Haw's carpet bomb approach

This morning's Independent features the highly irritating Brian Haw on its front cover, who has camped outside Parliament for 3,000 days in protest at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I say “highly irritating” not because I disagree with his views, but because every day he – or his even more irksome Australian friend – stands outside my office window shouting through a megaphone.

They don’t seem to realise that not everyone in the Palace of Westminster is in the Government, or even a politician. In fact the vast majority of people are not.

If you want to protest to politicians, good – it’s part of our system that you should be able to.

But it’s mainly caretakers, tour-guides, hairdressers, waiters, electricians, secretaries and window-cleaners that have to put up with hours of his amplified guff.

Especially in the summer recess – when no MPs are here – only normal working types who might otherwise support his cause are subjected to the racket.

A friend of mine was once attacked by the irksome Australian just for walking out of an exit from Parliament. She confronted him and shouted that he was “a f***ing piece of sh*t” while Haw filmed the incident.

My friend had no part in waging any war, is not an MP or connected to a politician. But was caught by Haw’s “carpet bomb” approach which could be defined as – ‘anyone who works in Westminster kills babies’.

If they want to make a difference they should investigate what the armed forces are doing in the Middle East, research the build up to the war, reveal where political interests superseded human rights and expose any wrongdoing.

Making an effort to alter people’s perception – and the course of a Government – requires hard work and indisputable evidence, not sitting in a tent for six years roaring abuse at mainly innocent people.