ALL THE WORLD`S A SOAP...

....or so it seems. Back in the dark evenings of last winter, I watched EastEnders for a while. It was mildly entertaining, although there didn`t seem to be too much entertainment going on in Albert Square with its collection of misfits living in a world of confusion, identity crisis, deceit and downright malevolence. I watched their antics for a while but got fed up with the unreal world that it displayed and I haven`t watched it since.

This lunchtime, I watched Prime Minister`s Questions. Now, I try hard not to introduce any political stuff into the tranquil world of this blog - honest, I do - but there are some things that simply cry out for comment, even if only to myself. And PMQs was one of them. It began with Gordon Brown and a few that spoke after him praising the Speaker for his years of splendid service to the Commons, which struck me as a bit hypocritical, as Michael Martin is the first Speaker to be hounded out of office since the 1700s. Off to a bad start then.

Then there were the planted questions - the half volleys outside the off stump - to provide the PM with the chance to have a good rant and to put leading questions to the Leader of the Opposition. Then Brown`s refusal or just plain inability to answer questions put to him. It should really be called Prime Minister`s Evasions. Or even Questions to the Leader of the Opposition. All in all, it was the usual shambles and if for one moment, any of the participants thought that the `performance` would impress an already disenchanted electorate, then they are entirely wrong. PMQs, or whatever it might actually be, does nothing more than turn voters and taxpayers like me who are paying for this circus even further away from politics.

Like Albert Square, the House of Commons seems more and more to comprise a collection of misfits living in a world of confusion, identity crisis, deceit and downright malevolence. PMQs, like EastEnders, used to be mildly entertaining, but there`s not much entertainment going on in that unreal world at 12.00 noon each Wednesday, so I won`t be watching any more until we have a General Election. I may have a long wait.