I'll admit it. I've always disliked Glenys Kinnock. I well remember the day she came into Politico's and took great exception to a candle of her husband we had on sale. Sour faced isn't nearly a bad enough word to describe the look on her face. Her husband, on the other hand, was always good for a laugh. OK, you wouldn't want him as Prime Minister, but you wouldn't mind having a pint with him down the Dog & Duck. For a rather more vitriolic take on La Familie Kinnock, see this from
NewLabourUnplugged...
With reports that up to one in five able bodied inhabitants of some Welsh towns are receiving incapacity benefit, it’s worth asking – what are the rest doing? New information about the Kinnock family provides part of the answer – getting rich on our taxes working for the EU. The family tree seems to be like this: Failed Labour windbag, Neil Kinnock, was made an EU Commissioner by Tory Prime Minster, John Major. After a few useless years in Brussels, he was made a Tony crony peer by Mr Blair, given a ₤270,000 retirement pay –off and will soon collect a ₤63,900 index-linked pension for life. Mrs Kinnock, the anti poverty campaigner, Lady Glenys, is also a euro MEP and collects ₤57,000 a year in pay and around ₤100,000 in perks. Son, Stephen, is the director of the British Council in St Petersburg and is married to another Euro MEP, Helle, who collects the same as her mother-in-law plus ₤40,000 as leader of the Danish Social Democrat group in Brussels. And now another Kinnock family member has stuck her snout in the Brussels gravy train. Thirty three year old, Rachael Kinnock, has become an executive assistant and researcher to that well known Euro MEP…her mother. Thank god for socialism.
I'll admit it. I've always disliked Glenys Kinnock. I well remember the day she came into Politico's and took great exception to a candle of her husband we had on sale. Sour faced isn't nearly a bad enough word to describe the look on her face. Her husband, on the other hand, was always good for a laugh. OK, you wouldn't want him as Prime Minister, but you wouldn't mind having a pint with him down the Dog & Duck. For a rather more vitriolic take on La Familie Kinnock, see this from NewLabourUnplugged...
This is a bitter little post, isn't it? Rather unworthy of a worthwhile political blog to reprint a rather weak offering from New Labour Unplugged. G Kinnock and H Thorning Schmidt are elected politicians. They draw down the same amounts as members of your own party who are elected under the same conditions. Provide us with a reason why they should not. Most formerly elected senior politicians seem to go on to "greater" (i.e. extraordinarily well remunerated) things in the public and private sector. The same applies to members of your own party...viz the huge wealth now being enjoyed by John Major for example. And after all these sound like relatively modest sums in comparison to the benefits that others have enjoyed. Son Kinnock is a public official. Are we to assume there is something dodgy feeding his appointment? Otherwise, we have to assume a meritocracy is in operation here. "Political dynasties" happen, and they are not all unworthy of either part of the term. Like you say, you might not like them, but why be needlessly catty?
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked. Shocked. It is so relieving to know that no-one in the Conservative Party has any money.
ReplyDeletecritique, well, you don't have to read it, do you?! It just amused me, that's all, and it brought back memories of La Kinnock's face at the candle.
ReplyDeleteIain, how do you know if you don't want to read it... until you've read it.
ReplyDeleteSorreee sense of humour failure clearly, but I just couldn't see what was funny about it... Must be me, I will go away and visit sense of humour school again...
ReplyDeleteChris, you make a good poimnt which would merit at least a four hour discussion in a first year philosophy course...
ReplyDeleteoff topic and a bit late - but you should look at scribbles "all purpose Blog Post for when a Lib Dem MP does something to embarrass the party "
ReplyDeletehttp://smalltownscribble.blogspot.com/2006/02/that-all-purpose-blog-post-for-when.html
sample :
But what has really sickened me about this is the hypocrisy of the tabloids. Who are they to sit in judgment when an MP is caught [insert embarrassing act], when all of them are at it as well? Who wants politicians who don't [insert embarrassing act]. I know I don't. I want a politician who is just as hypocritical, shit-faced, duplicitous, and unfaithful as I am.
It just goes to show what makes for a story in this country. Blair can start an illegal war and kill thousands of innocent people and no one blinks an eyelid, but get an MP who [insert embarrassing act] and the papers try and stir up public hysteria. Everyone I've talked to couldn't care less about a politician that [insert embarrassing act], in fact, they don't even know the politician I'm talking about - that's how much they care!
Critique said:
ReplyDelete"Son Kinnock is a public official. Are we to assume there is something dodgy feeding his appointment? Otherwise, we have to assume a meritocracy is in operation here."
Your sense of humour appears fine to me.
Here is a man and a woman (and their family) who come from humble beginnings.
ReplyDeleteThey are Socialists with a big S.
They have always maintained the image that they are "of the people" people, defending the fights of the working man, protecting the poor, all that sort of thing.
And yet here they are with their snouts firmly in the public trough taking full advantage of every possible benefit that they can.
What happened to "to each according to his need" and all that?
And another thing...
As far as I know (I stand to be corrected) the only high ranking modern politician who refused to take their full entitlement of salary and benefits was Margaret Thatcher.
She who is so widely loathed and reviled by the same greedy left-wingers who cheerfully fill their boots at the working mans expense.
I have happy memories of my octogenarian grandmother dashing to the television to switch it off whenever Mr K appeared as she did not 'want that Welsh windbag in my house'.
ReplyDeletebullog and co seem to think the people who formed my party did so because they thought the misery needed to be shared out more equally. They didn't.
ReplyDeleteRecent history (two recessions, 15% mortgages, three million unemployed etc) suggests that is what the Tories do anyway.
"...bullog and co seem to think the people who formed my party did so because they thought the misery needed to be shared out more equally. They didn't..."
ReplyDeletePerhaps not, but that is certainly their main achievement.
Son Kinnock was employed by the British Council long before his dad ever was - and I would have thought your view of the world should steer clear of ASSUMING that all bright individuals who happen to be related to politicians are corrupt and aided by nepotism - until you have any proof.
ReplyDeleteHe has taken UKIP to the cleaners before for suggesting such a thing on Any Questions, and I wouldn't blame him for doing the same to you.
Cut the kid a break - he did his time in higher education like the rest of you.
And if Glenys Kinnock's work in the developing world is such a lightweight hoot - why is Dave C sucking up to Bob Geldof etc.??
Oh, and by the way, great political insiders, H Thorning Schmidt hasn't been an MEP for the best part of two years.
ReplyDeleteShe is now a Danish MP, and leader of the Opposition where, I suspect, your conspiracy theories about Kinnockite nepotism might have been superceded by more pressing national concerns in voters' minds...
I did not write this piece. It comes from NewLabourUnplugged.com
ReplyDeleteMaybe you didn't write the original post, but you thought it interesting enough to circulate it wider and add in a rather silly little pop at Mrs Kinnock because she thought your shop sold tat. Is that all you have on her? Or are you going to have a go at her achieving a big majority at an election??
ReplyDeleteMaybe she should have changed her name from Kinnock like all of her children, just to avoid this. Then people could have had a different angle of attack as they do with Cherie "Booth". And we could all try and hound the Major children and Carol Thatcher into the hands of the deed poll - they have had the affrontery to get jobs too.
Tally-ho.
isn't it strange how whenever anyone puts a comment like this on the blog they always do it anonymously?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange that the public want to contribute to blogs that encourge people to contribute to them - but want keep their day jobs at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI thought you welcomed views from the "inside" - anonymous or not?
I do welcome views, otherwise I wouldn't publish them, but sometimes anonymous ones tend to have a particular tone to them! But I appreciate your point about your job!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to have a pop at people putting their snouts in the pot and drawing down really big amounts of money, rather than the amounts you cite in your blog, then how about commenting on the activities of George Robertson post public service, or indeed your own John Major who works for the Carlyle Group.
ReplyDelete