Birthday...

So, it is the 90th birthday of Phil the Greek, or "Bonehead" as the Queen calls him in the Steve Bell cartoons...

There has been a huge amount of sycophantic rubbish written about the man, who is admittedly carrying himself well for a 90 year old, but who is also crass, offensive and unpleasant as a person.  As far as I can tell anyway, that appears to be true from the TV interviews I've seen.  Also from the one time I was relatively nearby when he met a colleague.   He was rude and objectionable about a project she had been working on for over two years, and left her in tears. 

About the only person I could see who refused to submit to the general kowtowing was the MP Paul Flynn, who said - regarding the proposed 'humble address' (a message of support and celebration from the Commons):

Why on earth is this a ’humble address’ in this age?

Are the royal family superior beings to the rest of us? Are we inferior beings to them? This was the feeling of the House seven centuries ago when we accepted rule under which we speak now.

We live in an egalitarian time where we recognise the universality of the human condition, in which royals and commoners share the same strengths and frailties.

He said the “humble address demeaned the honour of MPs’ elected office”, and continued:

If these occasions are to be greatly valued, it should be possible for members to utter the odd syllable that might be critical.

The sycophancy described by the Prime Minister... is something that must sicken the royal family when they have an excess of praise of this type.”

Well done that man!