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Jobs for the Boys

The supposedly shocking scandal of Derek Conway handing over tens of thousands of Pounds to his own family has certainly cheered up the nation.

I mean, obviously the cash element is rather annoying, and one can only hope that he will be forced to pay back a bit more than the GBP 13,000 than has been his current sanction, together with his suspension from the House.

However, who could resist the rather louche Henry Conway? A totally unashamed hedonist, seemingly focussed only on the fripperies of life: parties, fashion and his boyfriends. I mean, we might have been able to forgive Conway pere had his son been a charity worker or a brain surgeon, but the host of the "F**k off, I'm Rich" Party (as it has been universally noted in every newspaper), seemed to have no redeeming virtues.

The problem for David Cameron is, of course, that a significant number of people think that he himself is far more like the Conway boys than he is like the rest of us. Arrogant, and filled with a sense of entitlement, and even perhaps a little ambiguous with regard to money. As products of the public school system, either of the two Conway sons or Henry's "close friend", the fabulously named Mr. Pratte could have been nominated as "the Parasite's Parasite".

It hurts Mr. Cameron, and despite the punishment that he has now inflicted on Conway senior, the delay in reaching the conclusion that he did simply highlights the understanding that Cameron would have beeen prepared to show, had but the media allowed.

The media, of course, did not allow, and this is a timely reminder of the fragility of Mr. Cameron's own position. The public revulsion at the greed of the Conway family is overlaid with envy and anger at the lifestyle of the two sons. The problem for Mr. Cameron is that many people, probably unfairly, regard Mr. Cameron himself as being very much in the same gilded group as the Conway sons.

And they are not popular.

Comments

Wheatley said…
You do bang on about Tory dodginess a bit old pal. What about Scottish Labour muck?

BTW, I have finally tried to join in this Blogsphere stuff - under Wheatley and perhaps (not that I know how the link thing works) through the name "downwiththeenlightenment"

Chin, Chin,

Wheatley
Newmania said…
Yes it was refreshing to see two candidates who had dragged themselves up from the gutter sort the Lib Dem Boss-ship out over beer and sarnies.
Its true that the Conservative Party has a problem promoting working class candidates. The Lib Dems on the other hand have a huge problem attracting working class votes.

I,for example, am far prolier than thou.
Cicero said…
No, I think you missed the point, Newmania, it is not the Public School thing as such, it is the jeunesse doree thing- the hedonism- that gets up peoples noses.

Wheatley- like the new blog- keep it up! My loathing for Scottish labour (and the SNP) makes it very difficult to write about them at all without getting a billious attack, but rest assured, I will be doing something on them soon...
Newmania said…
jeunesse dorée - Nice

Gets up your nose you mean. I think the English are awfuly forgiving of those who enjoy themselves and bored by santimonious thin lipped sermonisers.


But then you wouldn`t understand the English would you and the Pictish horde are quite quite different , especially about money.

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