English MP calls radio listeners 'bastards' over vigilante vote -

Independent - UK ^ | January 2, 2003 | Vincent Graff

[UnklGene]

English MP calls Radio 4 listeners 'bastards' over vigilante vote -

By Vincent Graff Media Editor - 02 January 2004

It was trailed as a "unique chance to rewrite the law of the land". Listeners to BBC Radio 4's Today programme were asked to suggest a piece of legislation to improve life in Britain, with the promise that an MP would then attempt to get it onto the statute books.

But yesterday, 26,000 votes later, the winning proposal was denounced as a "ludicrous, brutal, unworkable blood-stained piece of legislation" - by Stephen Pound, the very MP whose job it is to try to push it through Parliament.

Mr Pound's reaction was provoked by the news that the winner of Today's "Listeners' Law" poll was a plan to allow homeowners "to use any means to defend their home from intruders" - a prospect that could see householders free to kill burglars, without question.

"The people have spoken," the Labour MP replied to the programme, "... the bastards."

Having recovered his composure, Mr Pound told The Independent: "We are going to have to re-evaluate the listenership of Radio 4. I would have expected this result if there had been a poll in The Sun. Do we really want a law that says you can slaughter anyone who climbs in your window?"

Journalists on Today are thought to have been taken aback by the choice of their listeners. Observers had assumed that the winning suggestion might be a little more light-hearted - and a little less illiberal.

Indeed, there were suspicions the vote may have been hijacked by supporters of Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer who was jailed for shooting a burglar. The winning proposal enjoyed a late surge in support in the final 24 hours of the poll, a jump attributed by the BBC to the fact that telephone votes - which were more firmly in favour of the anti-burglar proposal - were added at the last minute.

Today's long-running Personality of the Year poll was scrapped in 1997, after persistent attempts by political parties to fix it.

Mr Pound will go through the motions of presenting the Bill to Parliament but hoped he would fail. He said it was "the sort of idea somebody comes up with in a bar on a Saturday night between 'string 'em all up' and 'send 'em all all home'".

[prairiebreeze]

Whoa!! Guess his true colors are showing in regard to how he feels about democracy if it goes against his personal issues....sheesh!

Prairie

[ClearCase_guy]

"Do we really want a law that says you can slaughter anyone who climbs in your window?"

Uhhhh, yeah.

[expatpat]

Mr Pound will go through the motions of presenting the Bill to Parliament but hoped he would fail

It would be quite a laugh if it passed!

[UnklGene]

"The people have spoken," the Labour MP (Stephen Pound) replied to the programme, "... the bastards."

Tony Martin finally wins!

[basil]

Can I make that a triple "Uhhh, yeah"?

[secret garden]

What a maroon. That noun should always be prefaced by "rat".

[6ppc]

Do we really want a law that says you can slaughter anyone who climbs in your window?

Duhhhh! Legitimate visitors normally come in the door!

[concerned about politics]

"to use any means to defend their home from intruders"

They actually want a second amendment and the right to defend themselves and their properties? How bazaar - not!

[squidly]

All it would take to make a believer out of Pound is for some armed person to climb through his window.

[RebelBanker]

Sounds like a certain Brit politician was not anticipating the common folk having that much common sense! Perhaps "a man's home is his castle" resonates more with British subjects than with their rulers.

[r9etb]

"Do we really want a law that says you can slaughter anyone who climbs in your window?"

Uhhhh, yeah.

LOL! You beat me to it!

FWIW, my neighbor is English and I always thought somewhat anti-gun. My wife has never been all that pro-gun, either.

You should have seen my jaw drop when both he and my wife began discussing -- favorably -- the merits of plugging burglars.

[Spok]

Maybe time to hang the "No Vacancy" sign out on the Tower of London...

[FutureMarine]

I believe the best word to describe most of Britain starts with a p and ends with ussy.

[cyncooper]

LOL

Whoops! The masked slipped there, Pound.

Typical lib to look down his nose at the commoners.

[ClearCase_guy]

Perhaps "a man's home is his castle" resonates more with British subjects than with their rulers.

Why, yes, Old Bean. You see, a man's Castle is his Castle. Take my Castle, for example. It's my Castle, don't you see? Very simple. Now, as to the matter of your home ... well, it's just a home. Nothing to get worked up over. Cheerio!

[cyncooper]

And even if the person who crawls through your window murders you in your bed you won't soon be hearing Pound weep and wail about "brutal" and "bloodstained". Oh, no. See, YOU had a nice cozy bed while the intruder no doubt had suffered in childhood and is still the person in this saga deserving of Pound's tender mercy.

[reed_inthe_wind]

"Do we really want a law that says you can slaughter anyone who climbs in your window?"

I am trying to imagine living in a society, where only wankers, gentlemen, and conversationalists break into ones' home. I suppose the home owner can keep a cream pie on the night stand.

[FutureMarine]

Yeah, I'm actually related to an Englishman who really likes guns. He's an American now, but he was born in England and has a really heavy English accent. He has all kinds of guns, including an M1 Carbine from dubya dubya two.

[dangus]

>>Do we really want a law that says you can slaughter anyone who climbs in your window?

I'm just picturing all those dead Hollywood characters... Dawson's [Creek] ex-gf, Clarissa's [Tells All] neighbor, Angel...