In yesterday's Times there was an article suggesting that the Conservatives could unseat Jon Cruddas from his seemingly safe seat of Dagenham & Rainham. It's easy to see why. Cruddas has let the BNP support in the constituency mushroom. He's bleated about it but done bugger all to stem it. This week Jack Straw made a statement to the Commons announcing that a new prison would be built in the constituency on prime development land.
Surprisingly Jon Cruddas sat on his hands during the statement. MPs from all sides of the House were shocked that he did not even try to ask a question or two. It does make you wonder why he was not willing to even ask for a few brief details. In the end, it was neighbouring MP James Brokenshire, who put forward some questions and held the government to account. However, Cruddas found his voice after the debate when he phoned the local paper to say how upset he was. So maybe it was shock that made him sit on his hands in the chamber.
Or perhaps he was thinking about how, after the election, he will run as Harriet Harman's deputy and then stab her in the back and ascend to the leadership. He'd do better to concentrate on winning his seat first.
19 comments:
Perhaps the voters in Dagenham my come to the conclusion that it's pointless sending someone to Parliament to represent their views when he clearly - doesn't.
He may well be in shock as he watches the Westminster Gravy Train escaping his grasp next time; but he has no one to blame but his own Labour Party who have done more to foster the abysmal BNP than anyone.
I look forward to seeing Cruddass booted out of his seat come the General Election - the only problem may be the rise of the BNP as a result.
I'm glad you have exposed Cruddas and these other so called backbenchers for what they are. Pure backstabbers waiting in the wings...
http://www.plenty2say.com
B&D has been solidly Labour since mammoths roamed Rainham Marshes.
I can't see it changing now, no mater how much the Tories target it. At best, an increased BNP vote next election will decrease their majority, but flip it?
Never happen.
And as for the prison issue, why should he worry? It's not like HE lives there, after all....
Sorry Iain, this is hard to believe - dirty work at the crossroads amongst the Labour ranks? Never!! ;)
ROFLMAO at Labour MPs jockeying for position in anticipation of Herr Brown's downfall!
Maybe one day the noble Lord Cruddas (for services to selling out one's constituents)
The Egyptian government's decision to cull the pigs in the country is a public health issue and is rightly being portrayed as such on the BBC and Channel 4 News.
This is NOT a direct attack on the economic well being of the Coptic Christian minority in Egypt.
Our increasingly Islam appeasing MSN will rightly continue to ignor this economic genocide.
Ok somethings definitely up folks, Minister has not denied it.
Labourhome and other places are rife with rumour that a Cabinet Minister will do a stalking horse against Brown if he loses the expenses vote tonight and trigger a Motion of No- Confidence, which if called, several labour MPs would be prepared to vote against the government.
Notional 2005 Results:
Labour: 19032 (48.2%)
Conservative: 12451 (31.5%)
Lib Dem: 3420 (8.7%)
BNP: 2616 (6.6%)
Other: 1991 (5%)
Majority: 6581 (16.7%)
Source - ukpollingreport
As a left-liberal who despises the Labour party for it betrayal of the cross-party hopes and optimism of 1997, I am astonished that anyone thinks Cruddas has any more credibility than anyone else in New-Labour that he seems so keen to distance himself from verbally but supports by his (in)action. A quick look at his voting record at Theyworkforyou shows his utter mendacity and cowardice.
Tom Harris has apologized for an earlier post on his blog.Hats off to him, a Labour MP with humility. Gordon Brown could learn a few things from Tom.
Jon Crudas MA PhD, a champaigne socialist like another well read predecessor MP and fellow champaigne socialist Bryan Gould who simply
sleep walked into Parliament from that constituency in 3 elections which has been solid Labour since WWII. Having failed in his ambition to become the leader of the Labour Party, Bryan Gould took the title of Professor and left the shores to NewZealand from where he arrived here some decades ago to become the vice chancellor of Waikato university and retired from there in 2004. Gould did very little for Dagenham except pretending to be socialist and he did next to nothing at U of Waikato either which had a racist problem (anti-semitic kind)there in his regime as a VC concerning a professor, and he did not take much stronger action. He had his job for 10 years in Waikato U as the Labour Party has been in power there until recently.
Anything can happen in Dagenham as my friends over there say, even a BNP win, as the
immigration problem is THE problem in that new constituency of D and R. If Conservatives want to win there, Cameron has to produce a stronger immigration policy in his manifesto.
"a Cabinet Minister will do a stalking horse against Brown if he loses the expenses vote tonight and trigger a Motion of No- Confidence"
Could you explain exactly how this tactic would work?!
Unfortunately the Conservative Party has done very little to combat the BNP. They may pay lip service, but my experience is that they do not help distribute anti-fascist literature or say much at all.
Wow, Julian, thanks for that insight. Wouldn't have guessed you were a Labour PPC. Funnily enough, handing out anti Fascist literature does very little to combat the BNP, although it may make lefties feel better.
Combatting the BNP needs to be done by pavement politics. Simon Jones understands that in Dagenham and that's why Cruddas may well lose to him.
This is just a campaign leaflet for Simon Jones in Dagenham, nothing more, nothing less. I don't mind you being unbelievably partisan in your support of local candidates Iain, but at least have the courage to do so candidly.
The University of East London (UEL) the former polytechnic has its buildings at Dagenham and runs courses. Following Blair's and Brown's policies of "wider participation" and applying this to the world at large ( we do not have empire any more) UEL buses in students from around the globe, mostly from Asia, who are not qualified to go to universities in their own countries and quite a number of them (hundreds) land in Dagenham area each year to live and looking for part-time work- the very month they land here. (This is against Bill Rammell and other Labour education ministers asserting that we are getting billions of pounds from these new university students! What imbeciles these ministers are! ) Soon these students do not attend lectures and disappear. UEL like all post-92 universities function as illegal immigrants camp. Handing out anti-Fascist literature? I laugh as a brown-coloured person! Instead of this crap, the next conservative govt should tighten up the numbers coming here outside the EU, and no benefits for those arrive/arrived until they contribute taxes for at least 10 years. Dagenham I hear may not be Labour after the next election.
May I echo the words of Iain and praise the outstanding work being done by the Conservative PPC in Dagenham and Rainham, Simon Jones. He and his team are working tirelessly to rid this part of London of its inert and inept Labour MP.
Ian Dale wrote in the comments: "Combatting the BNP needs to be done by pavement politics. "
I think you find that there are only 2 ways to defeat the BNP -- decent policies that stop all immigration and remove a lot of the recent arrivals and the all ethnic violent criminals/serial offenders -- or, wholesale election fraud.
People are so desperate at being let down serially by Labour and the Conservatives they are willing to vote BNP, even if it means being called a nazi and voting for the most demented policies the UK has ever had on offer from a political party. Still, it's the only game in town for many -- the political equivalent of hungry people eating mudcakes, just to survive a famine.
Cruddas just knows the gig is up, people no longerr believe the BS and so he isn't even trying anymore.
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