Remember Chilcot?

He was the undisputed winner of the inquiries slow bicycle race.

In the last few years there have been a number of inquiries and reports that we have yet to see. I ought to have begun a list. At the moment our government must surely have noticed a degree of dissatisfaction with their incompetence. When they feel the time is right they will take a leaf out Sir Humphrey’s book and hold an enquiry (I never know whether or not to begin that word with I or E).

Enquiries are brilliant for governments because they draw up the terms of reference, get to choose the chair and, once announced, many loud voices are silenced in case they should prejudice what is going on.

A member of the Chilcot Inquiry team was a professor upon whom Blair drew when formulating his interventionist doctrine. I am, of course, not for one second suggesting bias when members are chosen!

Its not a bad job being a member of such a team. You have probably recently retired and only have your pension. Now you get a few bob, expenses and the limelight shines upon you once again. Spin the job out if you can.

But the great thing is that an inquiry kicks a lot of serious stuff into the longest of long grass. Reports never appear just before general elections. Sometimes they simply never appear at all.

Parliament is not sitting. What a relief that must be for Johnson. Even more of a relief for him is that Bercow is now out of the game. I say this because, although it seems to be forgotten by so many people, Parliament is also a court. Who tried Charles I? Parliament did. What happened to his head?

Parliament should hold the inquiry.

Despite the Tory majority this is a very weak government. The weaker a government the more it is driven to use monarchical powers. Those powers control us in many ways, both physical and vocal. If a government cannot persuade then it must deploy its powers. Dissent must be suppressed.

An inquiry is a subtle form of suppression. It allows government to construct, a favourite New Labour word, a narrative.

Already it is working. Just a few minutes ago I heard the words, “I think government is doing very well.”

Very well at what? Pulling the wool over our eyes!

You will have heard of the Hippocratic Oath. Our government has taken the Hypocritic Oath.

Pleased do not be persuaded by them. The cost of doing so is a cost borne by the poor; by the sick,; by the powerless; and by those labelled ‘Do Not Resuscitate’.