The #PhilipDavies Trend Paints A Sad Picture Of Modern Britain

At time of writing, the #PhilipDavies Twitter trend is self-righteously rumbling on, with many broadcasting how "shocked" - "shocked", no less - they still are at our esteemed mascot's parliamentary contribution on Friday.

They would probably be less so if they had some understanding of what he actually said. For example, here's what appears to be the most popular retweet.

As others have mentioned, that bears no relation to the idea which was floated, nor what will eventually be recorded in Hansard. At all (emphases mine).

"If those people who consider it is being a hindrance to them, and in my view that's some of the most vulnerable people in society, if they feel that for a short period of time, taking a lower rate of pay to help them get on their first rung of the jobs ladder, if they judge that that is a good thing, I don't see why we should be standing in their way."

Nothing there makes any passing resemblance to Davies believing "that people with disabilities should accept less than the min wage". He does, however, repeatedly talk of offering choice to those who find themselves in that situation. In his hypothetical scenario, they could embrace it, or reject it, but there is no implication that they would be forced to do either.

As such, the #PhilipDavies trend appears to be populated with many people for whom comprehension of the English language is proving difficult. Not a great reflection on our education system, really.

An alternative view is that they are well aware of the words used, but find it impossible to understand the concept of a politician advocating self-determination to anyone. After all, isn't the state the sole arbiter of how we live our lives these days? MPs pass laws and dictate; not relax them and allow choice for the proletariat, eh?

Again, it's crushing to think that there are so many who cannot possibly envisage a scenario whereby the public are allowed, by their government, to make their own decisions on matters which affect their own lives. As if the very idea is now merely history.

There may or may not be a debate to be had over what our Phil was suggesting, but those who can't understand plain English - or who fail to imagine why the public should ever have a right to self-determination - are the most poorly qualified to engage in it.