gdp's Comments

Columnists : Priti Patel MP: Ministers should reject ECHR judgements that undermine the sovereignty of our Parlia

Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:19:09 +0000

Well said about how image and PR have taken precedence over content. As for the huge pic of Priti, I suspect Cameron had a quite literal take on the whole 'Blair's Babes' thing. The 'Babes' label was a silly tabloid thing which probably had the likes of Angela Eagle and the Sisters privately fuming with indignation (but it was the Blair Honeymoon era and they weren't going to rock the boat). Cameron concluded that politics was a sort of beauty contest, hence the introduction of young and attractive women as A-listers at the expense of other candidates who may have been better qualified. It resulted in the ascent of the egregious Louise Mensch - very attractive but a disaster as an MP. Cameron seemed to bend over backwards to accommodate Ms Mensch before she finally flitted away to New York and presented Corby and East Northants as a gift to Labour.

Platform [OLD] : Gary Streeter MP: We start loving the Coalition or Ed Balls and Ed Miliband will be in Downing Stree

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:10:52 +0000

The attempt to scapegoat Balls is getting absolutely nowhere, not least because he was ensconced in the Education Dept at the time.

The Tory Diary : Cameron appoints Maude and Feldman to lead on urgent cross-party talks over political funding

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:32:26 +0000

Maude is clearly the wrong person for this job.

The Tory Diary : PMQs: Ed Miliband scores victory against Cameron as he highlights the Government's NHS isola

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:27:55 +0000

Cameron and Lansley should have followed the example of their more illustrious predecessors and realised that the NHS, whether they like it or not, is a sacred cow. Churchill's government in 1951 inherited the NHS, and the subsequent Tory governments were wise to basically leave well alone. That is, until we reach the present incumbents who think they know better. They signally don't. Cameron now faces a choice - either he admits that he and Lansley got it wrong, or he destroys our party. Fundamentally, Cameron would rather save his own worthless skin rather than conserve the future of the party he leads.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ : Sinn Fein set for huge gains in Republic of Ireland election: poll - Republic of Ireland, Local & Na

Sat, 4 Dec 2010 21:44:00 +0000

I lived in Belfast during the early 1980s. Republicans carried out proxy bombings- remember them- 'unless you drive this bomb into town we're going to shoot your wife'. They also kept going on about their rights (fair enough for the times I suppose) but I remember thinking at the time that if they got in there would be no rights for anyone else! It would be a disaster if SF got anywhere near office.

And another thing... : And another thing...

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:39:08 +0000

The esteemed Eric Joyce (who was once a guest blogger here of course) has written a very good piece for Labour Uncut on hypocrisy. However, the Daily Mail have reported it as 'an astonishing rant' and an attack on the middle class, and more drivel in that vein. It was of course nowhere near a rant, it was very well written with a coolly ironic touch. It's an object lesson in how the right whinge media will pounce on something a Labour MP says and twist it completely. However, it does seem to have backfired on them somewhat, as some comments following the DM article have been in agreement with Eric. As you say, Tom, shutting your face may be a wise option (for now).

And another thing... : A blessed relief

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:45:15 +0000

I do understand i once gave up chocolate LOL!

And another thing... : A blessed relief

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:42:29 +0000

Tom, you shone like a good deed in a naughty world. Or put it another way, like a sensible, thought-provoking, funny (ha ha I mean - most of the time anyway) Labour blogger in the bedlam that is the UK blogosphere. I think sometimes you've even made some of our Tory friends a bit less sure they were always right. Will miss you - hope you stay on Twitter!

And another thing... : Person the barricades!

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:19:26 +0000

Ah, it's nice to see Laurie Penny now has something to really get her teeth into. I remember the days when we had a Labour government and she was rather critical about them being too 'authoritarian'. She also had a go at Labour-supporting JK Rowling for what LP saw as a 'fascist undertone' to the Harry Potter books. What a burning issue that was. Regarding the students' protest, I don't agree with the violence (which was caused by a minority among the 50,000 there). Mrs Pankhurst herself probably would have thought it a bit over the top. But LP does have a point about how angry the students are about broken promises and how they feel their vote (hard won by the Suffragettes, the Chartists and others) was stolen. Yes, you are right, Tom, they should have listened when Labour told them not to trust the LibDems. However, you can't put an old head on young shoulders and all that, and they've learnt the hard way that Clegg isn't the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy. Who can blame them for being as mad as hell about it? That in itself is - in a way - a good thing, because it means they don't just roll over and accept it. This government is a toxic mixture of arrogance and complacency, and they are assuming that the public are too dumb and apathetic to question their mantra that the austerity measures are necessary and that it's all Labour's fault. It's worth looking at the way the attack on Millbank was viewed in Downing Street itself. According to the Observer's anonymously penned Diary of a Civil Servant: Ministers and officials watched from their windows, anxious calls went out to staff in Conservative HQ and government froze. Senior Conservative ministers struggled to hide their frustration with the police response. This is the most telling part: The protesters washed away the complacent assumption that things were going well and that Britain would simply keep calm and carry on. The smashed windows and burning placards, no doubt the actions of a violent minority, reflected palpable rage that is simmering across the country. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/14/di...

And another thing... : The absurdity of Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:29:48 +0000

Presumably she doesn't hold it against Cliff Richard that he's a friend of the Blair family.

And another thing... : A miserable little electoral system

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:30:41 +0000

Great isn't it, that Clegg thinks £80 million is money well spent on his miserable little compromise - and yet he maintains there was no money for a loan to Sheffield Forgemasters. He was still sticking to that barefaced lie in PMQs yesterday. Do you remember how David Laws, in his short-lived stint at the Treasury, wanted to get rid of the pot plants (which surely cheered the place up a bit, and don't cost very much at all for goodness sake) because he felt they were a waste of money. Now we learn that the Coalition have managed to find £20,000 to spend on artwork for their offices So far no word about that from the Taxpayers' Alliance .... hmmm ... wonder why that is? http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/11/co...

And another thing... : The New Politics, Part 27

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:57:55 +0000

Well, exactly. Saw a repeat of PMQs and Clegg's sorry performance. Lies and hypocrisy from start to finish. And what was with the rude and unparliamentary way of his continually referring to HH merely as 'she' in his p*ss poor answers to her questions? I thought the protocol was to say 'the honourable lady'. (Who's "she", the cat's mother? as my Gran used to say.) Anyway, I thought Harriet did well - she certainly ripped Clegg a new one.

And another thing... : The Woolas row is about loyalty, not racism

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:28:36 +0000

It does all seem to go against a natural sense of justice. I can see where Harriet's coming from, but the bottom line is that whatever high standards the Labour party sets itself, it is never going to get Brownie points for it from their massed enemies in the media and the government.

And another thing... : Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 12:06:03 +0000

I took the quiz during my coffee break and scored about the same on the Authoritarian/Libertarian level, although I ended up much further along the left wing scale though (-7). You also need to factor in that it's an American quiz, and their right wing is rather more hardcore than our right wing - so a score getting close to the midway point is still quite right wing by UK standards! Also, there are issues, for example abortion, which aren't specifically party political issues in the UK. Of course Nadine Dorries is well known for her anti abortion views, but she's regarded as a bit of a maverick by Tory High Command. And there are probably Catholic Labour MPs who have personal views about it. I thought the question about 'do you support military intervention that goes against international law' was a bit loaded - obviously referring to Iraq. (Why is it right wing to oppose a genocidal dictator?) So my agreeing with that probably upped my right-wing/authoritarian score a little bit.

And another thing... : Vote 'yes to AV' to keep the coalition in power

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 00:02:14 +0000

I thought you wanted a Tory government, Johnny. This lot aren't Tories -they haven't been since they so ruthlessly dumped Margaret Thatcher. They're just a ragbag of chinless wonders who have no idea of how ordinary people live. They just exist to protect the interests of the very rich. Why else would they turn a blind eye to tax evasion (which costs us billions) and yet penny pinch and cut services for the most vulnerable?

And another thing... : Vote 'yes to AV' to keep the coalition in power

Fri, 5 Nov 2010 23:40:06 +0000

Not entirely sure, but I think he has to stick to his original commitment to AV, not least because he was the author of the Labour manifesto (which supported it). The thing is, before the election, there was the assumption that giving minority parties more say in government would rein in the excesses of the majority party. BUT ...as we know, the LibDems have blown that theory so far out of the water, it's now entered the stratosphere. There was an assumption (actually not shared by Tom, who recognised all along how the LibDems would just say anything to grab a few more votes) that the LibDems would be consistent with what they said they believed in before the election. Like Nick Clegg saying no serious economist in the world thought that savage cuts were the way to mend the economy. Or posing with pledge cards saying they were absolutely against tuition fees. And so on. So, although Ed himself doesn't have much wriggle room, it would be a very wise move by the rest of the Labour benches to heed Tom's advice - I really hope they do.

And another thing... : Behold! The perfect argument against votes for prisoners

Thu, 4 Nov 2010 09:01:43 +0000

My eldest son is also high functioning Aspergers, and (I know I would say this, wouldn't I) but he is more empathetic and sensitive than most of his 'normal' peers. Hirst seems to have a sociopathic personality disorder (as well as his Aspergers). He was in care from the age of 2 and was physically and sexually abused, which - in his case - probably made him what he is (NB: this not making excuses for him and the horrific crime he committed). I expect you knew, Tom - he's also known as 'Jailhouse Lawyer'. Hirst was on Jeremy Vine's programme yesterday, followed by Paul Staines AKA Guido, because Vine happened to see Hirst's video on Guido's blog. Staines, as 99.99% of people would, was condemning Hirst. Bit ironic, then, that Staines' brand of libertarianism and free for all sweary insult fest blog is where sociopaths would feel right at home.

And another thing... : 'What would they say if we had done this?' Part 1

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 22:01:03 +0000

The coalition has in part been lucky .... to have lickspittle journos/bloggers/general apologists to always make excuses for them. I wonder sometimes it's because they know, deep down, how useless the Tories (and their Tories in yellow ties cohorts) are, and they have to build up an elaborate edifice of myth-making and lies to big them up. It's vital for the Tories to have this immense input from Tory-supporting wordsmiths, and to have a gullible audience for them. The obverse of this bigging up of the Cons, is (as you say Tom), the grotesque distortion and demeaning of Labour. A more objective view of politics would be refreshing - most unlikely though.

And another thing... : Something to make you smile

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 10:29:45 +0000

Aw, cute.

And another thing... : It's alive! The coalition's ALIIIVE!

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:31:45 +0000

Oh, and perfect casting of Danny Alexander as the Wolfman - he's got the crazed eyes for it. And Huhne as Dracula.