WITH the return of Parliament set for next week and the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend Parliament, the nation and indeed our own community will, I suspect, be treated to an outpouring of various opinions.
That is healthy, but the tone of the language used in expressing those opinions should be such that they can be seen to be an expression of firmly held views that do not fuel hate, or violence, anything less undermines our society and is a poor example to leave for future generations.
Just days before he resigned as Prime Minster on the March 26 1955 Sir Winston Churchill, when opening the Sir James Hawkes Hall at Wickford Essex, said: “The first duty of a member of Parliament is to do what he thinks in his faithful and disinterested judgement is right and necessary for the honour and safety of Great Britain.
“His second duty is to his constituents of whom he is the representative but not the delegate, Burkes famous declaration on this subject is well known. It is only in the third place that his duty to the party organisation or programme takes rank.
“All these three loyalties should be observed, but there is no doubt of the order in which they should stand under any healthy manifestation of democracy.” (source The Journal of Parliamentary Affairs, published by Hansard Society.)
These were wise words spoken by Churchill, which we would do well to heed in the current political climate. I perhaps would add a further comment which is that we should be cautious of those who appear to be seeking to place the pursuit of personal power to the fore.
Hon Alderman. Revd Brian Ellis
Weymouth
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