Is this how political office works in the UK where someone fairly high up in government like Simon also has to do local community time with his constituents to handle issues. Didn't catch if he was perhaps a local politician still waiting for his term to expire while he got a hookup in a cabinet position. Funny part of the movie but if this is based on reality even more hilarious.
Hmm, well, Simon was elected to be a member of parliament for his constituency. So when he stands up in the House of Commons, he's representing them, and their issues. All MPs spend time in their constituency (where they *should* live, although this isn't always the case) and have 'surgeries' where, say once a month, they're available to hear what's happening locally - Steve Coogan's 'wall' is a classic example.
If an MP is also in the cabinet, he will hold another job, in addition to his constituency job. So, Simon's the Minister for International Development, which he has to do as well as look after those in his local area who voted for him.
Hope that makes sense!
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England, where my heart lies.
Thanks for the reply, I'm not familiar at all with the UK political system. About the closest we have in the U.S. it sounds like would be Congressmen where they do devote some time to the locals in their district but nothing where when you're in the President's cabinet you also do local issues, such as when Hillary Clinton became Secy of State she couldn't also continue to be a Senator.
share[deleted]
[deleted]
MEMBERS of Parliament.
shareYes, even the Prime Minister has responsibilities to his constituents.
My MP (although i didn't vote for him) is David Miliband. he is also the Foreign Secretary - one of the top four cabinet positions.
Just match it the United States, when Republican congresspersons bitch about Obama's stimulus package, publicly refuse to have any part of it, secretly write letters to the Department of Transportation demanding their share of the money, and then hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony in their district boasting about how well they've done getting the money. Their job requires them to cater to civilians.
The wall was a metaphor anyway for the government strength falling out, brick by brick. Which... it did. Blair's popularity was not as it once was, prior to his unrelenting support of George W. Bush.
[deleted]
Honestly, the constituency function's gotten a lot less prominent in the last few years, with people using the Internet to get answers instead of their MP. But it still happens.
-
You're about as on the ball today as a dead seal
In Ireland it's even worse, government ministers involved in the most pointless and mundane local issues, often abusing their cabinet post to get more funding for their constituency
shareack... i thought that was the entire thing about the film. simon is a low-mid level worker, who usual day to day involves talking to his constituents, but as a matter of whoops... he managed to get onto live bbc radio and said a phrase "war is unforseeable", which half the americans liked, and then put him in the limelight...
share