Punitive Democracy

Good old colonial values are alive and well in Australia, where the leader of the charmingly misnamed Liberal party has urged stiffer wog control measures for uppity aboriginals. An independent senator used the occasion of a parliamentary reception to heckle the king over Britain's treatment of the lesser breeds, and in the process apparently permitted her diplomatic tact to be outweighed by, of all things, historical accuracy. In the view of the Liberal leader, current parliamentary sanctions are insufficient to spare statesbeings of the calibre of Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr and United States chimpanzee George W Bush from undeserved embarrassment. Equally to the peril of free speech and civilised values, there is a risk that disorderly senators might gain further publicity for their disreputable causes should they be permitted too much opportunity to explain or defend their actions. Fortunately, now that the Sovereign has laid an appropriate groundwork of goodwill Team Starmer will no doubt stand ready to reap the market benefits for British exports of tar and feathers.