This week I came across an old Turkish proverb. It describes the national and local situation so well.

“When a clown moves into a palace,

he doesn’t become a king.

The palace becomes a circus.”

It’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that today’s political culture is not one of integrity and honesty to get the best out of people; to lead by good example. Many people seem beyond contented to the point of welcoming being misled, provided what they are told by their so-called leaders that all is well and getting better; that at least their followers can share in the benefits.

Practised, strategic liars are in vogue. The political followers of these people have no shame backing the deceivers to the hilt. Why? Because they win elections for their party? Is truthfulness and integrity old fashioned in Britain? Do facts and evidence no longer matter? Is there any worthwhile future for a country, a locality, in which anyone who believes otherwise can be dismissed with the label “woke”.

We live in an age when anyone who challenges today’s “masters of democracy” can be side-lined as being irrelevant?

Is this indeed the Age of Circuses?