Petered Out.


My mood brightened considerably today when I read that Peter Lilley is standing down at the next election.

I have a natural dislike for politicians of the Tory persuasion - or politicians at all for the most part - but Lilley's a particularly unpleasant example, even when taking this into account. Just a quick look at his voting record reveals some particularly distasteful allegiances, having consistently voted against Gay rights, against raising welfare benefits and measures to prevent climate change to name just a few. He's a staunch supporter of leaving the EU and for a stricter asylum system that plays right into the hands of the Daily Mail contingent; in fact it’s hard to find anything he's done or the common good.

This was no surprise to me, having crossed paths with him briefly when Glyn and I reluctantly appeared in a sketch with him at a Hitchin Rotary event in 2008. I’ve covered it here before so I won’t go into too much detail, save to say that after helping him score points with the local electorate, he walked off the opposite side of the stage and left the building without saying goodbye or thanks; he’d got what he wanted from the evening and felt no need for basic etiquette or politeness.

The one saving grace from our misjudged collaboration was the sketch was built around The Who's Pictures of Lily; what better soundtrack than a song about masturbation when the man's clearly a wanker? It’s poetic justice, really.

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