Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging thinktanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", 2019 parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, "Speedboat", "The Cockroach", eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Unusual Honesty
Good to see neoconservatism in the raw. Denis "Vote Sarkozy" MacShane, of the Euston Manifesto and The Henry Jackson Society, rejoices that (thanks to the Tories, of course) we are subject to laws determined by Stalinists (technically so called), Trotskyists, neo-Fascists, neo-Nazis, people who believe the pointedly undisbanded Provisional Army Council of the IRA to be the sovereign body throughout Ireland, kleptomaniac members of the Eastern European nomenklatura, and increasing numbers of people from the neocon-Islamist alliance (for so it is), which last will be augmented even further by MacShane's desired accession of Turkey.
Do you have to name-check the Euston Manifesto in every post?
ReplyDeleteDon’t you want people to know about it…?
ReplyDeleteAnd do you share MacShane's Euro-enthusiasm? If so, then why, exactly, are YOU so happy to be subject to laws determined by Stalinists, Trotskyists, neo-Fascists, neo-Nazis, people who believe the (undisbanded) Provisional Army Council of the IRA to be the sovereign body throughout Ireland, kleptomaniac members of the Eastern European nomenklatura, and increasing numbers of people from the neocon-Islamist alliance (for so it is)? How does that sqaure with the text of the Euston Manifesto?
You should take him very, very seriously, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteHilary Armstrong is giving up office and so probably giving up her seat. Neil Fleming destroyed (mostly by Lindsay). An imposed candidate from outside would look very bad and is just what Lindsay wants for when he puts up as an Independent.
So let's look at the facts. Apart from one or two Scrutiny Chairs, if that, every position that matters on Derwentside District Council, held whether by Labour or by the so-called Opposition that isn't, is held by an ally of Lindsay's. Every Portfolio Holder is a personal friend of his, including several of his closest friends in the world.
Lindsay knows more of what goes on in the Labour Group than up to a third, and definitely a quarter, of the elected Labour Councillors on it. He is also very close indeed to the "Independents" - traditional Tories whose main role is to cover the Labour Leadership's backs against that quarter to a third of Labour Councillors. They in turn have links in the Wear Valley, where Labour is pro-Armstrong but the "Independents"/Tories are anything but.
Then there are, as has been said, the unions, the churches, the farmers, thus the local Tory Party, and so on. A very senior County Council position is held by one of his closest allies from before he was ever even a Labour Party member.
People read this blog and realise, I have to say, that not only would most people be incapable of writing it, but most people being imposed as parliamentary candidates for all parties would be incapable of reading it.
He gave up one of his school governorships voluntarily because he'd done the customary two terms, but he might yet be co-opted back onto the other one. Labour have already had to give it to one of his very closest friends and allies, rather than who they really wanted. There are dark mutterings about him and the coming Consett Academy - he certainly has plenty of rich mates to make him Chair of Governors on a salary, or even Principal (because you don't have to have QTS).
The University really has very enthusiastically brought him back, not that he ever went away. His main critics there are fighting for their professional lives? Coincidence? Lindsay doesn't do coincidences!
You should take him very, very seriously, I'm afraid.