Seniors Network

Hooray! Hooray! for Democracy
 

Can you picture the M.P. that you voted for
Is he Five Foot Three is he Six Foot Four?
Is he black or white, is he dark or fair
Would long or short describe his hair?
Is he in fact a man at all
Or a woman you’re trying so hard to recall?

If like most of us your mind is a blank
It’s the democratic way you’ve got to thank
For your M.P. is not what he claimed to be,
But just the ‘Face’ of his Party you see.
But you should know him better than Husband or Wife
For you‘ve chosen this man to direct your life!

It’s ‘The Party’ that governs us not the man
He wields no power and never can
His conscience is jailed in a parliamentary vote
And he does what he’s told and agrees by rote.

When you voted last time was it for the man
Or did you look for ‘The Party’ in your ballot form scan?
It’s almost certain the latter is true
For the names on the form meant nothing to you.

M.P.’s do not earn or deserve our respect
Or the honours and plaudits they’ve come to expect
For doing the job of following the herd
In the direction determined by the Cabinet’s word.

When ‘honours’ are awarded to retiring M.P’.s
Leaving the benches for ‘Speakers’ fees
It’s not because for the ‘People’ they’ve striven
It’s for services and loyalty to ‘The Party’ they’ve given.

When it’s time to select our M.P.’s again
To decide which Party we want to reign
We’ll consider our lives, are they better or worse.
Is there more or less money within our purse?
Is the world a safer more peaceful place
are we a more caring Human race?

Then we’ll put our X in the space we see
Next to a name which always must be
Representing again the same old Party
Hooray! Hooray! for Democracy

©Wilf Berger