The gentleman on the left is Oliver Cromwell, whose speech on the Dissolution of the Long Parliament given to the House of Commons on 20th April 1653 was sent to me by my friend Ian Dewar.
Cromwell was an utter shit, as anyone from Ireland can probably tell you, but he did have the House of Commons totally pegged, and threw the lot of them out after giving this speech.
See if you recognise anything here. And if you aren’t British but think a lot it of might apply to politicians in your country, well, I wouldn’t be surprised
“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone!
You have sat here too long for any good you have been doing lately … Depart, I say; and let us be done with you. In the name of God, go”
And thereafter some thief or vagabond introduced the concept of unparliamentary language. Of course, it takes more than speaker’s threat to name the member to stop Dennis Skinner.