Guest blog: The Spin Speech

By Ron Cohen

The wavering was between "The King's Speech" and "Black Swan". Not much of a choice, is it? But thinking of Natalie Portman again, that whatever part she plays reminds me of a doughnut wheeled over the big screen. So it was the King.

And we have a king, entangled in anxieties, his upbringing and stutter, but convinced that the faith of a nation depends on a thread of saliva hanging from the tip of his tongue.

All his efforts are concentrated on bringing himself to make this fateful speech. We watched these herculean efforts of a man convinced in his destiny but we can't avoid thinking of the Spin Speech.

David Cameron, facing the spring of nations in the Middle East. David Cameron standing like Ali Baba in front of the Kuwaiti Parliament, preaching democracy and human rights, that the people of the Middle East are “hungry for political and economic freedom”, and that "violence is never an answer to people's legitimate aspirations,” while behind him standing the 40 arms dealers he brought with him, waiting for the chit chat to finish so they can go to their business – selling arms to the most oppressive regimes in the region. His audience can hardly hide the smiles and Cameron can hardly hide the winks.

In his deepest of his heart he's sure he can do much better. Just given the chance he would deliver a Churchillian speech. Facing the overwhelmed nation he would say “We will cut them on the forests, we will cut them on the benefits, we will cut their social housing, and we will cut their elderlies and youngsters.” But all he is facing is Ed Miliband. Not very inspirational challenge for the Big One. And, anyway, all Ed would say is OK, but later.

But Cameron's poverty of speech is inspirational for his lessers in Barnet. Obviously, they don't understand the subtleties of his speech, and like the 40 dealers are waiting to go straight to the business.

Democracy? According to Hillan: “Democratic services and the monitoring officer employed the security for the meeting.” So now we know. The role of the democratic services is to prevent the residents from participating in the democratic process. And it makes perfect sense; after all, if cabinet meetings are “not a place for discussion” so why should the full council be bothered with that?

And after finishing with the niceties of the speeches they went straight to the business. Never mind the public, it's only an ornament and, anyway, no one is listening.

And while the residents were manhandled all over the place, pushed and shoved, the Labour councillors remain seated, chained and locked to their seats. Isn't it really a source of inspiration? Of a successful direct action? An heroic resistance to the Tories' intimidations? Next time we must imitate them. We'll come with our own chains and locks.

By the way, one of the hooligans in black appeared to be an Israeli. Makes one wonder then, if all this emigration thing was worth the trouble.