Another arrogant MP.

Interesting new developments.

I used to like Jack Straw when he was a firebrand student, but he came out of the Hillsborough enquiry in 1997 badly , I think.

He's very old school. A bit odd. But I like him.

He was talking about his depression.

Crikey!

Whatever by/e the by/e means.

That was just bye the bye.

On the Today programme this morning, Jack Straw said "cripes".

Yes, that "know your place" attitude is a real giveaway. No-one except someone with a superiority complex talks like that nowadays.

borstalgran Is that 18 millionaire Tories in the Government or 18 millionaires in the Coalition Government? (Nick Clegg is a millionaire but not a Tory.) I just wondered…

The indication of assumed social superiority wasn't simply the use of the word pleb, if it was used, but also a remark about "knowing your f*****g place".

The point for me is that it shows a deep rooted class divide which is hard for those at the top to shake off. I find it hard to believe a policeman would have take the word 'pleb' from his everyday language store! It shows the Tories still see themselves as top dogs and the rest of us as inferior. That is a real problem as social division worsens through economic policy. It is part of a social system which sees inherited wealth and position as more important and self perpetuating. Don't forget there are 18 millionaires in the Tory government.

Of course Syria is important - the Middle East presents a real threat to world peace, but social cohesion is an issue here too.

nightowl Yes, the family is lovely. We were especially pleased that our adult grandchildren made the effort to travel some distance to see us. What's more, they enjoyed themselves.

Thank you soop. Your photos are lovely by the way, what a lovely family you have!

nightowl ...well said!

glitabo, yes. You are right. It is how he handled the situation, and I guess he didn't do too well. But then, we are all human.

Greatnan. Sigh.

Some quite interesting stories here...
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/shortcuts/2012/sep/25/andrew-mitchell-wasp-killer-thrasher

greatnan OK

'A man's manners are a mirror, in which he shows his portrait'. Goethe

I may be a pleb but Andrew Mitchell has shown himself to be no true gentleman, or in other words an a***hole

glitabo - one of my grand-daughters posts 'How to be a teenager' posters on Facebook - the latest said 'Disagree with people just to annoy them'. Hm....

Whether he was right or not about the gate is not the question. It is how he handled the issue.

Mr Cameron looked him in the eye, and Mr Mitchell solemnly declared that he was innocent of the charges, and Mr Cameron announced "I believe him"

You would have thought that Mr Cameron would have learned from Mr Coulson's declaration of innocence wouldn't you? How gullible is he for heavens sake. I hope no-one announces to him solemnly and "truthfully" that under no circustances would they attack the UK.

I heard on the radio this morning that some newspaper has done a 'Who Do You Think You Are' investigation on Mr Mitchell. Some of his ancestors were servants, though the ones he probably wants to acknowledge were wealthy wine merchants. So who's a pleb?

Yes, he did try it again the next day (they said so on R4 this morning). So he must really feel he is in the right. Can't be just down to a bad day.

Mind you, I think he is in the right too.

It is interesting to read the letters people are writing to newspapers about this incident. There are some who think that the police were in the wrong and should have opened the main gates for him and even suggest that the police have no right to refuse an instruction from the Government Chief Whip. There are some who claim to be acquainted with Andrew Mitchell who insist that he is charm and courtesy personified and would never say such things. There are those who think this is part of an on-going war between the police and cyclists and others who think that if a senior member of Government is so humble and self-effacing as to ride a bike, then he a) should have the gates opened for him and b) couldn't possibly be rude. It's all very entertaining.

One of the tabloids was claiming that this long difficult day included lunch at a posh indian restaurant.
If a teacher behaved like that after a long difficult day, and swore at a parent, say, can you imagine how much trouble they would be in.