I'm sure the internet is full of people better placed and more knowledgeable who have written profound thoughts about Nelson Mandela. This isn't to try and out do any of them, but I couldn't help but be struck between the difference between Mandela and the politicians we see in office today, indeed those very same politicians who have spoken so effusively of him seem incapable of behaving like him.
There was a marked contrast in the "Today" programme on Radio 4 between the two main stories they carried. The headline story was Mandela's death. The other was the Chancellor's Autumn Statement in the House of Commons.
With the Autumn Statement the behaviour of MPs and minsters was so un-Mandela-like that the contrast really jarred. MPs of all parties were behaving in an utterly tribal manner. They stamped, shouted, booed, and intimidated so that speakers could barely be heard let alone an intelligent debate be had. Would Mandela have behaved like that? While leading the ANC would he have allowed any of his supporters to indulge in such tribal behaviour? No, it would be unthinkable for Mandela to behave in such a way. Yet those same MPs who have lavished praise on him did exactly that.
Ministers made speeches sarcastically denigrating opponents and make jibes about playing the piano! For all the injustice Mandela experienced he never (publicly at least) spoke about opponents to try and belittle them. Instead he worked for mutual respect and reconcilliation.
I wish that our MPs would stop mouth empty platitudes about how great Mandela was and instead try and emulate his behaviour. If MPs were to think would Mandela behave like this before they booed, stamped, roared, shouted, denigrated... then our politics and our country would be much healthier.
