Mandates 'R' Us
A sign of the times perhaps - but sadly there's not much coverage on the telly - of this year's 'pared down' TUC conference in London.
But from the reports I've read - some of the big union bosses are calling for a campaign of civil disobedience against the government - one where nothing is ruled out and nothing is ruled in.
Now I don't know what that means and nor - I imagine - does anyone else.
I suppose all the angry rhetoric is about challenging the government's mandate to do this that or the next thing - when it comes to economic policy and public spending.
Like most people I don't agree with everything that the coalition government is doing - and I didn't agree with a lot of things the last Labour government did either.
But that's called parliamentary democracy - the last time I looked.
If Labour and the Labour-supporting unions had got their together - we'd have a system of proportional representation at Westminster as we have in the Scottish Parliament.
But they didn't and we don't - so we're stuck with what we have for now - for the foreseeable future.
One thing's for sure - Britains' union bosses (the Bubs) are not in a position to lecture anyone about mandates - from their electorate.
Because all of them are elected by a tiny percentage of their members - often in single figures - which means that trade unions have raised 'low turnout' in elections to something of an art form.
So just as people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones - the Bubs should steer clear of making silly claims - that 'my mandate is bigger than yours'.
But from the reports I've read - some of the big union bosses are calling for a campaign of civil disobedience against the government - one where nothing is ruled out and nothing is ruled in.
Now I don't know what that means and nor - I imagine - does anyone else.
I suppose all the angry rhetoric is about challenging the government's mandate to do this that or the next thing - when it comes to economic policy and public spending.
Like most people I don't agree with everything that the coalition government is doing - and I didn't agree with a lot of things the last Labour government did either.
But that's called parliamentary democracy - the last time I looked.
If Labour and the Labour-supporting unions had got their together - we'd have a system of proportional representation at Westminster as we have in the Scottish Parliament.
But they didn't and we don't - so we're stuck with what we have for now - for the foreseeable future.
One thing's for sure - Britains' union bosses (the Bubs) are not in a position to lecture anyone about mandates - from their electorate.
Because all of them are elected by a tiny percentage of their members - often in single figures - which means that trade unions have raised 'low turnout' in elections to something of an art form.
So just as people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones - the Bubs should steer clear of making silly claims - that 'my mandate is bigger than yours'.
