political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Quote of the Day: Margaret Beckett
"One of the reasons I came into politics was because I thought I lacked the skills to be a social worker."
Said with an entirely straight face by Margaret Beckett on Question Time.
58 comments:
Anonymous
said...
What skills be they then?
Just as well you don't need degrees to work for the sally army and provide real social help.
Well by my reckoning Beckett truly only has the skills to be a Bus Conductor. Luckily for her, but not the rest of us, the Labour party exists to wildly over promote those with little, if anything, to offer to the world.
Brian Moore "I used to be a lawyer, then I got a conscience"
Moore (again) "One definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result" - in response to a question about borrowing more
Oh Gord..If I had not read your blog before going to bed and then deciding to watch question time, I would not be wanting to throw a brick at my perfectly good TV.
And she is absolutely right. It is only someone as absolutely ignorant of the issues faced by social workers on a daily basis, particularly those faced with issues around child abuse, who would use a blog to make such an idiotic point.
Iain Dale, you should be drowning in an ocean of shame for your attempt to wind up your pathetic cretinous commenters with this sort of reactionary crap. Brown was spot on about the way Tories want to turn this issue into party politics. As the opinion polls close in we can expect more of this barrel scraping...Shame on you.
Bob, you sicken me with your ridiculous and emotional rant. As you well know, it is part of an MP's work to indulge what is commonly known as social work. It was what Tony Banks said he hated about it. Beckett virtually admitted she wasn't up to the job of being a modern day MP. And you think that is beyond comment? Don;t be such an arse. You're better than that.
It was your joke of a Prime Minister who turned this into a Party Political issue. Do you know, I even had a Labour MP ring me up today to apologise, yes apologise, for what Brown did yesterday. He was ashamed of his own Prime Minister. So should you have been, yet you retreat into your comfort zone of your party political bunker.
Iain, I certainly agree that the spectacle in the HoC on Wednesday was unedifying. But don't put Cameron on too much of a pedestal.
Brown may lack normal human emotions - and his reaction was pretty disgraceful - but again Cameron is resorting to sub-Blair language manipulation.
Cameron would have been better not to have reacted as he did, then he could hold the moral high ground. Now, he is just as bad and petty as Brown.
And Cameron has still never iterated what he exactly stands for and he did use the whole issue as a political football - he brought it up at PMQs, how could it not be political?
As for social workers, and Margaret Beckett's comment, it's a perfectly reasonable point. I doubt many could cope with being social workers and we should be grateful there are as many as there are considering the thankless task they have. I know MPs work very hard and are defacto social workers on many occasions.
And Just because a Labour politician rings you to apologise for their means nothing. I have spoken to Tory MPs thoroughly embarrassed at Osborne and his utter ineffectiveness.
She's being a little harsh on herself there. From what we've seen so far, my cat would make a better social worker than the bunch 'in charge' in Haringey
"The Government ignored a whistleblower's plea for an investigation into Haringey Council's failing social services department six months before the horrifying death of "Baby P", The Independent has learnt. A former social worker at the council wrote to Patricia Hewitt, then Health Secretary, to highlight Haringey's inadequacies in dealing with abuse claims."
"The woman pleaded for a public inquiry and claimed: "Child abusers are not being tackled." The council has since gagged her with an injunction."
(Independent. Mark Hughes and Ben Russell 14 November 2008)
How exactly do spin addicted, incompetents and cover up merchants like Hewitt get jobs ANYWHERE, let alone in government?
Mark Fulford, yes, I noticed the crazy clapper too. Her near-orgasmic reaction to pretty much everything that was said was enthralling. I never quite worked out if she was clapping in agreement with what was being said, or simply with the sheer joy of being in the QT audience.
Piper's ersatz effront isn't 'emotional' at all. It's cant, and the well-practised Mandelson-Campbell technique of defending the indefensible by snarling loudly.
Regarding the Bob Piper/Iain thing, on which the interpretation of reality splits along clear partisan lines, take a look at this quote from the Indie, yes alright, it is Steve Righteous:
"In Number 10 and in Cameron's office, advisers read assiduously some political bloggers to get instant verdicts on the latest performances of their leaders. They do so with particular intensity after Prime Minister's Question Time. The influence of some Conservative bloggers on the tactics of the Tory leadership is particularly interesting, worthy of a longer study."
The only question is, does he mean Iain or Guido? Or both?
Iain, please can you explain why you think this remark is funny? If you're denigrating an entire profession, I think you at least owe the members of that profession some kind of justification for your remarks. Otherwise you just sound like a typical Tory bigot.
Margaret Beckett is always put into full political context by her tenure at the DEFRA steering wheel which was the worst disaster in British bureaucratic history. A bungler truly of the first order, who makes John Prescott look like a literate genius.
Iain you're right that part of being an MP is casework but this is not social work. If you seriously thought this then how on earth do you imagine you have the skills to be an MP?? I suggest you maybe spend some time talking to actual social workers.
Anonymous, you are trying to be clever. I have done enough constituency casework to know exactly what it entails, and there are occasions when it can indeed be classed as social work. I could cite you many examples.
Bob Piper is clearly rattled by this. The revelation of warnings to Ministers about Haringay can only add to the sense of public anger.
Why are they so worried? Because this whole episode reminds us that the moment Brown is away from the economy he is exposed as the shocking Prime Minister that he is.
I almost begin to wonder whether the credit crunch wasn't precipitated to enable both Brown and the US Republicans to push the 'serious man for serious times' meme. Would be fascinated to know whether Brown was consulted on the plug being pulled on Lehmans - he can't have believed his luck: a crisis to shock and frighten the British people and the Americans to blame.
Ah well, a long way from Beckett, but isn't she a manifestation of the 'no time for a novice' strategy too?
Can you not see from the comments here why the conservatives are still resented by so many centerist,and centre right voters such as myself even when faced with this dreadfull government.
Your contributors's comfort zone is treating public sector workers and benefit recipients with contempt,rightly in a minority of cases but utterly unfairly in most.
Now that Obama's been elected president could the tories not provide a narrative,detailed policies which would allow a child of a "slob" of a mother to face up to all his /her disadvantages and advance in life?
Thatcher's great success was in part down to her recognition that,given the opportunity,people would better themselves.
Labour have failed their base constituency in that social mobility is decreasing.The tragedy is that the Tories do not seem to be even in the game.
Regarding the comments made by Bob Piper in relation to the sad baby case.
Is it now Labour policy that you all Lab MP's agree with Brown's comments that this is a political matter?
Shame on you all if you do but I don't suppose you have got the gut's to confirm.... you never get an answer from a Labour MP whether its true or false. Just spin.
matthew - you have completely missed the point. Iain and quite possibly Beckett( although I wouldn't bet on the latter) were making the point that social workers have a terrible job, which in general they cope well with. Noone is denigrating their woork. Beckett - knowing her limitations - was making the point that she probably didn't have the skills for it. Iain was then making the point that she therefore probably wasn't qualified to be a Minister. And from her performance as such, I agree with Iain. Don't suppose there's such a thing as a Labour bigot without a sense of humour?
I look forward to reading Heffer's note on this in his column tomorrow. Given what he's written in the past about Beckett (quite justifiably - she is an utterley useless minister), I was surprised they agreed to be on the same show together....
And the likes of Bob Piper and nbh can leave their faux indignance at the door. NuLab is the party that rallies round social workers who can't do their jobs whilst at the same time committing the political equivalent of corporate manslaughter by sending soldiers to fight and die with sub-standard equipment. Get some perspective, you pathetic morons.
I look forward to reading Heffer's note on this in his column tomorrow. Given what he's written in the past about Beckett (quite justifiably - she is an utterley useless minister), I was surprised they agreed to be on the same show together....
And the likes of Bob Piper and nbh can leave their faux indignance at the door. NuLab is the party that rallies round social workers who can't do their jobs whilst at the same time committing the political equivalent of corporate manslaughter by sending soldiers to fight and die with sub-standard equipment. Get some perspective, you pathetic morons.
I was going to make a similar point to that of kinglear. Matthew and others have completely missed the point. The comment is not a reflection on social workers but on Margaret Beckett.
This whole argument can be reduced to an argument about the role of the state in society.
The Bob Pipers of this world see absolutely the need for social workers. This is to ensure that the state can maintain its apparatus of control over (poor) people's lives. It's the view that people are babies in need of guidance from the well intended and better informed.
Most people on the other side of the ideological divide wonder why we need social workers at all - or at least that their role be defined properly. In a society with appropriate morals the need to defend innocents is hugely reduced because, well, people have morals - by and large. No more.
I'm not saying that there is anywhere in the world now or in history a society in which child cruelty was abolished. What I am saying is that, by destroying other forms of community than the state, the left has been leading a deliberate movement whose end point will always be moral relativism and barbarity.
It is the 'he's a victim of society' mindset that leads so many these days to see no wrong in their own debased behaviour. Blame the victims.
Yes, in Bob's world we need an ever increasing army of nannies to police the masses. In a better world we let them police their own morals through religion, clubs, societies, self-help groups, the power of shame in public life, the family, school discipline, and all the other forms of social glue that Blair and Brown have been working so hard these 11 long years to anihilate.
Cameron is quite right to identify the condition of our society as a key target for redemption. Labour are pushing us along a trajectory towards not only 3rd world economic performance but 3rd world civility.
What I would like to know is how so many Social Workers got tickets for last night's show!! Beckett obviously was aware of that and made the comment she did!
That was not a 'politically weighted' audience.
Says a lot for our Cabinet Ministers does it not!
I also object, in my late uncle's name. for MR ANGRY's comments.
Bus Conductors are above Mrs Beckett in both intelligence and worth!
Mark Fulford said... ...the manic clapper in green...
Yes, I noticed her too. There was also the unsubtle hymn of praise to GB from a Scottish lady. Where do these people come from – I think it would be worth following up on the background of some of th members of the public. Is the audience being manipulated by NuLabour?
About nine years ago I had a part time job in a supermarket. Margaret Beckett was a regular customer, we saw her most weeks. Despite this, on atas two occasions she had to stop one of the staff to ask where the eggs were. One of my colleagues helpfully pointed out that they were under the 6 foot high sign, visible from all over the store that said "EGGS AND DAIRY".
And Cameron has still never iterated what he exactly stands for and....
I disagree.
Cameron has done so several times using a reasonable amount of detail. I think you will find your problem is, that so far you have not liked much of what he does indeed say he stands for.
However if I was you I would not pay too much attention to what politicians say about anything. Actions speak louder then words, and in modern politician speak, INFINITELY LOUDER.
As for Becket, what can one say bad about this person that would not also apply in spades to the rest?
Not much. Other then she is supposed to be a female, and is about as incompetent and complacent as its possible for a 'no talent,' over promoted, wind bag can easily get away with. Which thanks in no small part to the BBC, is unfortunately an incredibly large amount of incompetence and complacency. ================================== I was once married to a highly qualified child care social worker employed for 5 years by Southwark council. A worse record for child sex abuse and violence it is difficult to find outside the worse parts of the third world.
Given that I am talking about my EX WIFE, I have this to say about her qualification for the job.
She was a born social worker, highly suited to the role in every way.
She was crazy, a Nazi, hated children, a heartless bitch, an alcoholic, untidy, disorganized, useless at all and any type of housework, a bad mother, bad wife, and generally as disfunctional as the average university graduate. Which as any normal person knows, is very highly disfunctional, not to say completely useless, especially to children and the rest of society.
Iain over a 7 year period I met many child care social workers, most of which assumed that I was also one of them. If you knew what I know you about seemingly ALL of them. You and especially Bob Piper would not be surprised about this recent child murder. You would both be wondering how it does not happen 10 times a day at least, and then want to sack every single child care social worker in existence, for criminally murderous incompetence.
To be fair. Its not so much the individual social workers fault anyway. The whole damned system is so to speak BUGGERED from the very very top to the very bottom.
The best thing to do is to simply stop what we are doing right now, sack the lot of them and start all over again from absolute scratch.
Remembering her time at DEFRA a minestry for giving money to farmers a ob it spectacularly failed to do when she was in charge I would saythat with some training she ouldbe raiseup to the reqired level of incompotence.
she also said that if anybody got a council house when they were poor they should be allowed to keep it even when they got richer. never mind how many still poor people were on the waiting list.
Remembering her time at DEFRA a minestry for giving money to farmers a ob it spectacularly failed to do when she was in charge I would saythat with some training she ouldbe raiseup to the reqired level of incompotence.
she also said that if anybody got a council house when they were poor they should be allowed to keep it even when they got richer. never mind how many still poor people were on the waiting list.
I was half-way through writing a defence of social workers. I am a social worker after all. Then I gave up because really, it isn't what people will hear regardless of what I say. It's an easy pop though and if it keeps a few of the middle class chuckling away, then good luck to them.
Politicians don't 'do social work'. They might make a few phone calls and contact a few councils on behalf of constituents. Casework, fine. That doesn't really qualify as social work per se.
Beckett defending Frank Dobson continuing to live in a taxpayer-subsidised council house while on a six-figure cabinet salary (presumably plus generous expenses) was pathetic too. Apparently it was fine "because London's expensive".
58 comments:
What skills be they then?
Just as well you don't need degrees to work for the sally army and provide real social help.
And not the slightest reaction from the typically bovine audience.
Quite.
It's not every day that one finds oneself agreeing with Margaret Beckett.
Well by my reckoning Beckett truly only has the skills to be a Bus Conductor. Luckily for her, but not the rest of us, the Labour party exists to wildly over promote those with little, if anything, to offer to the world.
Quite a few good quotes today on qeustion time:
Brian Moore "I used to be a lawyer, then I got a conscience"
Moore (again) "One definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result" - in response to a question about borrowing more
Why is the question time panel carefuly balanced yet the audience unbalanced?
To quote Jon Stewart (The Daily Show) "Sometimes the comedy just writes itself" :-)
If she is not even qualified to be a social worker, what use is Beckett to the country?
God forbid that a social worker ever be trusted with ANY sort of power, much less Beckett...
The question time panel are out of touch. We ALL know council house tenants who have got a freebie for life...At our expense.
I can only conclude that their (QT)lives are so rarefied that they have lost touch with the world that the rest of us inhabit.
Oh Gord..If I had not read your blog before going to bed and then deciding to watch question time, I would not be wanting to throw a brick at my perfectly good TV.
beckett on social housing reform
"I haven't made a decision yet,as I'm still looking at the evidence "!
just how many years has this party been in government ? not one in the audience said anything either !
brillos double-sided sticky tape is shining through his hairline ...arf
what is it with some balding men ,,,it falls out, just cut it short get a tan and suck on a lolly !
who lurves yah baby !
And she is absolutely right. It is only someone as absolutely ignorant of the issues faced by social workers on a daily basis, particularly those faced with issues around child abuse, who would use a blog to make such an idiotic point.
Iain Dale, you should be drowning in an ocean of shame for your attempt to wind up your pathetic cretinous commenters with this sort of reactionary crap. Brown was spot on about the way Tories want to turn this issue into party politics. As the opinion polls close in we can expect more of this barrel scraping...Shame on you.
Said with an entirely straight face by Margaret Beckett
She always has a straight face.
Its because she looks like a horse.
look at either end of a horse and you will instantly think
"Good Lord.Its Maggie Beckett!"
Iain you are a protected, over-privileged snob.
Bob, you sicken me with your ridiculous and emotional rant. As you well know, it is part of an MP's work to indulge what is commonly known as social work. It was what Tony Banks said he hated about it. Beckett virtually admitted she wasn't up to the job of being a modern day MP. And you think that is beyond comment? Don;t be such an arse. You're better than that.
It was your joke of a Prime Minister who turned this into a Party Political issue. Do you know, I even had a Labour MP ring me up today to apologise, yes apologise, for what Brown did yesterday. He was ashamed of his own Prime Minister. So should you have been, yet you retreat into your comfort zone of your party political bunker.
Shame on you. Yes indeed.
Glad you pulled her up on this, Iain. It was a wonderful piece of TV.
It was a strange audience tonight. Did anybody else notice the manic clapper in green? She was the one surrounded by lesser manic clappers.
Hunt did very well I thought although, considering the location, we were lucky to escape Ben Dover.
We have become scum, led by scum.
Marge also commented on the Baby P debacle with "We should educate kids at school about parenting".
Wot?
Like "Don't throw babies on the floor and jump on them"?
Is that what they'd like to dumb it down to?
Well, that would explain a few things...
Iain, I certainly agree that the spectacle in the HoC on Wednesday was unedifying. But don't put Cameron on too much of a pedestal.
Brown may lack normal human emotions - and his reaction was pretty disgraceful - but again Cameron is resorting to sub-Blair language manipulation.
Cameron would have been better not to have reacted as he did, then he could hold the moral high ground. Now, he is just as bad and petty as Brown.
And Cameron has still never iterated what he exactly stands for and he did use the whole issue as a political football - he brought it up at PMQs, how could it not be political?
As for social workers, and Margaret Beckett's comment, it's a perfectly reasonable point. I doubt many could cope with being social workers and we should be grateful there are as many as there are considering the thankless task they have. I know MPs work very hard and are defacto social workers on many occasions.
And Just because a Labour politician rings you to apologise for their means nothing. I have spoken to Tory MPs thoroughly embarrassed at Osborne and his utter ineffectiveness.
And what about Simon Heffer?
Nice to see Bob Piper spitting his Dummy out over your comments. Isn't he himself trying to make a political point by his own bile induced comments?
She's being a little harsh on herself there. From what we've seen so far, my cat would make a better social worker than the bunch 'in charge' in Haringey
"The Government ignored a whistleblower's plea for an investigation into Haringey Council's failing social services department six months before the horrifying death of "Baby P", The Independent has learnt. A former social worker at the council wrote to Patricia Hewitt, then Health Secretary, to highlight Haringey's inadequacies in dealing with abuse claims."
"The woman pleaded for a public inquiry and claimed: "Child abusers are not being tackled." The council has since gagged her with an injunction."
(Independent. Mark Hughes and Ben Russell 14 November 2008)
How exactly do spin addicted, incompetents and cover up merchants like Hewitt get jobs ANYWHERE, let alone in government?
If the whistle blower social worker's report is correct, does that implicate Patricia Hewitt and the government in the death of baby P?
Mark Fulford, yes, I noticed the crazy clapper too. Her near-orgasmic reaction to pretty much everything that was said was enthralling. I never quite worked out if she was clapping in agreement with what was being said, or simply with the sheer joy of being in the QT audience.
Iain,
Piper's ersatz effront isn't 'emotional' at all. It's cant, and the well-practised Mandelson-Campbell technique of defending the indefensible by snarling loudly.
Piper's better than this you say? No, he isn't.
Regarding the Bob Piper/Iain thing, on which the interpretation of reality splits along clear partisan lines, take a look at this quote from the Indie, yes alright, it is Steve Righteous:
"In Number 10 and in Cameron's office, advisers read assiduously some political bloggers to get instant verdicts on the latest performances of their leaders. They do so with particular intensity after Prime Minister's Question Time. The influence of some Conservative bloggers on the tactics of the Tory leadership is particularly interesting, worthy of a longer study."
The only question is, does he mean Iain or Guido? Or both?
Iain, please can you explain why you think this remark is funny? If you're denigrating an entire profession, I think you at least owe the members of that profession some kind of justification for your remarks. Otherwise you just sound like a typical Tory bigot.
Iain said of Bob Parper "You're better than that."
Is he?
Iain says "Bob, you sicken me with your ridiculous and emotional rant"
That's rich coming from you!
:)
On second thoughts that's two questions and I think it's Iain.
Oh, and is there anything Freudian about "...Margaraet Beckett with a straight face"?
Like Winnie Mandela being an "unblushing liar"
On which theme Gordon Brown makes Winnie look pale.
Margaret Beckett is always put into full political context by her tenure at the DEFRA steering wheel which was the worst disaster in British bureaucratic history. A bungler truly of the first order, who makes John Prescott look like a literate genius.
Nuf said.
Pretty weak post on your part Iain, she made a valid point. Or do you want to foist numpties onto children?
Iain you're right that part of being an MP is casework but this is not social work. If you seriously thought this then how on earth do you imagine you have the skills to be an MP?? I suggest you maybe spend some time talking to actual social workers.
"It's your joke of a Prime Minister who turned this into a party political issue"
No party politics there, then.
Anonymous, you are trying to be clever. I have done enough constituency casework to know exactly what it entails, and there are occasions when it can indeed be classed as social work. I could cite you many examples.
Now all we need is for one of this lot to admit they now qualified to run the proverbial whelk stall.
Iain
Bob Piper is clearly rattled by this. The revelation of warnings to Ministers about Haringay can only add to the sense of public anger.
Why are they so worried? Because this whole episode reminds us that the moment Brown is away from the economy he is exposed as the shocking Prime Minister that he is.
I almost begin to wonder whether the credit crunch wasn't precipitated to enable both Brown and the US Republicans to push the 'serious man for serious times' meme. Would be fascinated to know whether Brown was consulted on the plug being pulled on Lehmans - he can't have believed his luck: a crisis to shock and frighten the British people and the Americans to blame.
Ah well, a long way from Beckett, but isn't she a manifestation of the 'no time for a novice' strategy too?
Iain,
Can you not see from the comments here why the conservatives are still resented by so many centerist,and centre right voters such as myself even when faced with this dreadfull government.
Your contributors's comfort zone is treating public sector workers and benefit recipients with contempt,rightly in a minority of cases but utterly unfairly in most.
Now that Obama's been elected president could the tories not provide a narrative,detailed policies which would allow a child of a "slob" of a mother to face up to all his /her disadvantages and advance in life?
Thatcher's great success was in part down to her recognition that,given the opportunity,people would better themselves.
Labour have failed their base constituency in that social mobility is decreasing.The tragedy is that the Tories do not seem to be even in the game.
Regarding the comments made by Bob Piper in relation to the sad baby case.
Is it now Labour policy that you all Lab MP's agree with Brown's comments that this is a political matter?
Shame on you all if you do but I don't suppose you have got the gut's to confirm.... you never get an answer from a Labour MP whether its true or false. Just spin.
"Said with an entirely straight face by Margaret Beckett"
Did you report this with an entirely straight face, Iain?
matthew - you have completely missed the point. Iain and quite possibly Beckett( although I wouldn't bet on the latter) were making the point that social workers have a terrible job, which in general they cope well with. Noone is denigrating their woork. Beckett - knowing her limitations - was making the point that she probably didn't have the skills for it. Iain was then making the point that she therefore probably wasn't qualified to be a Minister. And from her performance as such, I agree with Iain.
Don't suppose there's such a thing as a Labour bigot without a sense of humour?
I look forward to reading Heffer's note on this in his column tomorrow. Given what he's written in the past about Beckett (quite justifiably - she is an utterley useless minister), I was surprised they agreed to be on the same show together....
And the likes of Bob Piper and nbh can leave their faux indignance at the door. NuLab is the party that rallies round social workers who can't do their jobs whilst at the same time committing the political equivalent of corporate manslaughter by sending soldiers to fight and die with sub-standard equipment. Get some perspective, you pathetic morons.
I look forward to reading Heffer's note on this in his column tomorrow. Given what he's written in the past about Beckett (quite justifiably - she is an utterley useless minister), I was surprised they agreed to be on the same show together....
And the likes of Bob Piper and nbh can leave their faux indignance at the door. NuLab is the party that rallies round social workers who can't do their jobs whilst at the same time committing the political equivalent of corporate manslaughter by sending soldiers to fight and die with sub-standard equipment. Get some perspective, you pathetic morons.
I was going to make a similar point to that of kinglear. Matthew and others have completely missed the point. The comment is not a reflection on social workers but on Margaret Beckett.
This whole argument can be reduced to an argument about the role of the state in society.
The Bob Pipers of this world see absolutely the need for social workers. This is to ensure that the state can maintain its apparatus of control over (poor) people's lives. It's the view that people are babies in need of guidance from the well intended and better informed.
Most people on the other side of the ideological divide wonder why we need social workers at all - or at least that their role be defined properly. In a society with appropriate morals the need to defend innocents is hugely reduced because, well, people have morals - by and large. No more.
I'm not saying that there is anywhere in the world now or in history a society in which child cruelty was abolished. What I am saying is that, by destroying other forms of community than the state, the left has been leading a deliberate movement whose end point will always be moral relativism and barbarity.
It is the 'he's a victim of society' mindset that leads so many these days to see no wrong in their own debased behaviour. Blame the victims.
Yes, in Bob's world we need an ever increasing army of nannies to police the masses. In a better world we let them police their own morals through religion, clubs, societies, self-help groups, the power of shame in public life, the family, school discipline, and all the other forms of social glue that Blair and Brown have been working so hard these 11 long years to anihilate.
Cameron is quite right to identify the condition of our society as a key target for redemption. Labour are pushing us along a trajectory towards not only 3rd world economic performance but 3rd world civility.
What I would like to know is how so many Social Workers got tickets for last night's show!! Beckett obviously was aware of that and made the comment she did!
That was not a 'politically weighted' audience.
Says a lot for our Cabinet Ministers does it not!
I also object, in my late uncle's name. for MR ANGRY's comments.
Bus Conductors are above Mrs Beckett in both intelligence and worth!
Is she not sufficiently incompetent to be a social worker?
Mark Fulford said...
...the manic clapper in green...
Yes, I noticed her too. There was also the unsubtle hymn of praise to GB from a Scottish lady. Where do these people come from – I think it would be worth following up on the background of some of th members of the public. Is the audience being manipulated by NuLabour?
Strapworld - judging by Reg Varney and his side kick Bob, they are certainly above her in common sense and guile
About nine years ago I had a part time job in a supermarket. Margaret Beckett was a regular customer, we saw her most weeks.
Despite this, on atas two occasions she had to stop one of the staff to ask where the eggs were.
One of my colleagues helpfully pointed out that they were under the 6 foot high sign, visible from all over the store that said "EGGS AND DAIRY".
And Cameron has still never iterated what he exactly stands for and....
I disagree.
Cameron has done so several times using a reasonable amount of detail. I think you will find your problem is, that so far you have not liked much of what he does indeed say he stands for.
However if I was you I would not pay too much attention to what politicians say about anything. Actions speak louder then words, and in modern politician speak, INFINITELY LOUDER.
As for Becket, what can one say bad about this person that would not also apply in spades to the rest?
Not much. Other then she is supposed to be a female, and is about as incompetent and complacent as its possible for a 'no talent,' over promoted, wind bag can easily get away with. Which thanks in no small part to the BBC, is unfortunately an incredibly large amount of incompetence and complacency.
==================================
I was once married to a highly qualified child care social worker employed for 5 years by Southwark council. A worse record for child sex abuse and violence it is difficult to find outside the worse parts of the third world.
Given that I am talking about my EX WIFE, I have this to say about her qualification for the job.
She was a born social worker, highly suited to the role in every way.
She was crazy, a Nazi, hated children, a heartless bitch, an alcoholic, untidy, disorganized, useless at all and any type of housework, a bad mother, bad wife, and generally as disfunctional as the average university graduate. Which as any normal person knows, is very highly disfunctional, not to say completely useless, especially to children and the rest of society.
Iain over a 7 year period I met many child care social workers, most of which assumed that I was also one of them. If you knew what I know you about seemingly ALL of them. You and especially Bob Piper would not be surprised about this recent child murder. You would both be wondering how it does not happen 10 times a day at least, and then want to sack every single child care social worker in existence, for criminally murderous incompetence.
To be fair. Its not so much the individual social workers fault anyway. The whole damned system is so to speak BUGGERED from the very very top to the very bottom.
The best thing to do is to simply stop what we are doing right now, sack the lot of them and start all over again from absolute scratch.
Atlas shrugged
And those skills would the ability to turn a blind eye perhaps?
I think she's got them!
Remembering her time at DEFRA a minestry for giving money to farmers a ob it spectacularly failed to do when she was in charge I would saythat with some training she ouldbe raiseup to the reqired level of incompotence.
she also said that if anybody got a council house when they were poor they should be allowed to keep it even when they got richer. never mind how many still poor people were on the waiting list.
Remembering her time at DEFRA a minestry for giving money to farmers a ob it spectacularly failed to do when she was in charge I would saythat with some training she ouldbe raiseup to the reqired level of incompotence.
she also said that if anybody got a council house when they were poor they should be allowed to keep it even when they got richer. never mind how many still poor people were on the waiting list.
I was half-way through writing a defence of social workers. I am a social worker after all. Then I gave up because really, it isn't what people will hear regardless of what I say. It's an easy pop though and if it keeps a few of the middle class chuckling away, then good luck to them.
Politicians don't 'do social work'. They might make a few phone calls and contact a few councils on behalf of constituents. Casework, fine. That doesn't really qualify as social work per se.
Beckett defending Frank Dobson continuing to live in a taxpayer-subsidised council house while on a six-figure cabinet salary (presumably plus generous expenses) was pathetic too. Apparently it was fine "because London's expensive".
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