Still too soon to say

Zhou Enlai's quote, "It is too soon to say," if often quoted when the French Revolution is mentioned, it's become one of those great urban myths, there's no doubt that he said it it's just that he was talking about the 1968 Paris riots.

I mention that quote because it's Bastille Day in France, the monument in the Place de la Bastille being a tangible and physical reminder of the events two hundred and twenty two years ago. People often ask, about history in general, what does it have to do with me? Well I think the events of the past ten days here in the UK have shown the principles at the heart of the French Revolution are still very much with us and part of what us little people still regard as crucial to our freedoms and ideas.

The notion that 'little people' can make a difference has been almost crushed in the post second World War years by political dogma from all colours whether it's the proposed introduction of  i.d cards, the increased use of covert surveillance, the introduction of anti-union legislation, the opposition to minimum wage legislation, increased University fees or petty bureaucracy that can snuff out the oxygen of small businesses - they've all done it, Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat. The events surrounding the phone hacking scandal in the UK and the fallout from it have however shown that once in a while the British public are listened to and that the Government of the day and her Majesty's opposition do still realise once in a while that they are there because of the voters, there does also seem to be a realisation that preying of members of the public who do not play the 'celebrity' game is morally abhorrent and that having a free press does come with responsibility.

"Liberty, fraternity, equality." It's as important today as it was in 1789.