I was stuck on the wrong side of the Channel Tunnel on Thursday and found myself in the same queue as Geoff Hoon trying to get a ferry ticket with 500 people and only one ticket window open. What was interesting was the mutterings of those around me. One said, “Isn’t that Geoff Hoon? Why doesn’t he get a grip of this shambles instead of just getting his own ticket?” This was greeted with murmurs of support with a few “typical politician” jibes thrown in. It’s a cruel world when Government Ministers even get blamed for the failure of another Country’s transport system to inform stranded passengers. Why am I defending him?! Of course he should have taken charge. Churchill would have commandeered a ferry and led the adoring crowd back to blighty.
Just as well they didn't know at the time that he was about to be appointed Transport Secretary!
24 comments:
Iain, unless you inadvertently missed out the words "...of France" at the end of your post, then of course it's utterly irrelevant.
I still think Geoff Hoon looks like Sid James but with less wrinkles!
I would say Hoon's transport policies are certainly as laughable/ funny as some of the carry on films. Indeed the plots seem to be very similar!
Brown seems to have said to Hoon over the weekend: Carry on!!!
Meanwhile, Nick Clegg is still like Neil Kinnock!
This is becoming a Tory pattern . John redwood recently complained that Ruth Kelly hadn't sorted out the Parisian metro.
Didn't Branson start Virgin Atlantic after his flight was cancelled? Hoonair has a nice ring to it.
it's so typical of how unpleasant, backward and hypocritical some people can be.
If he'd have walked to the front of the queue, or walked off and used his allowances to get a flight - people would have been up in arms saying "typical politician", but when he queues up like everyone else he gets accused as well.
Why can't people just be nice? Like him or not, he's dedicated his life to public service so do people have to accuse him of things that aren't his fault? Oh, that would show a level of respect and decency which no one seems to have anymore. god, i hate people so much.
rant over
"Why can't people just be nice? Like him or not, he's dedicated his life to public service so do people have to accuse him of things that aren't his fault? Oh, that would show a level of respect and decency which no one seems to have anymore. god, i hate people so much."
Because Geoff Hoon is a ****.
Sod Hoon!
How's Gio?
Said well surfer dude. Hoon - Sea - bit of time on your hands: I think he came off lightly.
Dedicated his life to public service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Why can't people just be nice?"
Does this not work both ways? Any record of Hoon 'being nice' to anyone, ever?
"Like him or not, he's dedicated his life to public service"
Really? Actually he's dedicated his life to fighting his way up the greasy pole. All this garbage about 'service' is just a smokescreen for pursuit of power and influence.
"Oh, that would show a level of respect and decency which no one seems to have anymore."
Depends where you look. I've yet to see much respect and decency amongst NuLab MPs.
"god, i hate people so much.".
Yep, you probably do. Now, how do you think that 'people' feel about you?
Pogo 4.46pm
I'm with you!
"Why can't people just be nice?
BECAUSE HE IS A CONMAN
Like him or not, he's dedicated his life to public service so do people have to accuse him of things that aren't his fault?
NO, HE DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO MAKEING HIS LIVING OFF OTHER PEOPLES TAXES. POLITICS HAS MADE HIM A VERY VERY RICH MAN. HIS FAMILY , BY EXTENSION, HAVE ALSO DONE VERY WELL WITH MONEY EXTRACTED FROM THE TAXPAYER, EG THE JOHN LEWIS LIST, THE FREE CAR AND DRIVER, THE FREE SECOND HOUSE, THE FREE CLEANINER, GARDNER, NEWSPAPERS, AND THE SPECIAL NHS SERVICE FOR MPS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Oh, that would show a level of respect and decency which no one seems to have anymore. god, i hate people so much."
THE VALUES OF THE LABOUR PARTY HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY MOST OF SOCIETY - IE SCREW EVERYONE, TAKE THE MONEY AND TO HELL WITH EVERYONE BUT ME.
PEOPLE VOTED FOR LABOUR IN '97, '01AND '05 - PEOPLE GET A SOCIETY AND A GOVERNMENT THEY VOTE FOR
Like him or not, he's dedicated his life to public service so do people have to accuse him of things that aren't his fault?
The only thing that twat has ever dedicated his life to is making sure his bank balance gets bigger by the day.
Hurrah for Gio. They are feist little err.. terriers. He'll be a zombie from the drugs - best place for him. Pick him up tomorrow?
Churchill would have commandeered a ship, had it well stocked with brandy & cigars, boarded in style with a few well-connected Old Harrovian friends and set sail, waving to the crowd left behind on the dock.
Just offering a slightly more realistic historical perspective.
Now for what Cameron would have done. Any Old Bullingdonians care to inform us?
haha you lot are so much fun...
now how about...the Lisbon Treaty is nothing like the EU constitution.
Go!
Re Geoff Hoon lookalikes.
He puts me in mind of Daniel Craig after a good few hours getting beaten with the ugly stick.
Has guido upset someone again, Ian?
Spark Up!
7:37 PM
Sure looks like, fawkeless:
http://sparkedoff.blogspot.com/2008/10/guido-fawkes-friday-caption-competition.html
Last time this self-seeking freeloader was 'nice', a decent, honourable man was found ever so slightly dead under a tree...or has the David Kelly affair been whitewashed recently???
Public service my a*se, as they say oop north in Scouseland!
I know Hoon of old, living as I do in Derbyshire and as a former Labourite, I met him a few times at party events. It never ceases to astonish me how this slippery, pointless and conniving little sh** could make it to such a high office.
In one way, I suppose it shows how desperate NL have been. In another, the sheer force in politics of simply sticking relentlessly to the backside of whoever is in power, and through a combination of platitudes, stiff unbending foolishness, obedience to the party line no matter what and a sort of bland ingratiating smarm, one can repeatedly advance.
His behaviour over Kelly was repeatedly one of the worst examples of public political behaviour in Britain that I can recall. Not least his continued pathetic party-line insistence that those trucks were biowar facilities when Kelly had already told everyone they were not, and everyone believed Kelly, and everyone in office knew that everyone believed Kelly. F***ing H***.
The fact that he still circulates from one high office job to another when everyone knows how loathed he is highlights the utter contempt with which our political establishment views us.
Armanda Ianucci had it right in his Time Trumpet satire where he showed scenes of national rejoicing when Hoon died.
I'm sorry I just don't get this; why are politicians suddenly supposed to take charge in these situations? Why are they better than say an off duty serviceman to deal with it.
Still as a parish councillor, if I see DC cycle through a red light I'll make acitizen's arrest.
So, if a French politician started ordering everyone about in Dover, we'd think that was great, would we? People are such moaners.
Anonymous @ 6.06 said:
"Churchill would have commandeered a ship, had it well stocked with brandy & cigars, boarded in style with a few well-connected Old Harrovian friends and set sail, waving to the crowd left behind on the dock.
Just offering a slightly more realistic historical perspective."
Clearly, your historical perspective amounts to knowing nothing about Churchill's life at all. When in South Africa during the Boer War (as a journalist), his train came under heavy fire and was de-railed. Rather than looking out for himself, he led efforts to put the train back on the rails and secure the safety of all the train passengers (military and civilian). Want to re-appraise your perspective now?
Are you Irish Fergus? Surprised if so that you are pro-Churchill. But I would suggest reading David Stafford's book "Churchill and Secret Service" for a different view on what happened with that train. Churchill was only eager to get away and was more or less bludgeoned into reluctantly helping some other people. A fine start for a politician of any hue.
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