Why politicians are held in contempt

While researching the previous post, I was surprised to see that Ruth Kelly was planning to do away with the Surplus Places Rule having read only yesterday a government minister saying that there was no such rule.

A minimal amount of googling showed that this was David Miliband.

The Minister said there was no surplus places rule, but this statement was described as ‘accurate and absolutely misleading’ by the Independent’s parliamentary sketch writer, Simon Carr, in the next day’s ‘Independent’ newspaper. Simon Carr added that “there is a committee which he [David Miliband] chairs that issues guidelines [not rules] that schools should not expand while there are places available in the same area”.

OK so its a guideline, not a rule. Someone should have a whisper in Mr Miliband's ear and tell him that an honest man would clarify the issue by explaining this. A dishonest one says "There is no such rule".

That's why politicians are held in contempt.