visitors and it is difficult to explain quite what a pantomime is. Here, in ludicrous settings, men dress up as women and women dress up as men in a tradition dating well back into Victorian times. They act out impossible scenarios, making themselves appear foolish in the process. Usually, the good guy wins in the end.
The thought occurred to me sitting in the peace and quiet of the house once everyone had gone off yesterday, how much like the doings of this government a pantomime is. Or should I say how much like the doings of a pantomime this government is?
I’m not sure whether there are any cross-dressers in government, though I would guess there must be a couple at least, but some of its antics are certainly pantomime-like material.
Take for example, last week’s advice from the Department of Health recommending that everyone take a good walk on Christmas Day to burn off some of the calories consumed during the traditional Christmas lunch. Rhubarb to that - I had my traditional snooze after my traditional lunch!
Or the news a couple of days ago from the Public Health Minister that the tots of spirits we serve ourselves at home are larger than those served in pubs and restaurants. We didn’t need her to tell us this as we already knew it. And the advice that we ought to be careful when pouring drinks over New Year was not only self-evident but totally unwelcome as the whole point in having a drink at home is that you are able to treat yourself to a ‘proper’ tot!
Then the latest silliness is that the Justice Minister plans to add £15 to every fine paid by motorists caught speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt or flouting parking restrictions. You might think that this £15 levy is going to help build new roads or repair existing ones. But no, they will raise money for support services for crime victims.
Say that again? If you are convicted of a motoring offence, £15 will be added to your fine and this will help pay for something entirely unconnected with motoring.
Only this sort of government could come up with these sort of silly schemes and spend money on telling people what they already know.
As I said before, just like a pantomime!
But it remains to be seen whether there is any hero in an incoming government that will save us from this type of nonsense.
,
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