Boom, bust and ballot

When Harold Macmillan was asked half a century ago what was his biggest problem as Prime Minister he replied, "Events, dear boy, events". I am sure Tony Blair understands.

Political leaders throughout today's western democracies are experiencing a prolonged period of economic prosperity. The storm-clouds in Japan and the USA are building - but the British economy is booming. Labour knows they will never have it so good for an election. Every single day they put off the poll, events will cause trouble.

The national economy may be booming but the rural economy is going bust. As the South Wiltshire countryside closes down to keep out foot-and-mouth disease, some local people are realising for the first time that our local economy is in trouble.

Some people have turned deaf ears to our farmers as their prices have plunged for grain as well as stock. They have even turned a blind eye to foot-and-mouth movement restrictions and have selfishly ignored the closure of rights of way and continue to demand their right to roam. But, as the harsh reality of the rural close-down starts to bite, and it is not just farmers, but village pubs, local sport, schools and our tourism economy which falter, the penny is finally dropping that we've all got a problem.

So we don't hear so much at Westminster about Tory boom and bust, nor about "the Party that gave us BSE". Under a smokescreen of burning carcasses, this Government in its dying days is using its majority (nothing like a looming election to ensure compliance) to ram through legislation that is both illiberal and unscrutinised.

I have just spent over two months in Committee opposing the creation of Britain's first national police force, armed, accountable directly to a Minister and subject to his instructions. This is surreal.

The Commons is about to force onto the Statute Book a new Criminal Justice and Police Bill which was written by civil servants and lawyers, agreed to by the Cabinet and guillotined through Parliament so contemptuously that more than fifty clauses were nodded through without any debate or scrutiny.

It must be time for an election. It would be weird trying to operate our democratic process in a rural community that has closed for business. In the past I have always visited every one of our hundred-plus villages and hamlets outside Salisbury and now I will have to take advice on whether I can do this.

I surely speak for all the candidates of all the parties in the Parliamentary and County Council elections when I say, come what may, please use your vote. There are questions about the plague that is on all our houses - but voter apathy is not the answer.

ROBERT KEY MP