Harriet Harman just plumbed a new depth on Sky News. She says the Tory reaction to the Norwich result is "arrogant" because they have said it means they have now won the general election, and it's in the bag.
Unfortunately Kay Burley failed to ask her to provide evidence for this. I haven't heard or read of a single Tory who has said any such thing and if anyone does, they're a fool. Still, better to be a fool than someone who indulges in unfounded smears, which is what Harriet Harman has just done. I will put it no more strongly than that.
68 comments:
I think you better check the transcript again, Iain. get the video up.
What is with you and Kay at Sky ? You are forever 'mishearing'...
Yeah, she also mentioned "unprecedented circumstances" were responsible for the victory.
To which I blogged that said "unprecedented circumstances" are Labour's frankly confusing inability to hoof a certain clunking, useless, sad sack of a one-eyed sorry excuse for a leader into touch.
If Harmans that concerned for her party, perhaps she should offer Gordy a lift and promptly drive them both over a large cliff. It's about the only thing that'll help at this point.
Canvas, don't start your trouble making again. Kay actually called the constituency Norfolk North at the beginning. Harman said exactly what I said she said. And she said it on the BBC about 20 minutes earlier.
:) get the viseo up then hahaa
I heard Hattie Hormone say the same thing on the BBC lunch time news where again, her comments passed unchallenged.
While you would expect this from the BBC, I would have expected something better from Sky, although the Burley woman is not much of an interviewer is she?
Theresa May said "If the result was repeated in a general election ..."
This is a far leap from Harman's arrogance. In her BBC R4 interview she started off humbly but quickly switched to arrogance, repeatedly talking over the interviewer and repeating the discredited line of Labour investment, Tory cuts.
I started off having sympathy with her honesty and quickly ended up furious with her manner.
Harmann also stated this on Pravda I mean the BBC as well.
New depths hey but what do we all expect, I think the run up to the GE is going to be "filthy" gutter politics power at all costs at and that.
There is no evidence from any Conservative MP or mainstream commentator.
There's more than enough amongst the child-minds of the blogosphere though, which is indisputably right-of-centre dominated. No doubt the man who compares Lib/Dems to Nazis on here will be along soon to say this is rubbish and mature and rational political discourse is the norm for the internet. The obvious retort in three words: "Threads on PBC"
As the blogosphere demands that it is the future of media, successor to "Dead Tree Press", can't be ignored etc., don't be surprised if it gets picked up on in this fashion.
Harman and Arrogance ????
Kettle calling pot black surely.
She said the same on the BBC and it went unchallenged. Still, I suppose we should expect them to start getting nasty as they head towards the election
Harriet Harman MP, anagrams
Rampant Harm Heir
Arrant Hamper Him
Mariner? Hah! Tramp!
Harriet Harman =
Harem Hair Rant
Retrain? Ah! Harm!
That's enough!
She banged on about how the Tories had scored 2000 fewer votes than in 2005. I wish Kay Burley had asked her about the 15,000 votes her own party seems to have lost. The only person who looks arrogant is Harriet Harman.
Fully agree Iain, but what else should we expect from the morally bankrupt deputy leader of a morally bankrupt party?
Labour Lies, Labour Smears,
Labour sullies the ears.
Labour Lies, Labour Spins,
Labour twists in the wind.
I thought Harman's defence was one of the weakest, and most tragic, I've heard for a long, long time.
This should be a warning to all of Labour's political opponents - they will lie, smear, and deploy every dirty trick in the book between now and the GE.
Ben Bradshaw has to get the prize for self-delusion today, though. It was pure Keystone Cops.
Wait, it might have been the BBC interview with Harman that I saw. They all seem to have questions read directly from a script...
Harriet Harman also made the claim on Radio 5 to Simon Mayo. When he challenged her as to who was claiming a tory victory she replied that Theresa May had virtually said that on the World at One.
You are spot on Iain. I heard it too and we do know that Harriet along with many of her colleagues know quite a bit about arrogance along with ofcourse deceit. It is clear that is why many liebour voters switched or stayed at home, because of the dirt that liebour dishes out.
They lie blatantly and really their only concern is to stay in power, one way or another. Wait till the general election, liebours arroagnce and deceit is only in its infancy, to them there are no limits.
Don't knock Harriet, Iain, she's a good bloke.
She was following on from a Theresa May interview on The World at One where May implied that victory wasn't just because of the intense canvassing, and that it could / would be repeated at a general election.
Hattie has to say something to divert attention from yet another spectacularly bad result for her lot.
Is this outburst from Harriet the Hypocrite, showing that there is likely to be a leadership challenge at the Labour conference in Sept?
Pete-s
Winners find ways to win, losers find excuses. Obama Beach already had prepared reasons for why they lost, just as he did in C&N (expenses and getting rid of popular guy and blah blah).
He seems to miss the obvious one though - "No-one likes me and people are fed up of Labour". I almost expect him to reel off a list of excuses should the Tories win next year, culminating in him refusing to leave because he knows what's best for the country. Like all good lefties, he just can't understand why people disagree with him.
I have been watching all the coverage and not ONCE has there been ANY Conservative arrogance.
This is a blatent smear. It is disgusting.
HARMAN THE LIAR!
What a nasty arrogant woman she is.
I look forward to her being interviewed by more serious commentators later today rather than the present `talking heads`
JH
I find it incredible that Harman could come up with those bilious remarks,particularly in light oF Chloe Smith's gracious acceptance speech. Chloe would have been perfectly justified in telling Craig Murray where to shove his poisonous leaflets.
Iain,
Harman is a fool, so her cock-eyed comments are to be expected.
However, O/T and on a more interesting note, 'Pravda' were commenting that the Conservative vote was reduced by the strong showing by UKIP.
I know that the damage that UKIP could potentially do to the Conservatives in key marginals has been aired on this site previously, so is it time to ask if there a deal to be done here between Cameron and Farrage?
There is, of course, a school of thought that suggests any deal with UKIP might suggest a 'lurch to the Right' by Cameron. However, there was a time when the Libs were seriously considering a deal with Labour not to field Lib Dem candidates in key constituencies where Labour could win if their vote was not split with the Libs.
Could a similar deal be done between UKIP and the Conservatives in return for, say, two Front Bench positions for UKIP MPs in a future Conservative led Government?
Since we are now in an age of 'GOATs', there would be no bar to such a move taking place.
Just a thought...
FB
UKIP's vote gained as a percentage more than anyone else, during a campaign where we were virtually ignored and pushed behind the Greens as a total fringe choice. We were not even included in the BBC's televised debate yet still spanked Rupert Read's greenies.
Nuff said?
Of course, there was not even a hint of such arrogance from the Labour Party in 1996-7.
Harman is a sour-faced finger-wagging bore, what more do you expect?
It is also very clear that she is, to put it bluntly, thick.
PS If you want back up for the arrogance of the Tory blogs, see Con Home where it is suggested Vernon Bogdanor should be strung up from the nearest lamppost (I paraphrase) for daring to suggest a 200 majority is not sewn up in Cameron's bag.
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2009/07/the-bbc-needs-a-new-independent-academic-commentator-on-elections.html
The Labour performance was the lowest % vote for an incumbent government party at a byelection since the Conservatives lost Rochdale to Labour in 1958 and finished 3rd .
The party that went on to win the 1959 GE around a year later was the Conservatives .
Labour are dead in the water. They have run the campaign by smears and lies and now you expect them to stop just because they have lost?
Come on Iian, Harridan is one of the main architects of the Labour left lie machine.
"Don't vote Tory....They'll close all the hospitals and eat your babies"
The trouble is that some people believe it. I have had several old people who have said that they would vote for us but we are going to cut the winter fuel allowance. When I asked them where they got that idea they said that Labour canvassers have said it to them. They aren't telling them what is good about Labour, they are telling them what is bad about us.
Harman is, in Jeff Randal's memorable phrase 'one of Labour's moon gazers'.
There's no point in even trying to find a come back to that sort of gob smacking arrogance.
Rope, self, hang, enough?
Faceless Bureaucrat, all Cameron needs to do is change his policy to allow "Better Off Out" members to join his front bench. I believe Farage has said UKIP won't stand against outspokenly Eurosceptic MPs.
Iain
I really cant belive that liebour will sleepwalk into a big defeat next year.
I am certain they will revisit the brown leadership.
They know they would stand a far beter chance with any one other than brown. I really can't see them ignoring this. People see brown on the box or hear him on the radio,and they cringe, he really is a very good advert for the tories. Will Mandelson allow this to continue? Perhaps till after the Irish vote on the Union and lisbon is fully ratified. Then he will strike. We all know, other issues apart, that brown is now a very big reason why people wont vote liebour.
A few months ago Ken Clarke said on Question Time said "when we get in" rather than "if".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4e23Uv4m8U#t=3m40s
Harriet Harm Man is responsible for discrimination, racism and sexism caused by the so called Equality Bill. The public response via the recent EU vote which saw the political landscape change dramatically is all down to her, and the expenses scandal, as a retaliation.
She should be sacked and the bill scrapped if Labour wants a chance of coming anywhere near second in the general election, or face more humiliation all down to Hatty and her militant verbal diarrhea.
What goes around...
From the BBC, of Theresa May:
"We've overturned a Labour majority of 5,500 to a Conservative majority of over 7,000. If we hold this seat at the general election, we'll have a majority of over 100."
PoliticsHome gives Harpie's remarks.
Sour grapes?
Arrogance was when the Labour Party had a US-style victory parade a few weeks before the 1992 election was even held.
In the wider sense, for Labour to accuse the Tories of arrogance is for a pot to accuse a kettle of being an implement for the boiling of water. The whole political class is infected with arrogance and entitlement at present.
Arrogance is shown by Harman in persisting with the spin that Labour may actually have any chance at all in the next General Election.
Arrogance is shown by Brown expecting us to believe his lies and prevarications about troop reinforcements and extra helicopters in Afghanistan.
Arrogance was shown by both Blair and Brown in rushing to ratify the Lisbon Treaty without a referendum and by Labour and the LibDems saying it is too complex to be understood by voters.
Arrogance is shown by Brown carrying on with his discredited and decaying administration when it is clear that about 80% of the people would welcome a GE.
Seems to be her favourite world today. She used the world 'arrogant' on world at one....
This in terms of Theresa Mays claim that they would hold the seat at the general election.
Harriet Harman has long been Mrs Jekyll and Dr Hyde. The niece of a countess married to a trade union toughie who's turned out well kempt.
Harman is fond of the good life but feigns empathy with the lower orders. She's an inveterate expenses claimer yet wants to stop others in their tracks claiming for self-employment expenses.
She's the epitome of humbug. Good old-fashioned word. We should bring it back. Harriet Humbug!
Iain, You cannot expect Sky News to be impartial.
Adam Boulton is almost a fully paid up member of the Labour Party.
Jon Craig (with the ever extending windmill arms) comes out with such utter tripe most of the time, whilst shouting down the microphone!I wonder why he is employed by Sky!
But Kay 'I've been to Chequers'Burley is terrible.I find her biased,uninformed and a really bad interviewer.
SkyNews have had some very good people over the years, but apart from four vgood male presenters, the present female ones are not up to standard. Vivien Creaga (?spelling not right) was superb.
But Harman, we all know is as bad as the rest of this discredited bunch.You cannot expect her to tell the truth. AND if she is allowed to get away with it, she will continue to say it.
Richly entertaining interview in my view - Harriet H. as slippery as ever, deftly avoiding the issue of Ian Gibson and trying to make out that Chloe Smith differed with Tory CO on spending plans.
Always a pleasure to see a professional squirmer at work
Labour, in the shape of Harman lies again.
I heard her spout this lie but it's something I've come to expect from Labour, lies, lies, and more lies.
Fingers crossed your 7pm 'call' is about Alan Haselhurst.
And Harman on World at One let her mask slip. She turned into the shrieking harpy that she really is. Still it's nice when these monsters are revealed for what they are.
Canvas, it isn't.
David Davis?
top sky story is some footballed not being done for assault.
not a by election of that magnitude....
kay should be working for the bbc.
aww Iain, that's a bummer.
When is that old white haired dude gonna retire?!!! how long can he go on for? sheesh.
I LOVE what Alex Smith is saying on Labourlist:
"Indeed, this was more than a response to the apparently unjust deselection of Ian Gibson. He, too, would have lost.
No, a swing of this proportion - not unlike the one to Labour in the Wirral in 1997 - is a sign of embedded culture change. It shows that the country is ready and willing - if not craving - to vote for a Tory government in substantial numbers.
It is our challenge now to respond to that current desire and accordingly.
Without a drastic and full recalibration of our party's policies and our party's message, without a more coherent and cohesive narrative, that Tory government and that huge and self-inflicted defeat will be exactly what we get, and exactly what we deserve."
That is an honest post.
What does Alex Hilton want for a "more coherent and cohesive narrative"? The only story Labour has now is "we promise to do better, so stick with us or else the Tories will take away all your public services."
There is nothing positive left for them to say, and their negativity about the Tories doesn't wash after 12 years in power. That's why Milburn's social mobility report was such a joke - if Labour can't sort that out after 12 years in power, why should voters think they can in another 5? The public sees now that the only think that kept the NewLabour balls juggling in the air was the economic boom - with that gone, the waste, incompetence and general inability to improve anyone's lives is plain to see.
To quote the wonderful Harry Enfield & Friends from the mid 90s: "L is for Labour; L is for Lice"
Some things never change ...
never mind the arrogant spin, the only thing Harperson should withdraw is herself.
" Get thee to a nunnery"
Isn't there a way to ban troll like Canvas?
If she has so much to say i suggest she start her own blog instead of her juvenile trolling.
I think Labour Misisters and MPS are just gobsmacked to the point of insensibility that they may actually lose the next election to the Tories. After the Thstcher years they seem to think they have a god given right to rule and that no sain person would vote Tory again.
Watching their faces on the night of the election if they do in fact lose will be an absolute delight for me. Labours own arrogance - both while in power and in the run up to the 1997 election when they expected to win - was so frustrating. To my mind they had had the last 12 years easy. They sailed on the back of an artificial monetary boom that was always destined to fail but in their hubris they assumed they had created economic gold and elimated (in Gordo's words) boom and bust. Since the boom collapsed they have simply been unable to take the criticism fired at them. Thatch & the Tories faced this from year 1 in 1979 and to my mind always handled the hostility admirably.
Ultimately Labour has to face the fact that they did not create their new society between 1997 and 1999. The collectivist, socialist instinct of the British people is no greater now than it was in 1997 and in that sense they have failed.
@ the unoriginal 5:03>
"Maybe being oneself is always an acquired taste."
canvas said.
"Maybe being oneself is always an acquired taste."
July 24, 2009 5:15 PM
no your just a prat.
Poor dear Harriet, she really is a bit of a has-been. Does it not occur to her that it's her vision of a Labour future that sent voters scurrying in droves in the opposite direction?
Well done Chloe Smith!
There is a simple answer to her:
"Dear Harriet
Shut the door on the way out luv."
Harman has to stick to her guns on this one, I'm afraid. The alternative is to go back to the bunker and risk having a mobile phone thrown at her by the Prime Mentalist.
Would you want a Nokia thrown at your head?
ConHome thought that some Oxford professor who said that there still a fair bit to play for at the GE was biased against them.
Suggesting that they thought the balanced view was that the election was already won.
Has anyone quite as incompetent and unintelligent reached such high political status as this woman?
Would you want a Nokia thrown at your head?
July 24, 2009 7:39 PM
Not to worry, Brown has never yet managed to hit any target. The Nokia would probably just ricochet off his secretary and hit Balls (crouching in the supine position)full in the mug.
I always get the feeling that the womans title should be 'sacrificial lamb'. Every time something occurs with labour that is indefensible...they wheel her out to make a complete tit of herself.
Expenses, resignations, election results, investment at zero percent. I am seriously beginning to feel sorry for the old bat. lets just pay for her hanging baskets and retire the poor bitch before she gets slaughtered at the altar of Brown.
Bought The Observer today. Boring.drivel. Humourless party hacks adoring Gordon Brown. Gleeful hand rubbing at the prospect of finding ways to see off the Conservatives at the next election.Are all Labour lovers as deranged as their party leader?
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