House Speaker Claudius Francis The public entering Parliament is prohibited from wearing political paraphernalia. Yet political emblems on members’ lapels are treated differently. My decision to wear a political hat was a protest against that double standard. The Speaker should have addressed the applicable Standing Orders, explained his ruling and enforced a consistent standard. Applying the principle to my hat would have required him to confront its implications for political lapel emblems as well. In my view, that is the contradiction he avoided. Instead, I was repeatedly referred to as the “Leader of the United Workers Party.” The exchange became personal while the central question remained unanswered: why should citizens be held to a standard their representatives do not observe? The Speaker has since said his objection concerned wearing a cap indoors, rather than its political insignia. That explanation still leaves the original question about political symbols unresolved. The handling...