There's nothing wrong with politicians speaking their minds, but Clare Short's latest little outburst is odd to say the least.
She says she is standing down at the next election so she csn "speak the truth about the Prime Minister's and Labour's failures". But by then Tony Blair will be but a distant memory, so apart from massaging her own sense of self righteousness, it's difficult to see her point. In addition she has always been thought of as an ally of Gordon Brown. Well with friends like her...
33 comments:
I must be getting old or blind or in need of something I have never had because I really fancy Clare Short as a serious drinking buddy. Everyone needs a good drinking buddy.
I'm glad she's throwing the towell in. If I was her I'd have come to the end of my piece of string a long time ago.
Writing as this year's Conservative candidate for Ladywood ward, in one way it's a shame Clare is standing down. She was fast becoming an electoral asset for the Ladywood Conservatives.
As for the latest I've heard about her campaigning for a hung Parliament, surely that's too batty even for Clare..?
Oh how we'll miss her sweet countenance!
Page 3 girls will also be much comforted.
Curly's Corner Shop, the blog!
Clare Short...now there's a name from the past. It's about time she tried to make her profile known again isn't it..ohhh...
Short wouldn't be so marginalised if she had resigned along with Robin Cook...instead of keeping hold of her job until it become untenable because of her own words.
The 'Short Drop' campaign
The solution is simple
It is called "voting for a Parliament" and any voter can do it. Vote ONLY for an Independent candidate (or become that candidate yourself)- whom you know to be genuine- who declares publicly - in writing - for individual liberty and choice. When enough Independent MPs replace Party MPs, appointment of Ministers will automatically return to the Monarch. The division of power will accompany this re-separation of government from parliament .
Clearly then, the only "wasted vote" would be that given to any party which perpetuates the "elective dictatorship". You could be helping to create a free parliament once again, which can stop bad government before it occurs, instead of having to wait FIVE YEARS to try to repair the damage !
Perhaps she'd like to spend more time with her famil?
Labour are losing the hunger for power. They prefer plotting against each other to plotting against David Cameron. It's as if they see in David Cameron a political leader they can 'live with' so they can afford to say all those tings they've been dying to say about each other for the last ten years.
As Churchill said (paraphrase) - 'they're not your enemies. they're the opposition. Your enemies are behind you.'
Labour's burning hatreds can remain silent no more.
Just exactly how do you campaign for a hung Parliament? What do you have to ask people to vote for... nothing?
Mr Dale, why do you insult and mock those who are critical of Tony Blair. Gordon Brown and Labour?
I am following events from Italy and all I can say is that I reckon the entire Labour Party must be working for Dave Cameron.
She's always spoken her mind and I am in no doubt she firmly believes in what she's saying - at the time. When I worked for a "sustainable development" charity (as IT manager - just another job) she came and spoke at the launch of a project and she was quite formidable, and clearly very popular with the activists. But she didn't stay long - circulated a bit, gave her performance and whirled off to the next publicity date.
Clare Short is proof that The Robbins Report was wrong...........we did not need more universities in the 1960s.......just less ignorant students
I thnk she's noticed how much money Wedgey is making from going round wittering about what this lot are doing wrong.
What an utter, utter tosser she is. Let us not forget that she didnt resign immediately after the war kicked off, but dragged it out interminably (as if any one gave a toss what she thought).
Note too the swing against her from her from her neglected Brummagem constituents. Good riddance.
"apart from massaging her own sense of self righteousness, it's difficult to see her point."
Well quite. But then [to varying degrees] that could be said of most politicians.
"Clare is several currants short of a fruitcake" (fruitcake being: (slang) A crazy or an eccentric person).
So pretty sensible then, really? Earthy, outspoken, pragmatic, quite charismatic in the flesh. I'd have thought you would have approved of her.
Do you mean currants or currents? Might explain the slightly shocked look. I hate to see the departure of someone who has added a streak of genuine irrationality of thought process to the idiocy and incompetency that passes for modern government. We shall not see her likes again etc etc. In the meantime, we have the gimlet-eyed successor generation eyeing her sandwich-less picnic. I can see Hilary Armstrong amd Jacqui Smith as the tricoteuse already....
Of course, she could also try for a slot on ther "A" list....
Clare burned her bridges with Gordon Brown last June attacking him for "outrageous" views on replacing nuclear policy.
She said she wouldn't support him as Leader unless he changed his mind...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5104918.stm
Tapestry:
I have seen that quote in Trollope, "The Prime Minister", I believe, which was before good old Winnie.
Besides, much as I like WSC, I find that the more I read, the more I find most of his famous phrases in earlier works.
Was WSC a plagiarist by any chance?
Iain. Your comment moderation policy inhibits discussion. Your viewpoint may be that of a higher being. Fine, that may be what you want. You may view the anarchy on Guido with disdain, I don't know. But something is lacking, the interchange of views.
This wasn't meant for "publication", simply an observation.
"She's always spoken her mind and I am in no doubt she firmly believes in what she's saying - at the time."
I approve of people who speak their mind. Unfortunately hers is full of rubbish.
Giving my Mystic Croydonian hat one of its intermittent dustings off, destiny points to a Clare Short autobiography deal being in process as we speak.
There was a bit more to it than just today's remarks, though we agree that she may be suffering a currant shortage.
We first broke this story here and covered her original comments:
http://thedaily.wordpress.com/2006/09/11/exclusive-clare-short-to-step-down/
Anonymous, I have learned from bitter experience that if I do not moderate, all sorts of abuse gets posted. In practice I only delete about 1 in 100 posts. I cannot see how you can say it inhibits discussion. Many posts are getting more than 100 comments.
As a UKIPPER I sincerely hope that the next parliament will be 'well' hung and full of Fruitcakes!
Labour Renewal? Is there a single Labour MP in the Midlands who wants to stand for them next time? West Brom East MP Tom Watson caught in a plot, Khalid Mahmood (MP for Bham Perry Barr next door to Tom) second to resign, Short (in neighbouring Ladywood) looks likely to stand against Labour and finally Gisela Stewart (in adjoining Edgbaston) should be a Tory. Utter meltdown. I think these MPs have seen local Tory government in Birmingham and decided it's not too bad.
Sehr geEhrter Iain
I support your gentle moderating policy
Mr Bingley (Pride & Prejudice) observed "this is too much, to remember at night all the foolish things that were said in the morning"
Your insufficiently praised Moderator has all too often had occasion to save me from the reverse fate - to be reminded in the morning of the moronic posts I have attempted to make the previous night
Alle Gute
G Eagle
Absolutely right, Joseph Chamberlain. Would she have the courage to call for a hung parliament if she was standing again, and her own seat was at risk? I think not.
This is from the same politician who argued that the Provisional IRA didn't deliberately target civilians, and that Al Qaeda's aims (including the forced reincorporation of East Timor into Indonesia, and sharia law in Andalucia) are 'just'.
Even before the press woke up to what she was like with her 'golden elephant' remarks, the real Clare Short was there to see all along when she whinged and snapped at members of TV audiences ('You're not listening').
She's vile - good riddance.
Don't get it, she's made a good living out of a party that she has been totally out of sorts with for too long for this to have credibilty.
She'd be nowt without the Labour Party. She's no Gorgeous George that's for sure.
I love the capaigning for the hung parliament bit: it's on the lines of the quote attributed to Willie Whitelaw (I think)about people going around the country stirring up apathy.
A career outside of politics requires a platform with which to speak.
This is a tried (tired) and seemingly trusted method that will have every TV producer in the country pencilling her in come 'dodgy decision day'.
Gordon 'Trident'Brown is just another feather in the cap of a somewhat failure of a politician that gave nothing but criticism to modern politics.
Politicians are 'thieves, slanderers, philanderers, and liars. A description given by the never appointed and the sacked.
TV news channels go for it, they love the quotes and they are appreciative of the lack of journalistic footslogging that they do not have to do.
A call to rent-a-quote Clare will authorise many books and fill many TV graveyard slots.
Clare is Clare and there is nothing else to say.
Doom.
"She's always spoken her mind and I am in no doubt she firmly believes in what she's saying - at the time."
She believed in bombing civilians when they were Yugoslavs (even attacking her betters on the ground that you couldn't be a "socialist" if you didn't).
She believed that she couldn't serve in a cbinet that bombed Iraqis - no she didn't - yes she did.
She believed labour should win the last election (she couldn't honestly have stood otherwise). Now she doesn't.
The only things she has consistently believed in is her right to whine on about her alleged "conscience" & that the world owes her a living & lots of publicity. I believe she is a war criminal & should get at least 40 years.
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