Chuka Umunna talks a lot of sense here, and there is something to be said for a Leader who is young enough to be the son of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown or Harriet Harman; one of us whose first vote at a General Election was in 1997; someone who was never in Parliament with Tony Blair.
Affordable housing would seem a more obvious priority than rehousing Parliament, but the problem is real, and Umunna may be ahead of the game on this one.
Does he want to move it to Streatham? George Galloway wanted to move it to Bradford. Before he became a candidate for Mayor of London. In all seriousness, the Palace of Westminster is falling down. That issue demands to be confronted.
Ignore, of course, the ritual, Waiting for Godot references to electoral reform and to an elected second chamber.
Affordable housing would seem a more obvious priority than rehousing Parliament, but the problem is real, and Umunna may be ahead of the game on this one.
Does he want to move it to Streatham? George Galloway wanted to move it to Bradford. Before he became a candidate for Mayor of London. In all seriousness, the Palace of Westminster is falling down. That issue demands to be confronted.
Ignore, of course, the ritual, Waiting for Godot references to electoral reform and to an elected second chamber.
Meanwhile, Tom Watson is already crowdfunding his Deputy Leadership campaign.
But all eyes remain on Andy Burnham. It would then be Umunna after him. If I had not been such a young man in a hurry, then I would have been the President of the Durham Union Society in the Epiphany Term of 2000. Far more important than being Leader of the Labour Party even in Government, never mind in Opposition.
Yes, I ended up as the President of a Senior Common Room before I became a cripple who now only sees the Principal of my eventual college at the funeral of the Principal of my original college (he was delighted to see me, as people often are to find that I am, well, still alive, pretty much). But even so.
Has Chuka Umunna's time come? Or is there time yet?
But all eyes remain on Andy Burnham. It would then be Umunna after him. If I had not been such a young man in a hurry, then I would have been the President of the Durham Union Society in the Epiphany Term of 2000. Far more important than being Leader of the Labour Party even in Government, never mind in Opposition.
Yes, I ended up as the President of a Senior Common Room before I became a cripple who now only sees the Principal of my eventual college at the funeral of the Principal of my original college (he was delighted to see me, as people often are to find that I am, well, still alive, pretty much). But even so.
Has Chuka Umunna's time come? Or is there time yet?
You should have been President even though Kuhan was great as you said at the time. Are you still in touch with him?
ReplyDeleteIt was a awful pity you put up for Michaelmas and created that opening for Epiphany. If you had held on, you would have got Epiphany by acclaim, nobody would have put up against you and Kuhan was the year below so he would still have got it some time in 2000-01.
That boy who got Michaelmas was very nice, if you catch my drift. But he didn't have your mind. I can't even remember his name and didn't he have to make a slew of speeches because he didn't meet the qualification? Yours would have been a very highbrow term and set the tone for several years after it.
Are you still in touch with any of the old gang? Rumour has it you are back involved with the Union.
Well, I never entirely went away. But I do know some of the current lot, and they did have me back to speak at this year's Freshers' Debate.
DeleteYou really are too kind, even if you are probably right that Epiphany 2000 would have been mine for the asking if I had never gone for Michaelmas 1999. Ho, hum.
I am still in touch with any number of "the old gang", yes.