Legacy

The local elections are over and London is blue. A stronger blue than last time round for sure. Labour lost some mighty strongholds to the Tories and NOC. Still, I cant help feeling dispondent with the political scene at the moment. The Tories should so be able to profit from this but havent yet come out all guns blazing. It should feel exciting but its not. Turnout was up but still very low, somewhere round 30%. The three parties flop around in the centre ground with corrupt Mob rule still in play (The Suns headline on Saturday: 'Now We're ALL being screwed by Prescott' was pretty much bang to rights!). So, anyway, what is the difference between democracy and absolute monarchy again?

Somewhere out there a blogger posted this (sorry i cant recall who)

...
At Runnymede, at Runnymede,
Oh, hear the reeds at Runnymede:
'You musn't sell, delay, deny,
A freeman's right or liberty.
It wakes the stubborn Englishry,
We saw 'em roused at Runnymede!
...

And still when mob or Monarch lays
Too rude a hand on English ways,
The whisper wakes, the shudder plays,
Across the reeds at Runnymede.
And Thames, that knows the moods of kings,
And crowds and priests and suchlike things,
Rolls deep and dreadful as he brings
Their warning down from Runnymede!

Rudyard Kipling


"The name Runnymede is synonymous with the Magna Carta - England's great icon of liberty and first expression of human rights.

In 1215, England stood on the brink of Civil War, because the Barons were increasingly provoked by the amount of taxes that the King was collecting in order to fund a series of unsuccessful wars in France, and by abuse of royal and feudal priveleges. Tax collections were both arbitary and extortionate King John initially refused to consider a Charter, submitted by the Barons, limiting his powers, at which point the Barons marched on London.

In an attempt to stop further unrest, King John agreed to meet his Barons at Runnymede to discuss the Great Charter. The Barons formed an encampment at Staines, and the King and his followers were resident at Windsor Castle,with the two sides meeting at Runnymede meadow.
The outcome was a document known as the Articles of the Barons.

It was the first time that an English monarch was obliged to adhere to rules of law, replacing vague Saxon laws. The initial meeting between King and Barons took place on 15th June 1215, and the Charter was finally approved by eight days later. The King could no longer act in a tyrannical manner to subdue the citizens of the country, nor dominate the Church.

Amongst the rights documented in the Charter was the first law relating to weights and measures- "one measure of wine shall be through our Realm, and one measure of ale and one measure of corn, and one bredth of dyed cloth". Women also gained some limited rights- "No widow shall be distrained to marry ".

The Charter guaranteed feudal rights, and regularised the judicial system, abolished many abuses of feudal tenures, guaranteed the liberties of London, and other cities and ports. It also prevented the arbitrary imprisonment of freemen, and protected the rights of heirs. The Charter gave extensive powers to the Barons who were to oversee compliance with the Charter.
In 1216, during the reign of John's son, Henry III the Magna Carta was confirmed by Parliament.

The Charter was further modified in 1297, during the reign of Edward I. Almost 300 years later in 1689, a Bill of Rights, confirming parliamentary authority over the Crown,was passed by Parliament, and contained many of the elements of Magna Carta.

The rights established under Magna Carta have thus been given the force of Law for over a period of seven centuries"


God, we were great. Are great. Will be great again. If we can get shot of the Mob.