Democracy? You may be Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, agnostic or points in between but almost all of us believe in democracy. Are we prepared to defend democracy? Our fathers and grandfathers did in two world wars.
Before that democracy had a different flavour. The candidate went into a public house and stood the voters a round or two. The voters in Co Louth would then sing “don’t hesitate to elevate Sir Patrick (Bellew) to the chair”. They were as good as their word and he was elected as an Irish Catholic MP in 1831. In 1848, his guns were spiked when he accepted a peerage – booting him upstairs, as it’s called.
I can say, immodestly, that I defended democracy to a minuscule extent in the 1970s as a trooper in the Honourable Artillery Company. I resigned my commission in the Irish Guards to be demoted to trooper, but I was a super-trouper as Abba reminds me. I am in favour of democracy; actually a more democratic system than we have in the UK right now. Don’t stop reading, I’m not going to bang on again about the merits of PR, although if you missed them they are here.
Yesterday, a cold, windy, drizzly day about (guess) 100 grassroots Conservatives turned out in Maida Vale to push leaflets through letter boxes in support of Zac Goldsmith. First, I found the architecture so interesting; older and better than the rather uniform Victorian terraced streets in west London. Secondly, Zac’s supporters are a more diverse crowd than I expected. Thirdly, after seeing many Maida Vale letter boxes, we repaired to a pub where Zac gave us his speech, his fourth of the day and it was only 3.30.
But may I digress? The householder, when you are stuffing letter boxes, seldom comes out for a chat. One rather grand looking house with a driveway proved the exception. The elderly occupant was on the doorstep, supported by a maid. “What on earth do you think you are doing here?”
“I’m delivering leaflets supporting Zac Goldsmith.”
“Never heard of him. Jimmy Goldsmith was a great friend of mine.”
“Zac’s his son.”
“What can I do to help? But not now, I’m waiting for my driver.”
I think that one of the great strengths of democracy is that those who seek office have to be elected. They have to be good and Zac is no exception. He is genial, formidably well informed, delivering his speech and answering questions at high speed.
Oh yes, there was one question he swerved, sensibly, put by your correspondent.
“We will all vote for you in May. Can you tell us how you will vote in June?”
Zac is personable, modest, and completely on top of the facts for the myriad of policies that he is supposed to know about. Whether or not he becomes Mayor of London in May, he has a political future ahead of him that will take him to high office. I will be giving him my one measly vote but I think others will find his brand of politics appealing too. His father, for whatever reason, did not succeed in reaching out to the electorate so persuasively. Maybe Zac wants to vindicate his father’s reputation? Whatever his motive, I wish him success.
And, yes, there’s a blurry selfie of Zac and me but the authorial voice, though not muffled, should be concealed. If you are newish to Blog Bellew there has only been one picture and it is here.