Comment With.... Barry Speker

Allowing fallen heroes the opportunity to be rehabilitated is creditable in a civilised society. Steve Smith, the Australian century machine, emerged from his suspension for ball-tampering, to become the record breaking Ashes winner. His misdemeanours are almost forgotten, other than by a few disgruntled MCC members in the Lords pavilion.

Ben Stokes has recovered from his affray incident to become a national hero with his 137 not out winning the third test, (with the advantage of Smith being knocked out with concussion).

However memories seem longer in certain cases. The knighthood granted to Geoffrey Boycott in Theresa May’s resignation honours list, brought howls of protest from domestic violence campaigners. They condemned the award in the light of Boycott’s conviction in 1998 for assaulting his then partner in Hotel du Cap, Antibes. He still denies the charge and bristled at it being raised.

‘I don’t give a toss’ was his unsurprising response. He may not be a guest at the book launch of Margaret Attwood’s latest dystopian book ‘The Testaments’.

Boycott is not the only male hero under pressure. Lincolnshire Fire Service has announced it is dropping Fireman Sam as its mascot, on the grounds that the character is not inclusive and may discourage women from joining the service. Will the character transform into Firefighter Fiona?

Will it also be goodbye to Bob the Builder, Mr McGregor, Postman Pat and Mr Plod?

London Fire Brigade supports the change having not used the term ”fireman” for 30 years. National statistics show that in 2017 women accounted for only 5.2% of firefighters. In March Peppa Pig was criticised for using the term ‘fireman’. Obviously she needs some diversity training.

It is wise to avoid trying to predict what will happen next during our never-ending march towards (or away from) Brexit! My constitutional law studies were decades ago but entertaining to be reminded that Dicey tells us that the Rule of Law dates back to Aristotle and that no one is above the Law – neither Parliament, the Government, the Prime Minister, the Judges themselves or even the Speaker.

Never has there been so much debate of prorogation or consideration of the propriety of denying the long-entrenched traditions of our unwritten Constitution.

The unedifying furore in the Commons, with placards and cries of treachery and rebellion, included rude and raucous behaviour which are not the style of our democratic process. The Speaker’s Guide states that ‘Everyone is at all times treated with dignity, courtesy and respect’. Currently courtesy and civility have broken down. The traditional position of the Speaker to uphold this and be partisan and non-political ought to temper members’ behaviour.

The announcement that John Bercow would be challenged at the next election may have accelerated what many regard as his overdue resignation. What next for Bercow and his ‘Orrrrrderrrr’? Chair on Question Time? Umpire of Federer’s matches at Wimbledon?

Scientists have announced that they have evidence of the blast which saw off the dinosaurs. It was 66 million years ago when an asteroid nine miles wide struck the earth off the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico with the power of 10 billion atomic bombs of the size dropped on Hiroshima. (How did they calculate that?)

Much of life on earth was fried, and then, with the sun blocked out, frozen and starved. That killed all the dinosaurs, leaving the way for mammals to develop, eventually, and all thanks to an asteroid creating a nuclear winter. Now THAT is what you call climate change.

As if financial uncertainties from deal or no deal are not bad enough, the consequences of the financial crash continue to reverberate. Moneyfacts, experts on financial data, have recorded that buying a retirement income is more expensive now than at any time in the last 25 years.This results from unprecedented falls in government bond yields. Perhaps a consequence of the Bank of England’s quantitative easing, contributing to rock-bottom annuity rates and laughable interest rates on savings accounts.

Against this we are told Britain has not had a recession for more than 10 years, real wages are rising, the employment rate is the highest since records began in 1971 and we are in much better shape than the German economy. If we try hard enough we can always find some good news.