I have always liked Hilary, however much we may have disagreed, and however bad her taste in staff may sometimes have been. Yes, she ballsed up that business with Tony Blair and the defeat by one vote, but just as well that she did. And like everyone else, I knew perfectly well that she didn't really believe all that New Labour stuff: she was, and is, a Methodist, not a Marxist. She even used to come out leafleting with us, and then to the pub afterwards. How many Cabinet Ministers with safe seats would do that?
Anyway, at a party to celebrate her twentieth anniversary in Parliament, she announced her retirement at the next General Election. It was duly reported in the local papers. No one was remotely surprised. Since then, however, there have been more than mutterings that she might not do it, since she is so deeply unimpressed with the calibre - or, rather, the lack of calibre - of the potential successors being lined up by the machine. The Authorised Version is now that she never said she was retiring! I hate to break the news to those spouting that one, but we can read. And we even know how to look things up.
Either her replacement by a muppet such as she dreads, or her non-retirement in order to keep out that muppet, would be a triumph, and an immensely amusing triumph at that. But not for the local or national Labour Party. For, if she were re-elected, then she could never retire. She would be there until she died, embodying the fact that that party simply no longer produced anyone whom an old trouper like her regarded as capable of being an MP.
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Is she doing it because she is scared of you?
ReplyDeleteShe should be! After all, more than 20 people have already joined the facebook group David has linked to, of which at least half a dozen actually have a vote in the constituency. Only around 15,000 more and we might be talking a result...
ReplyDeleteI had always assumed that she would retire this time. Everyone had. I was told it by an impeccable source at the count last time. And then she announced it herself, which was duly reported in the local papers.
ReplyDeleteWell, if she stands again after all, then everyone in these parts will know that it's because she regards no one being lined up to replace her as up to the job. And if she doesn't, then everyone will get to see how right that assessment is. Either way suits me down to the ground.
Brett, the people who matter in this are, shall we say, not regular Facebook users. And they are very, very busy...
ReplyDeletebut if she won the previous time, and she stands again, does it matter if that proves that she doesn't like her replacement? People will still be voting for her, and she'll all likely win again
ReplyDeleteHer local party has collapsed in the meantime, because the councils that were its organisational skeleton have been abolished. So most of them have quit (or are agitating for me with being expelled, so lifeless is now the body). She won't win. I might not. But she certainly won't. I don't think she'll do it. She'll retire, as she said she would.
ReplyDeletedo you think you'll win if you face her replacement?
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteI do support you David but she actually announced that she was standing down from government not from her parliamentary seat (worst luck). So have these ex-councillors officially resigned only when I asked the Secretary he said that he was unaware of any resignations. He is expecting resignations though after the mutterings amongst the local party that they are going to campaign for you instead. I think that they are waiting until after the European election though, when the focus changes to the General Election - it will be more newsworthy and a good way to kickstart your campaign I would imagine.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your support. We need someone in each community - davidaslindsay@hotmail.com
ReplyDelete"she actually announced that she was standing down from government not from her parliamentary seat"
That's not how anyone round here remembers it.
"when I asked the Secretary he said that he was unaware of any resignations"
Most of them have just cancelled the direct debit. Why waste an envelope and a stamp?
"He is expecting resignations though after the mutterings amongst the local party that they are going to campaign for you instead"
Well, mostly the more than mutterings that the abolition of the District Councils is as great a betrayal as the closure of the pits and the steelworks was. They know where I am...
"I think that they are waiting until after the European election though, when the focus changes to the General Election - it will be more newsworthy and a good way to kickstart your campaign I would imagine"
Watch this space.
Better yet, davidaslindsay@hotmail.com