“Strike while the iron is hot” is a well-known saying and means, “act while you have the chance to”. In other words do something immediately while there is time.

The British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson (no relation), back in 1960 is famously quoted as saying: “A week in politics is a long time”. It refers to the vagaries of politics and the fact that things change very quickly.

In the 90 minutes of a football (soccer) match that is a very long time for things to change.

When Arden Mclean and Ezzard Miller, our two Independent Members of the Legislative Assembly from out East narrowly lost their private members motion for ‘one man, one vote (OMOV)’ in the legislative Assembly last month, I expected them to organise immediately a march of protest against Premier Alden McLaughlin’s suicidal U-turn.

Heck, Miller hastily joined and organised TWO protest marches against the government’s labour law that hadn’t a tenth of the dismay from the public.

The OMOV already had over 65% of the public wanting it and the figures have steadily crept up as more people understand the concept.

If Miller had quickly put together a march within a week of narrowly losing the vote he would have had hundreds joining in. I would have been one of them and so would have my wife.

Strangely he didn’t. And McLaughlin was vulnerable. He was almost facing a split in his party. With thousands of protesters, and yes I do believe there would have been thousands, McLaughlin would have only had one choice to make to save his political future.

The iron was red hot then but Miller didn’t take it.

Instead, according to a CNS story on Wednesday (12) he “has begun his preparations on a private member’s bill that he says he will bring to the Legislative Assembly before the end of the year if government continues on its U-turn over introducing ‘one man, one vote’ (OMOV) in single member constituencies (SMCs).”

The story goes on to say: “they remained hopeful that some members of the government benches will remember their campaign promises and help its passage…… Miller and McLean intend to draw up the full necessary legislation with the help of government legal drafters, which they will need to pay for themselves, to change the elections law and introduce SMCs with OMOV, as per the parameters of the July 2012 referendum, and then put it to the vote.”

Very commendable but I fear “before the end of the year” needs to be now or never. Whilst the public will still want the OMOV they won’t be as passionate to vent their feelings and McLaughlin is a persuasive and very stubborn man. He is not alone in his coalition of being the only person there against the OMOV. Unfortunately it is not the people who make the laws it is the government.

We only have the power to throw them out but the damage has already been done, or in this case not done because what was promised was a lie.

I hope I am wrong but time marches on and Miller might have missed the bus already.