Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Speaking for the Queen

It always amuses me slightly when people put words or thoughts into the press about what they think the Queen should or shouldn't be saying or thinking, amazingly enough those words and thoughts match to perfection what they actually think. This is especially so for politics, where the Queen has to be apolitical (despite no doubt having strong opinions on politics and politicians), yet those who are politicians, their hangers on and their pets  believe they have the right to be extremely political when it comes to just what, how and who the Queen should see or be seen with.

Times.
Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, has been invited to attend a Buckingham Palace garden party hosted by the Queen, The Times has learnt.
Mr Griffin has obtained invitations for himself and three guests in his capacity as the North West’s MEP, in a move which last night provoked concern that other guests would boycott the event.
His possible attendance plunges the palace into fresh controversy over its attitude to Mr Griffin, who has been convicted of distributing material likely to incite racial hatred.
He attempted to attend one of the Queen’s garden parties last year, but withdrew after an eruption of public outrage. It was suggested that his presence would tarnish the Queen’s reputation.
This may be so, however as an MEP he has the right to obtain invitations for himself to such parties and no doubt some of those who would boycott the event because of this would would do well to remember that as an MEP, Griffin has a legitimacy in votes behind himself that others invited lack.
Other MEPs and opponents of the far-right party warned that Mr Griffin’s invitation “utterly compromised” the Queen and risked politicising the annual event.
And their invites don't somehow? 
Each year British MEPs are entitled to two tickets to one of the Queen’s three garden parties at Buckingham Palace.
Ah, he's entitled, so he asked?
It was unclear how Mr Griffin obtained four tickets, which he announced during a BNP supporters’ dinner at the weekend. In a video seen by The Times, Mr Griffin produced the invitations in front of his guests, prompting loud cheers and claps. He told the gathered crowd that he, his wife Jackie and their two daughters, Jennifer and Rhiannon, had been invited to the event on July 22.
Unclear? He's entitled, yeesh!
“So my guess is the six o’clock news on Thursday, July 22, might have a little bit about the British National Party,” he added. So we’re gonna [sic] be back in the news.”
Last year Mr Griffin sparked anger when he said that he would attend a party as the guest of Richard Barnbrook, who had obtained two tickets in his capacity as the BNP’s representative on the London Assembly.
However, Mr Griffin withdrew after the Greater London Authority warned Mr Barnbrook that his nomination would be reconsidered if he continued to exploit it for publicity. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, had expressed concern about Mr Griffin’s attendance.
A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace confirmed that an invitation had been issued this year. She said that Mr Griffin was eligible to nominate himself and the Palace would not discriminate against democratically elected representatives.
As I said, he's entitled.
Searchlight, the organisation which campaigns against the BNP, said it was “bizarre” that Mr Griffin had received an invitation when his party had been soundly rejected by voters at the general election.
Er he's entitled as an MEP, not because of his performance at the general election.
Claude Moraes, a Labour MEP for London, said that the move “deeply politicises and embarrasses the Queen”.
You've asked the Queen then?
“She has been forced into an extremely difficult situation. I would expect some people to boycott the party. If people knew about this it would clearly spoil the occasion for a lot of them.
“It has utterly compromised the Queen and she is made to feel that she has to make a political decision.”
What was that about him being entitled to ask? The Queens apolitical credentials would have been more compromised if she'd refused, that then would have been a political decision now wouldn't it?
Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP who trounced Mr Griffin in his bid for the seat of Barking and Dagenham, said: “It sickens me that Nick Griffin uses his elected position to gain access to the Royal garden party.”
And other MEP's haven't of course?

You just got to love that stench of hypocrisy coming from the political class when someone who in their position as an MEP asks for and gets something they are entitled too. Perhaps if the political class weren't so far up each others arses and did something about the reasons for Griffin's rise to power this wouldn't have happened. As it is, the Griffin invite can be traced right back to those politicians who decided to put the needs of their pets and immigrants seemingly above that of the native population. So, the BNP got 2 seats as MEP's because of this neglect and as MEP's they get certain perks, one of which is an invite to the Queens garden parties, whether the Queen likes it or not (Though Prince Philip might be delighted, who knows)

They put the Queen in this position and payback is a bitch as there is absolutely nothing they can do about this one.

6 annotations:

Dr Evil said...

The BNP is not a far right party as the goons in the MSM state. It is all for nationalisation of many things. I thought that was a left wing agenda!

Quiet_Man said...

You're preaching to the converted here Chalcedon, no way are the BNP of the right, yet you can't get the MSM to call them anything but.

The Green Arrow said...

Excellent article.

Mrs Rigby said...

Margaret Hodge doesn't really understand this democracy thing, does she?

Isn't she the one that wanted to ban the Proms because they weren't inclusive enough? Surprised she didn't use this as an excuse to try to ban the Garden Parties, and get rid of the Monarchy.

Come on though, she's only jealous she didn't get an invitation.

V4V said...

Well said QM, he represents the people that voted for him.
Vendetta

English Pensioner said...

I find him far less offensive that quite a few Heads of State that our Queen has had to meet and entertain during her reign.

And who knows what the Queen or Prince Philip think about it? I could imagine Prince Philip quite enjoying a discussion on immigration!