How to tell when a politician is lying.

There is an old anecdote, that gets an airing most days "You can tell when a politician is lying - their lips move." Sometimes the truth is hidden away in the text. Here is the Minister talking to the House of Lords committee. <Read Here>

Richard Benyon MP: "One of the many reasons why we are excited about the dénouement that we are about to reach, with your assistance, although there are other hurdles we have yet to cross, is that we think we can provide waterways users with a long-term solution to many of the concerns that they have rightly held over many years."

Richard Benyon MP: "We can give them assurance of funding as much as any Government ever have or could. We can unlock the potential of a charitable body to manage its assets in a particular way and seek new sources of income. All that is tied in with various security locks—that is a bad pun—to ensure that, if at some point in the future the charity is not run properly, the current benefits and rights that waterways users and canal users have can be secured through the governance arrangements.

Richard Benyon MP: "But most of all, that those who use and love our waterways can be part of the management of them in the future." 

Richard Benyon MP: "That will  be of great benefit to the waterways in the future, not just to those who use them for boating but for other activities as well. These are linear national parks, if you like, and have huge biodiversity potential. They also have huge leisure potential in terms of what goes on on and beside the water." 

Robin Evans: By stakeholders, we really refer to everyone who has a genuine interest in the well-being of the canals, which is generally everybody. 

Richard Benyon MP: So when you use your bicycle or ride your horse down the towpath, you are a stakeholder.  

The minister recognises that waterways users have concerns rightly held over many years. The Government have heard of so many crazy issues that have been raised about BW cock-ups and devious actions over a long period in time. Those issues have been adjudged to be rightly held. 

The Government also knows that the management team at BW/CaRT is so piss poor that they feel the need to address what will happen if and when it all goes tits up. 

The Government through its "Big Society" mantra want the users to be part of the management of the inland waterways in the future. Users = IWA.

The ones who do not pay to support the canals, such as ramblers, cyclists, horse riders etcetera now have more importance than the ones who do pay such as boaters and anglers.

Yes their lips move!

Later...