I don\u2019t want to be defined by where I put a cross in the 2016 referendum. I don\u2019t want to have to second guess what you, my family and friends did either. Whilst there will be a myriad of views and maybe \u2013 by its very nature \u2013 it will divide us, why does it have to be so unpleasant?<\/p>\n
<\/span> History will tell us who lied or who deceived us, who played with a straight bat or maybe even who broke the bats, but leaving the pros & cons of our relationship with the European Union to one side, what saddens me is the rude, unpleasant, unprofessional and on occasions, nasty behaviour of some of those who have been entrusted to represent us.<\/p>\n As far as I can tell, our Gloucestershire MPs have shown restraint , which cannot be said for others. Parents surely teach their children to be respectful and abide by the rules and law, not to find ways around them? The example we set them is important.<\/p>\n Would a head teacher tolerate such rudeness? If the things shouted across the House of Commons were said in the local pub, the landlord would most probably bar those responsible and maybe even call the police.<\/p>\n Of course, outside Parliament normal rules apply and MPs can be sent home with a note if they get above themselves. If the anger does spill out of the chamber, the backstop will be the police, the thin blue line. They will apply the law in a fair, independent and proportionate manner. I just hope not too many of them are hurt doing so.<\/p>\n The police have a duty to keep \u2018The Queen\u2019s Peace\u2019 but every one of us has a responsibility to do all we can to uphold it. It\u2019s a very British value and wherever we end up in the next few weeks, one we should hold dear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cross in the box I don\u2019t want to be defined by where I put a cross in the 2016 referendum. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64],"yoast_head":"\n
\nI don\u2019t belong to any political party nor do I favour one above another; I never have and for that I\u2019m grateful, but I do have friends in most of them and I\u2019m sure many are as frustrated and disappointed as I am.<\/p>\nLiars?<\/h3>\n
Gloucestershire\u2019s MPs<\/h3>\n
\nIn Parliament you can\u2019t be sued for what you say even if it\u2019s untrue or libellous; you don\u2019t get a detention for rudeness or arrested for \u2018abusive words and behaviour\u2019. However, the example now being set all too frequently is beyond the pale.<\/p>\n