Mr Sedgemore and Mr Sedgefield
The re-emergence of Iraq as a battleground issue in the campaign continued today with the defection of Brian Sedgemore, who has been a Labour MP since 1983 but is standing down this time, to the Lib Dems. Tony Blair's view on this:
Well, that shows how much Tony Blair cares about any former Labour members who've defected as a result of Iraq - even if they have been an MP for 22 years. "F*** you", coming across loud and clear. I'm not naive enough to think that Iraq will decide this election but Blair's stance seems to be cocky, bordering on offensive. It's quite clear that all this 'I respect your view' bollocks flies out of the window at the first sign that Labour is home and spin-dried - and did any of us really expect otherwise?
Sedgemore has called for voters to "rise up and give Blair a bloody nose" at this election. Well, I might just do that. With the Tories having almost certainly shot their bolt, the road is clear for a protest vote - and I think it'll have to be the Greens. This weekend I should have the time to do a more in-depth look at their manifesto, as they've been criminally lacking from this blog so far. (Alan Milburn has discovered my tactic, but balls to him - I would have felt pretty silly voting for a party with him in it in any case.)
[the voters] aren't particularly interested in someone they've never heard of who's not even standing as a candidate at this election.
Well, that shows how much Tony Blair cares about any former Labour members who've defected as a result of Iraq - even if they have been an MP for 22 years. "F*** you", coming across loud and clear. I'm not naive enough to think that Iraq will decide this election but Blair's stance seems to be cocky, bordering on offensive. It's quite clear that all this 'I respect your view' bollocks flies out of the window at the first sign that Labour is home and spin-dried - and did any of us really expect otherwise?
Sedgemore has called for voters to "rise up and give Blair a bloody nose" at this election. Well, I might just do that. With the Tories having almost certainly shot their bolt, the road is clear for a protest vote - and I think it'll have to be the Greens. This weekend I should have the time to do a more in-depth look at their manifesto, as they've been criminally lacking from this blog so far. (Alan Milburn has discovered my tactic, but balls to him - I would have felt pretty silly voting for a party with him in it in any case.)
3 Comments:
Plenty of reasons to vote Green, Hal. The immigration bit of their manifesto isn't half as poisonous as it could be. More here.
I'd have to echo the sentiments of Raj here- Whilst this may seem odd given some of my other posts on this blog- The Greens are very far from being the worst option out there.
As an avid recycler listening to a recent debate on recycling on Radio 4 and having to endure the chronic imbecility of 'fines' for people who don't recycle enough being proposed (and in the cases of Camden and Newham actually piloted!) by the Labour and Lib Dems, it was startling to hear GLA member Darren Johnson actually offer the idea of a tax rebate for people who do recycle (carrot rather than stick-more of these ideas please) - a few more policies like this and they might even have a chance of my vote!
Issues with their defence policy (still a Green Hedge as far as I'm aware - not a great deterrent to terrorists) and with the attack on the Private motorist but they also appear to be quite Eurosceptic on the whole. Trust me, you could do a lot worse...
This is extraordinary (but admirably open minded) stuff from Van Patten here - are we on the verge of a new political consensus? I think the private motorist has nothing to fear from the Greens as long as his car doesn't have an engine in it.
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