Thank you for visiting my blog. I wanted to remind you all that my blogposts can also be found at HouseofTwits, where I am a Labour Front Bencher. It is useful to check there as more people tend to comment and challenge on that site, than here.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Dave and the Dinosaur - The New Old Tories
Isn't it amazing how, just when David Cameron thinks he's making progress and actually convincing a few people that his Conservative Party has changed, along comes one of the old boys to mess things up for him. It's as though they sit, sleeping in the corner, while the visitors are tip-toeing by and just when Dave thinks he's home and dry, up pops Grandad and splutters "Bloody ridiculous, working class, they should know their place!"
Today it was Nicholas Winterton, who told Stephen Nolan on Radio 5 Live that it is a "different type of person" who travels by standard class! Apparently, Mr Winterton thinks that he shouldn't have to travel with these people and their "children, noise and activity." He further compounds the offence by saying that people who travel standard class "have a different outlook on life". Yes, I too was open-mouthed by this point. He qualified this by saying "they might be reading a book but I doubt they are undertaking serious work." Obviously, Mr Winterton, having only ever travelled by first class, has never heard of the quiet carriage, where many of these unfortunate souls, are indeed undertaking very serious work indeed. Or maybe they are reading a Jackie Collins, who knows, but nonetheless the blatant snobbery of this Tory dinosaur belies his true feelings about the majority of the people he is elected to serve. In fact, Mr Winterton demonstrated the regard in which he holds his constituents by asserting that whether or not they agree with him is "irrelevant"!
He also said that if he were forced to travel by standard class, that would put him "below local councillors and officers of local government. They all travel first class." Perish the thought! Now I don't know about you but our (Labour Controlled) Local Authority will only purchase standard class tickets for councillors and officers, Lib Dem Councillor Daisy Benson has said she doesn't travel first class either, so maybe it's just the Tory Councillors that do!?
Many left-of-centre bloggers will be rubbing their hands together with glee and chanting the old favourite "Same Old Tories" and to some degree this is true. Nicholas Winterton is one of those "Same Old Tories", he has, after all been a Member of Parliament for forty years, he is truly old-school - and that is not a dig at where he was educated! This latest embarrassing faux pas for the Conservative Party by one of their most long-serving elected members, is so mortifying for David Cameron that he has been forced to issue a statement via his spokesman, saying that this outburst is “the out-of-touch views of a soon-to-retire backbench MP,” whilst taking great pains to assure the public that “they do not in any way represent the views of David Cameron or that of the Conservative Party and should be treated as such.” So, Cameron wants us all to know that he is NOTHING like Nicholas Winterton. Got that? Ok. That's that then...
Isn't it? Well, I was intrigued, if Cameron is so desperate to show that he is completely different in his outlook and opinions to a senior backbench colleague, how close to the truth is it? Taking a very brief look at some of the key issues of recent times, which do Cameron and Winterton agree on?
Today it was Nicholas Winterton, who told Stephen Nolan on Radio 5 Live that it is a "different type of person" who travels by standard class! Apparently, Mr Winterton thinks that he shouldn't have to travel with these people and their "children, noise and activity." He further compounds the offence by saying that people who travel standard class "have a different outlook on life". Yes, I too was open-mouthed by this point. He qualified this by saying "they might be reading a book but I doubt they are undertaking serious work." Obviously, Mr Winterton, having only ever travelled by first class, has never heard of the quiet carriage, where many of these unfortunate souls, are indeed undertaking very serious work indeed. Or maybe they are reading a Jackie Collins, who knows, but nonetheless the blatant snobbery of this Tory dinosaur belies his true feelings about the majority of the people he is elected to serve. In fact, Mr Winterton demonstrated the regard in which he holds his constituents by asserting that whether or not they agree with him is "irrelevant"!
He also said that if he were forced to travel by standard class, that would put him "below local councillors and officers of local government. They all travel first class." Perish the thought! Now I don't know about you but our (Labour Controlled) Local Authority will only purchase standard class tickets for councillors and officers, Lib Dem Councillor Daisy Benson has said she doesn't travel first class either, so maybe it's just the Tory Councillors that do!?
Many left-of-centre bloggers will be rubbing their hands together with glee and chanting the old favourite "Same Old Tories" and to some degree this is true. Nicholas Winterton is one of those "Same Old Tories", he has, after all been a Member of Parliament for forty years, he is truly old-school - and that is not a dig at where he was educated! This latest embarrassing faux pas for the Conservative Party by one of their most long-serving elected members, is so mortifying for David Cameron that he has been forced to issue a statement via his spokesman, saying that this outburst is “the out-of-touch views of a soon-to-retire backbench MP,” whilst taking great pains to assure the public that “they do not in any way represent the views of David Cameron or that of the Conservative Party and should be treated as such.” So, Cameron wants us all to know that he is NOTHING like Nicholas Winterton. Got that? Ok. That's that then...
Isn't it? Well, I was intrigued, if Cameron is so desperate to show that he is completely different in his outlook and opinions to a senior backbench colleague, how close to the truth is it? Taking a very brief look at some of the key issues of recent times, which do Cameron and Winterton agree on?
So, repeat after me, "Winterton is not representative of the views of David Cameron". Oh, except he is... Maybe it isn't 'Same Old Tories', after all - instead it's just 'New Old Tories'.
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Why Brown Feeling Blue Shouldn't Make Us See Red
The opinion on whether Gordon Brown was right to give the interview with Piers Morgan is divided. I personally think it was a good idea, and here's why...
It seems that much of the media and consequently, the public think that politicians should be almost robotic and devoid of emotion. They cannot be human, make mistakes or admit to doing anything that the 'man-on-the-street' may consider to be normal behaviour. Lord help the MPs who make a joke, demonstrate anger, say they like a particular band or are seen to be wearing anything other than a suit!
The media insist on portraying ordinary behaviour by MPs as weird. Remember the Conservative Party Team-building trip that William Hague organised when he was leader? Now, what do you remember most about it? Was there a new policy decision that stands out? No, I'll bet that you, like me, remember Hague wearing a baseball cap in the group picture. See, this is ok for you and for me, but not for an MP, so the press took that and his jeans as the main story.
Female MPs come under even more scrutiny for their appearance. Why is there so much focus on the shoes that our female MPs wear? Should they dare to have a nice pair of stilettos on, that immediately becomes the focus of media attention – no matter what they have done in the Dept of Great Things, they are judged not on their performance, but on their shoes, (there are deeper issues of sexism and misogyny to consider here but I will leave that for now!).
The simple truth is that politicians are just people. They breathe in and out, they love, they work, they marry, have children, they play, they laugh and of course, they cry. When David Cameron and his wife Samantha lost their son Ivan, anyone who is a parent could begin to imagine the pain it must have caused them. I felt incredible sorrow for them and it is this compassion and care for others that is the measure of us as people, it should always supersede politics and partisan nonsense.
Why then, have I heard anyone suggesting that the tears shed by the Prime Minister in his interview with Piers Morgan were not genuine or that they were a contrived piece of electioneering? Just how cynical does one have to be to disregard the devastation that Gordon and Sarah experienced when they discovered their daughter was not going to survive. How heartless and devoid of compassion would someone have to be to not be touched by the obvious pain of the PM and his wife when remembering the last moments of Jennifer's life. It is ridiculous to think that a wound so deep and painful would be opened up publicly, in an attempt at some sort of sympathy Party Political Broadcast. Does anyone really believe that the public are considering this when deciding where to cast their vote?
This type of interview is something that would have been common in the days of Wogan, Aspel or Parkinson but the universally popular, evening chat show of this ilk has long since disappeared. It is now left to special event interviews such as those hosted by Piers Morgan to fill this void. If an actor, director or author were presenting their work to the public for judgment, there would be media attention and interviews. Similarly, while we are in a period of heightened awareness about politics, due to the impending General Election, the media interest in Gordon Brown and other politicians is greater. This is why anyone who is or was involved in politics is bringing their book out now!
The fact is that right from the start, there was a press agenda against Gordon Brown, but this is not unique to him – although it is certainly much more sustained. What is missing in much of the reporting of the lives of politicians is the human aspect. It is easy for reporters to perpetuate the myth of them being unfeeling, worker-bees, devoid of emotion and 'out-of-touch' with real life, when it is simply not true. They are people, just like you and me, merely doing a different job. The media is not now giving them a human face, they are just returning the one they took away.
Gordon Brown, is many things, Prime Minister and Member of Parliament are just two of them. First and foremost, he is a father and a husband. He is a man. This interview will hopefully allow people to see that.
It seems that much of the media and consequently, the public think that politicians should be almost robotic and devoid of emotion. They cannot be human, make mistakes or admit to doing anything that the 'man-on-the-street' may consider to be normal behaviour. Lord help the MPs who make a joke, demonstrate anger, say they like a particular band or are seen to be wearing anything other than a suit!
The media insist on portraying ordinary behaviour by MPs as weird. Remember the Conservative Party Team-building trip that William Hague organised when he was leader? Now, what do you remember most about it? Was there a new policy decision that stands out? No, I'll bet that you, like me, remember Hague wearing a baseball cap in the group picture. See, this is ok for you and for me, but not for an MP, so the press took that and his jeans as the main story.
Female MPs come under even more scrutiny for their appearance. Why is there so much focus on the shoes that our female MPs wear? Should they dare to have a nice pair of stilettos on, that immediately becomes the focus of media attention – no matter what they have done in the Dept of Great Things, they are judged not on their performance, but on their shoes, (there are deeper issues of sexism and misogyny to consider here but I will leave that for now!).
The simple truth is that politicians are just people. They breathe in and out, they love, they work, they marry, have children, they play, they laugh and of course, they cry. When David Cameron and his wife Samantha lost their son Ivan, anyone who is a parent could begin to imagine the pain it must have caused them. I felt incredible sorrow for them and it is this compassion and care for others that is the measure of us as people, it should always supersede politics and partisan nonsense.
Why then, have I heard anyone suggesting that the tears shed by the Prime Minister in his interview with Piers Morgan were not genuine or that they were a contrived piece of electioneering? Just how cynical does one have to be to disregard the devastation that Gordon and Sarah experienced when they discovered their daughter was not going to survive. How heartless and devoid of compassion would someone have to be to not be touched by the obvious pain of the PM and his wife when remembering the last moments of Jennifer's life. It is ridiculous to think that a wound so deep and painful would be opened up publicly, in an attempt at some sort of sympathy Party Political Broadcast. Does anyone really believe that the public are considering this when deciding where to cast their vote?
This type of interview is something that would have been common in the days of Wogan, Aspel or Parkinson but the universally popular, evening chat show of this ilk has long since disappeared. It is now left to special event interviews such as those hosted by Piers Morgan to fill this void. If an actor, director or author were presenting their work to the public for judgment, there would be media attention and interviews. Similarly, while we are in a period of heightened awareness about politics, due to the impending General Election, the media interest in Gordon Brown and other politicians is greater. This is why anyone who is or was involved in politics is bringing their book out now!
The fact is that right from the start, there was a press agenda against Gordon Brown, but this is not unique to him – although it is certainly much more sustained. What is missing in much of the reporting of the lives of politicians is the human aspect. It is easy for reporters to perpetuate the myth of them being unfeeling, worker-bees, devoid of emotion and 'out-of-touch' with real life, when it is simply not true. They are people, just like you and me, merely doing a different job. The media is not now giving them a human face, they are just returning the one they took away.
Gordon Brown, is many things, Prime Minister and Member of Parliament are just two of them. First and foremost, he is a father and a husband. He is a man. This interview will hopefully allow people to see that.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Real Tories, Real Words
The European Parliamentary Labour Party has put together a brilliant collection of quotes from their Conservative Counterparts in the European Parliament. I was given a copy this week and thought it would serve as an excellent reminder of the aims and opinions of real Tories, elected to represent us in Europe. The topics they cover range from tax to the NHS and climate change; in some cases they might sound far-fetched but I assure you, these are REAL TORIES, REAL WORDS.
ECONOMY
“It is quite understandable when they legally want to transfer their money to lower tax regimes.” Syed Kamall, MEP for London, European Parliament, 24 April 2009.
“The European social model is outdated, it is destructive, it prevents job creation and it acts against entrepreneurship.” Martin Callaghan, MEP for the North East, European Parliament, 11 March 2009.
CLIMATE CHANGE
“Climate hysteria is increasingly remote from reality.” Roger Helmer, MEP for the East Midlands, European Parliament, 21 May 2008.
and “Wind turbines are garden ornaments, not power stations.” Nottingham Evening Post, 16 June 2009.
EQUALITY
“'Homophobia' is merely a propaganda device designed to denigrate and stigmatise those holding conventional opinions, which have been held by most people through most of recorded history.” Roger Helmer, MEP for the East Midlands, on his blog, 19 July 2009.
HEALTH
“I know they [NHS charges] are controversial but I don't think people who are in a job would actually be against spending say, £10 to see their GP or being fined £10 if they don't show up to an outpatients.” Charles Tannock, MEP for London, Channel 4 News, 27 August 2009.
“There is little evidence that promoting the use of condoms actually prevents the transmission of AIDS.” Charles Tannock, MEP for London, European Parliament, 7 May 2009.
There is one MEP who deserves a little section all of his own and this is, of course, the inimitable Daniel Hannan, MEP for the South East, a small selection of his finest quotes are below:
“[Enoch Powell was] someone who understood the importance of national democracy, who understood why you needed to live in an independent country and what that meant, as well as being a free-marketeer and a small government Conservative.” Reason TV, Spring 2009.
“The health care system we have is kind of a relic...I wouldn't wish it on anyone.” Fox News, 12 August 2009.
“[Tax on Bankers' bonuses] is more about class war than raising money.” Fox News, 10 December 2009.
These snippets of what goes on in the mind of a Conservative MEP demonstrate the quite scary reality that lurks behind the mask of respectable, 'for-the-people-electability' that David Cameron is trying so hard to promote. He would have the electorate believe that the Conservatives have changed, that they are the party who will look out for the people, but all we have to do is watch out for the “Real Tories”. They are out there and unless we continue to erode their opinion poll lead away, they may soon be coming to a constituency near you.
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