Peter Hain just got a bit of a mauling at the hands of Victoria Derbyshire on 5 Live. You always know when the government is in panic mode about a new Tory policy because they put up a Cabinet Minister to respond to it. Hain blustered about how the Tory workfare plans were uncosted blah blah blah but anyone listening will have come away with the impression that the Tories were on to something and Labour were in disarray.
Victoria Derbishire then moved on to quiz Hain about his undeclared deputy leadership donations. Hain just stonewalled and kept repeating that he had declared £82k of donations and it wasn't his fault that others hadn't been declared. He repeatedly said that as soon as he knew about it he had told the Electoral Commission, but he admitted he had still not given them all the details, because he didn't know them. Could it be perhaps that he does now know the details, but the consequences of the details are so horrific that he's yet to think how he can get out of it? Remember, he's had six weeks to find out, yet Derbyshire failed to drive the stake into his heart by asking him why it was taking him so long.
Hain is in deep trouble over this, and he knows it.
51 comments:
Forget about Hain, he's toast. Just watching our 'highly respected' First Lord of the Treasury waffling on at his press conference. The sad thing is he really looks as if he believes the empty sentences he utters, with that shifty sideways glance. I suppose some of his true believers do still think he is a a 'real street fighting politician'. Sad, isn't it!
Iain, you're a German-speaker. Remind us, please, what *is* the German word for Schadenfreude?! [1]
When some politicians - admittedly very few - get into the sqalid little scrapes, one feels a certain sympathy for their predicament; a sense of 'there but for the grace of God' and all that malarkey. With the egregious and execrable Hain [as with the equally appalling Blunkett and Mandelson - both twice, of course] finally in the telescopic-sights of the Press, I can only rub my hands with glee, and hope that the humiliation is long, agonising and expensive.
[1] I also enjoy the word epicaricacy.
Henry rogers said...
"Forget about Hain, he's toast."
and coincidentally he is the same golden brown colour !
He deserves to be 'burnt' .....
Victoria Derbyshire (Radio 5 Live) should be congratulated for a most professional interview with Hain who slithered and skidded over the question of 'his' Donations.
"Could it be perhaps that he does now know the details, but the consequences of the details are so horrific that he's yet to think how he can get out of it? Remember, he's had six weeks to find out, yet Derbyshire failed to drive the stake into his heart by asking him why it was taking him so long."
Nice writing, Iain. You've surely hit the bullseye. Someone making an innocent mistake would have wanted this sorted out immediately. The Hain question appears to be missing from Brown's press conference.
I was under the impression that 15% of all donations to the deputy leadership campaigns were suppposed to be passed onto the Party. If the ineffable Hain has been shortchanging then the big clunking fist may well become a reality and be the first truly popular action by Brown.
I thought that it was "doo-doo"
Victoria Derbeyshire is one of the more annoying politically correct "radio breeder" presenters. Her presentation consisting of "hmms" and "harumphs" and New Labour propoganda have made her show completely unlistenable to, for me.
Pretty please with sugar on top that the oily one will finally be skewered and get his long overdue comeupance, sigh!
"Uncosted" is just the standard Labour response to Conservative policy, whatever that policy may be. Even, as it is in this case, if the policy is one that's actually designed to save money rather than spend it. Also odd that someone who can't even keep tabs on 82 grand would dare to bring up economic competence.
Many of us in NI have been waiting for this day when Hain would finally foul up. None of us suspected it would be this good though.
Bring on the show......
What. No mention of the back to work scheme..are you too ashamed. Moreover Cambo on 5 live this morning backing neo Nut McCain for president..oh dear
David - last time this "cost-cutting" welfare for work idea was tried it cost more money than it saved. Camoron admits it's not a cost-saving exercise, but a "get on your bikes" exercise
The future may be bright - but it isn't the Orange One.
Ha!
So this is a chap who can't manage his own professional affairs, like other colleagues of his, but is always prepared - again like other of his colleagues - to lecture the Great British Public on how to run their lives.
And politicians wonder why we don't trust them!
Real Women are prepared to cry if it suits their purposes - ask Cherie and Hiliary
He didn't know the details?!? I would have thought that after the roasting his colleagues got about donations, he would have paid a little more attention.
What a joke.
Hain isn't toast, he will slither his way out of all of this... this is all pretty disgraceful, especially when you add what Guido has reported about Hain's involvement with a 'debt consolidation company'... In the current financial climate, a for a senior minister to intimately involve himself, giving it a ringing endorsement on their website is, in my opinion, totally out of order... While Gordo forcasts tough times ahead, thanks largely to him not putting money aside while things were good… Hain continues to promote a company offering crazy credit deals, in order to line his own pocket… this should be more widely publicised!
What's up with Derbyshire?
Is she envious of his tan?
Hain in the Brown stuff.
Reverting to the subject of Iain's post (and apologies, Iain, for going OT first time round), why on earth did all those no hopers spend so much trying to get a non-job? And precisely what did it get the winner? Has she increased her salary enough to make it all worthwhile? Does anyone, including Labour voters, really care whether she lives or dies anyway?
But it's very enjoyable to see the perma-tanned slippery one sizzling on the spit.
I'm afraid Mr Hain has long been on my 'womans intuition' list of untrustworthy politicians. There is a certain class of smoothie (doesn't really matter what political flavour they are) who think the rules don't apply to them.
Will Peter Hain please tell me if it is okay to tell his department (DWP) when I feel like it (maybe at the end of the month but I was too busy to remember how much it was) of the bit of income I got on the side whilst claiming benefit or should I just wait for his department thugs to turn up and give me an "Interview under caution" and a six month break at one of HM penal establishments.
Is it at all plausible that a great civil-rights campaigner like Peter Hain – a man who risked life and limb to free the nation of South Africa from Apartheid’s yoke – would get involved with a few grand of dodgy donations? Of course not! Peter is a hero to the world. We should be venerating people like him, not casting cruel aspersions against his good name.
Anon @ 1250 - so "new Labour propaganda" includes taking a cabinet minister to bits in an interview, does it?
Idiot.
David Cameron's JSA benefit proposals get a good reception on Orange's news blog, which is typically left-leaning in outlook.
check it out...
http://blogs.orange.co.uk/news/2008/01/scrounger-brita.html
gs,
"I thought that it was "doo-doo"...
It's do-do - when your last remaining colony of credibility is about to become extinct!
Great Victoria from Turton,Bolton sorted out Hain this morning.
''One of the worst people to interview is, she says, Chancellor Gordon Brown, "a typical politician who is just doing his job".
from an interview from the bolton evening News in 2001.
Albert M. Embankment wrote,
What is Schadenfreude?
Difficult to directly translate, but I would interpret it as "Gloating" or "Malicious joy at another's predicament". It could also be described as "spitefulness", but with a rather enthusiastic deliverance. It's probably why we tend to use the same word "schadenfreude" in every day English. There are a few words in the German language for which there is no literal translation into English. One that springs to mind is "Gemütlichkeit", but I won't go into that here.
Guido first latched onto this one back in November when he made an enquiry with Hain's office about registered donations. The panic button was hit and Hain was doing his excellent interpretation of an "Oomie Goolie" bird. Within hours he had tried to register the donations, but was in such a state that he forgot a further lot he hoped to bury and then made his public apologies. Then more misdemeanors of the little yellow faced Troll were unearthed and linked him to the "Picture Financial Services plc" company who were one of his sponsors. The clown has actually endorsed these sharks on their web page, which I believe should be a hanging offence for a government minister!
You say "Doo Doo",
I say "Do Do"
"Doo Doo, Do Do, Do Do, Doo Doo",
Let's shove the orange one off !
vHain attained his "Peter Principle" level when he was vandalising cricket & Rugby pitches in the 60s.
Come to think of it, so did Jack Straw back then too, as head of NUS.
@ Albert M Bankment
You're not wrong, epicaricacy is a top word.
For me, also up there are syzygy and neoteny.
Do you know a better word for snotgobbler? While an accurate label for the charmless one, it's a bit, well, charmless.
On One Taking Up the McCain Banner.
Oh dear have I stuck a nerve.
Firstly there is no mileage in the Hain story, so just give up.
However on Five live this morning Cameron was asked what he thought of Osama Barma. He didnt reply, just said the Tories sisters in the US are the Republicans, and that he favours McCain....oh deary me. Try and sell that Dale
I saw the front page of the Guardian on Hain as I backed away with a crucifix at the Station this morning. Goody goody I thought. Mathew Parris has an interesting article about the way the sleaze " narrative developed ,in Major`s end period and the comparisons he thinks once the Press hate you they take coincidence and make it cause and isolated events become a syndrome .
Hain owns 8 houses you know .. . that’s fraternal for you
Please visit this link and play the rude xylophone with Hain in mind you will find it therapeutic
http://www.limmy.com/playthings/xylophone/
I saw the front page of the Guardian on Hain as I backed away with a crucifix at the Station this morning. Goody goody I thought. Mathew Parris has an interesting article about the way the sleaze " narrative developed ,in Major`s end period and the comparisons he thinks once the Press hate you they take coincidence and make it cause and isolated events become a syndrome .
Hain owns 8 houses you know .. . that’s fraternal for you
Please visit this link and play the rude xylophone with Hain in mind you will find it therapeutic
http://www.limmy.com/playthings/xylophone/
Sam suggests
"...in the opinion of learned counsel there is no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction, and therefore no further action will be taken..."
is that alright, Peter?
Just seen Frank Field endorsing Cammers welfare reforms!! Follow that!
"Firstly there is no mileage in the Hain story, so just give up."
Devastating dialectic, jimbo. Keep up the good work!
Read my keyboard, I will say this only once; no senior Labour politician (by which i mean Cabinet minister) is going to have to walk the plank over Donorgate.
Reason: The CPS has not got the balls to bring charges against them, and on that basis they'll be able to slip away into thr night.
jimbo, time to take the pills.
Sorry, dears, he is so frisky he does get out by himself from time to time.
I really can't believe that it should take more than a few hours for Hain to sort it - if there is nothing he wants to hide of course!
Cuprinol man aint dead yet . He needs to be pursued and skewered just to make sure .
From the blurb there is a hint that Hain might have been pocketing some of those dodgy donations for himself .
This has tax angles .
Dear Jimbo,
Why is there "no mileage" in exposing that crooked scumbag Hain?
From your point of view, perhaps! But this is a right wing blog, so your half arsed effort to downplay a socialist icons fall from grace doesnt play too well here.
We both know full well that if a Tory had been the 'frontman' for such lowlife carpetbagger loansharks you would be shouting about it from the rooftops Eh?
Your silly fantasy 'socialist parradise' is falling to pieces and I for one am well chuffed!
It is ultra depressing to admit it,but I agree with womble on tour.The CPS will not prosecute any cabinet member and they in turn will all state that this cop-out totally vindicates their personal "integrity".No resignations at all.
Womble On Tour said... January 08, 2008 5:09 PM
The CPS has not got the balls to bring charges against them, and on that basis they'll be able to slip away into thr night.
Excellent !!!!!.
But still not one of you has come out to counter my main point, the fact that Camera On on 5 live this morning endorsed Neo Con Senator McCain for president…Have you all gone shy. And to think only last week poor Dale was hypothesizing how an Osama President would favour Team Camera On. Hedging your bets were you Dale.
Hain story didn’t make either main news programme this evening. Funny ITV didn’t even mention Cambos Neo Con Welfare nonsense. BBC did mention it though, honestly, 2nd last story, just before something about a dog that can say “McCain for President”
Dear Vienna Woods at 3.37
It was a joke, for God's sake, just a simple joke. How could anyone miss the joke in "What is the German for Schadenfreude?" I, too, speak German.
Epicaricacy is the Greek-derived, slightly arch, English equivalent of Schadenfreude, and was faked-up in the 18th century.
has hain, harman or watt been arrested yet? thought not. well done plod
Albert M. Bankment hat gesagt...
It was a joke, for God's sake, just a simple joke. How could anyone miss the joke in "What is the German for Schadenfreude?" I, too, speak German.
Sorry about that. Was using somebody else's computer with a tiny monitor and misread your posting. Careless work Vienna! 5/10 See me.
Paging Vienna Woods
We all suffer from time to time. It must be the fault of my aluminium saucepans [joke!], but yesterday I simply couldn't remember the reciprocal term - Glueckschmerz - for misery at another's good fortune.
Post a Comment