Glenda Jackson and damage to Labour
Ms Jackson (MP for Hampstead and Highgate, Labour majority: 3,742) has declared on the wireless that she’s concerned about the impact on the Labour Party of the furore surrounding Tessa Jowell (MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour majority: 8,807). Ms Jackson says she’s especially worried because of the local elections in May.
It’s curious that she’s never seemed to be especially concerned about the impact that her own frequent high-profile slagging off of her party’s democratically-elected leader might have on the party. Perhaps it’s the Clare Short (MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Labour majority: 6,801) syndrome; never mind that one owes one’s status to Labour, if there’s cash to be had in books and TV studios let’s go for it. Loyalty? That’s for Tesco’s customers.
My mild distain for Ms Jackson owes nothing at all to an incident in Greenwich in 1973. She almost ran me over on a zebra crossing. I was an assertive pedestrian in those far off days and I’ve always regretted that I couldn’t hear what she was mouthing at me through her windscreen. She lived around the corner near Blackheath which was then (and may well still be) a sort of poorish person’s Hampstead.
posted by Hughes Views @ 10:23 am
3 comments
3 Comments:
Brian,
Are you sure you are not letting your near death experience cloud your views a little here. I don't think we want to turn into auotmatons like the lib dems who all agree with every word their leader ever uttered whilst they were busy cleaning the knife to slip between his shoulder blades. The Prime Minister has all the cards stacked in his favour. he has the total power of patronage over the entire Government with which to buy loyalty. We should be prepared to criticise him if we think he is wrong. I believe it is what differentiates us from liberals and trots, and can be seen as a healthy sign that we are a broad church. Jowell has been a good minister, but given her recent behaviour I don't think it would be good advice to put her to the forefront in the local election campaign. a liitle spell below stairs, methinks.
Bob Piper (majority only 1005 I'm afraid)
Oooh ooh I had the same experience with Guy Verhofstadt once when he was but a minister, but he later became Prime Minister of Belgium.
He was instantly recogniseable as he is also, like Ms Jackson, a snaggletoothed redhead.
Should we ban redhead politicians from driving?
Bob - it was more of a near-nasty grazed knee incident - even though I was young and foolhardy I was still a coward and she wasn't going all that fast! I agree that people must be free to criticise the party and leadership but there's a time, place and manner in which to do it. It is disheartening, after spending days delivering hand produced 'Roses' and trying to convince voters that we're the best choice, to find an MP blathering on the TV in what could have been almost a LibDem party broadcast. I'm jealous of course because no-one asks me on the telly or buys my books! Talking of LibDems and their attitude to policy, it's amusing that they voted to privatise the Post Office last weekend having overwhelmingly turned down and almost identical proposal only last October. B (majority 489 (against (to a LibDem)); 1005 (for) - blooming luxury!)...
Auntie M, are you sure Ms M is a redhead (sorry I'll have to Google 'snaggletoothed') - have you seen Ken Russell's film The Music Lovers?
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