‘We cannot carry on like this’

We will have to change and we will all have to contribute to building a better country. But our political system is an obstacle to this kind of popular involvement because it is dominated by the rich and powerful. 

This heart-rending appeal for a better Britain comes from man of the people, left-winger Jon Cruddas MP.

A plucky defender of the rights of the little people, and a simple, plain man whose chosen means of mobility in central London is, er, a gigantic gas guzzling 4X4.

And that’s not all…

Jon Cruddas, 50, was driving a Land Rover Freelander near Hyde Park in central London on July 6 when he was pulled over by officers who noticed what appeared to be a defective brake light. The MP for Dagenham and Rainham, who is chairing Labour's policy review, was banned from driving for eight weeks for not having any insurance and fined £300 for an expired MOT. 

"When he was pulled over, he said 'sorry I don't have insurance'". The court heard that Cruddas already had six points on his license for speeding, so a further six points would have meant a compulsory driving ban. 

Mark McDonald, mitigating for the MP, said Cruddas put paying for everything on a "to-do" list, but simply forgot about it. "He drives round his constituency and there is an enormous amount to deal with. He has to go to his constituency, he has to go to Parliament so he will have to catch public transport." 

Referring to the six points Cruddas already had on his license, District Judge John Zani said "the trouble is six and six make 12" - the MP would get an automatic ban.