The Court of Public Opinion

You've heard of the Law Courts of England and Wales, The Courts of the European Union and even the Court of Human Rights, but now there is another court and this one you will not have heard of. Its...wait for it...the court of Public opinion. Not heard of it then? No, you won't have, because such a court does not exist! Except, that is, in the mind of Harriot Harman, Labour's Deputy Leader. This fictitious place is where the voting public vent their anger about the RBS Boss who walked away with a fat pension despite bringing his bank to its financial knees. What an outrage, what a heinous crime, but isn't it nice that the government have shown anger towards this issue too? Afterall, if there is one thing some politicians hate more than criticism about how are they acquire their inflated salaries with certain dodgy expenses claims its seeing other people taking money that they do not rightly deserve either.

Harriot Harman's swipe at Sir Fred's large pension was as close as the Government will publicly side with the public on a single issue. When talking on the BBC Ms Harman blasted, “The Prime Minister has said it is not acceptable and therefore it will not be accepted. It might be enforceable in a court of law this contract [Sir Freds Golden Goodbye] but it's not enforceable in the court of public opinion and that's where the Government steps in." However, try as she might to find a legal loophole to prevent Fred the Shred getting all of this money, but claiming that public opinion is now the dish of the day is a little conderscending. Strange as for centuries governments have turned away from listening to public opinion. Considering too much power by the people to be anti-democratic and fearing some medieval “Mob rule”

The real Court of Public Opinion is, as far as I am aware, in session for only one day every five years. It's when a General Election is held and the concerns of the people of Britain are seriously taken in. They decide who and what political party is fit to become the government. I am a firm believer in Democarcy and know that there are many ways that the democratic process can be expressed, but most British citizen's only concept of Democracy is expressed by 8 to 10 crosses in a lifetime on a ballot paper. There are many decisions taken away from ordinary people who often feel more qualified to make them than some politicians are, but this is the nature of a constitututional Democarcy that we live in. This is not ancient Greece where every man has a part to play in decision making. Nor is this a country where there is a Court of Public Opinion.