Not because of Wapping, although I am fully conscious that I am writing this on a blog.
Certainly not because you were any sort of New Labour prototype or pioneer. You were no such thing.
But because you devoted your retirement to defending the grammar schools of Kent on the grounds once used nationally by "Red Ellen" Wilkinson and by George Tomlinson as Ministers, by Sidney Webb and R H Tawney academically, and by Labour councillors and activists the length and breadth of the land, not least while Thatcher, as Education Secretary, was closing so many grammar schools that there were not enough left at the end for her record ever to be equalled.
When in the past on here I referred to your work, Jon (whatever happened to Jon?) berated me for invoking someone so "obscure". At least until recent days, he would have gone only too far, that boy.
The Guardian obituary is here.
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I expect Jon is far too busy being a member of the political and media class to read this blog any more
ReplyDeleteI heard Jon is still depserately campaigning fo a seat somewhere. He had been looking for a Labour one, but now that Cameron has reopened the Tory process he's applying there too.
ReplyDeleteI heard he was last seen stealing food from the mouths of babes and cackling gleefully.
ReplyDeleteI heard he's lost interest now that he can't use it as a tax fiddle, so he's going to set up a management consultancy for gangmasters. Anything to grind down the poor.
ReplyDeleteI heard he clad himself in the skins of orphans and howled at the moon.
ReplyDeleteYou are all just big, bad bullies.
ReplyDeleteI heard that, far worse than any of these things, he had the temerity to disagree with David. What greater evidence of the blackness of the man's tawdry soul could there be?
ReplyDeleteHe said, specifically in a discussion of the grammar schools, that Eric Hammond was "obscure" and that I should not refer to him.
ReplyDelete...and that's the only reason for your allowing "bullying", is it?
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I heard he walked on water to cure an injured swan.
All in all, he's a very busy man these days, with no more time to read this blog. Ho, hum.
ReplyDelete