The time of year is approaching when it's time for the End of Year Awards. I thought I'd kick things off by asking you to nominate your Government Toady of the Year. Obviously Sir Gerald Kaufman and Nigel Griffiths get nominated for their speeches yesterday, but I am sure there will be some stiff competition for the award. Get nominating...
Well, not withstanding his speech of yesterday: Keith Vaz for his 42-days speech. Also Rob Marris on the Lisbon Treaty, where he was kind of the attack dog.
ReplyDeleteWas Lord Tebbit's flattery of the PM this year or last?
ReplyDeleteNo competition:
ReplyDeleteThe Today Programme - shame on them.
The oily little shill Vaz by a mile.
ReplyDeletePatricia Hewitt - who has just described McSnotty as a "commanding figure on the world stage".
ReplyDeleteAnd Newsnight, its presenters, editors and producers, for turning a good programme into a nightly Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the Labour Party.
Kaufman - no question.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively you could name the entire editorial staff of The Daily Telegraph.
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ReplyDeleteThis is like betting on the Grand National. There are too many runners and riders and at the last minute, a hundred to one shot might win by a brown nose.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would like to nominate Tom Harris, he of the refulgent blog and a voting record that reads like a YouGov poll on the likelihood of the Pope being a Catholic, that has been commissioned by the Vatican.
Tom's blog is entertaining. He even lets some of my posts through. He is a rounded character with interests outside politics, such as Dr Who, great railway journeys and Chris De Burgh. Unfortunately he is a serial cutter and paster of party propaganda and, given that he writes a high profile blog and is therefore more dangerous than most Labour lobby fodder, my vote goes to Tom. Bless 'im.
Kerry McCarthy. Trots out the Government spin faithfully, and generally behaves like the weedy kid following the bullies around.
ReplyDeleteSteven Pound, MP for Ealing North, who can be guaranteed to 'pop up' on Todey to unthinkingly defend anything that this government of all the tossers (GOAT)does or proposes to do, regardless of how incompetent, corrupt or disengenuous.
ReplyDeleteSurely, it has to be Marr by a country marrle.
ReplyDeleteStephen Pound
ReplyDeletefor always being there.
John Heppell MP is the ultimate toady - he never, ever, ever rebels against his own party.
ReplyDeletePhilip Webster, chief political editor of the Times.(More deserving of the knickname "toenails" than Nick Robinson).
ReplyDeleteIt's got to be that creep Peston.
ReplyDeleteCan I nominate a Tory? A Tory Blogger? For services to the Labour Party and government our very own Favourite Tory Blogger ... Iain Dale.
ReplyDeleteMore subtle than Curly, appears to be on the other side, but probably all the more effective for that.
Default option: Denis MacShane.
ReplyDeleteOh and Jimmy the Troll who, if 'twere allowed to immediately comment via mainstream TV would out himself as a serial auto-erotic.
STB.
I know, I know but wv is 'falisse'.
Jimmy Fallistric! I claim my £5.
Peter Oddborne, how many puff pieces this year?
ReplyDeleteDacre. No, Vaz. No, Naughtie. No, Vaz. No, Marr. No, Vaz. No, Four Eyes Robinson. No, Vaz. Got to be Vaz, even with competition this stiff. No - wait! Mandelson wins it by a head (sic)! Poor old Vaz. He can't even get a gong around hre.
ReplyDeleteWrinkled Weasel is correct, it's like betting on the Grand National, and this year it's a ragingly strong field.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the award must go to the quiet of late, Tony McNulty.
(If there was a Lifetime Achievement Award it would surely go to The Tanned Turtle himself, Gerald Kaufman.)
Yvette Cooper.
ReplyDeleteJust because she doesn't know what the words she has been told to say mean shouldn't diminish the effort she puts in to saying them.
Lifetime achievement David Steel.
A whole lifetime spent being wrong can't be ignored.
+ consistency award: Gary Elsby {failed MP} for fantasy scenarios above and beyond the call of duty
Mark Hendrick, for Outstanding Services To His Masters for the ninth year running.
ReplyDeleteNever once voted against the Government since November 2000. Good Lad!
Mandelson for the "Moses" thing!
ReplyDeleteDavid Boothroyd gets a special mention for effort, surely ?
ReplyDeleteno reaction to GB's nice verbal blunder on PMQs earlier today Iain?
ReplyDeletethere's a video of it on my blog here: http://conservativeactivist.blogspot.com/
:)
However, I would like to nominate Tom Harris, he of the refulgent blog
ReplyDelete----------------------------
Seconded
"Peter is an honest, honourable and capable politician. I hope today’s decision will clear the way back to government for him."
Reached a new low in slime.
He doesn't let me post on his blog - Alaistair told him not to.
Well I say 'his blog' - but we pay for it of course.
ReplyDeleteas to the actual question of biggest Government Toady?
ReplyDeletehow about Tom Levitt?
The One Show. I know it's petty but they are a soppy, soft side of the BBC but are unremittingly left-wing on every single consumer issues they cover.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a "Biggest Government Crook of the Year" competition?
ReplyDeleteNick Palmer, for his incessant contributions to politicalbetting.com
ReplyDeleteTom Harris,
ReplyDeleteAlways supports the goverment on his excellent blog.
Purnell, his nose is right up Broon's fundament and he is loving looking like a henchman. He should have a T-shirt like the old batman baddies: "henchman #1"
ReplyDeleteFrom Mark Wadsworth today: "The real point is that welfare claimants' have no strong motivation to find a job because they lose more in benefits than they can earn in net wages. Until the Powers That Be grasp this simple fact, all this tinkering achieves nothing."
wv: trano (really)
The Speaker
ReplyDeleteDame Gerald Kaufman without doubt, for a performance on Monday that rimmed.
ReplyDeleteKevin MaGuire, a pathetic creep if ever there was one. Gives journalists a worse name.
ReplyDeleteChurchill the nodding Insurance Dog. He constantly imitates all those *rs*h*l*s doughnutted around our beloved Broon, or other speakers on the Labour side.
ReplyDeleteAlan Douglas
It has to be the appalling Stephen Pound. He hadn't a good word to say for Gordon when Tony was in power - now he's singing Gordon's praises.
ReplyDeleteHe'd show up to opening of an envelope too!
In the media, 'Comical Kev' Maguire, Nick Robinson, or Jon Craig.
ReplyDeleteIn the House, Vaz.
No contest, Keith Vaz
ReplyDeleteI think an honourable mention should go to my MP Tom Levitt. He never votes against the government, he is the lickspittles lickspittle. His comments in the local rag are read avidly each week in our house. Each week he surpasses himself in his asininity and slavish adherance to the party line. Good on yer Tom, you don't mind looking a fool, do you?
ReplyDelete