Labour's leadership contest
This blog is obviously about politics. Therefore I'm very aware that I should probably post an entry on the Labour Party's leadership contest, the result of which will be announced in a few weeks' time. Labour is, of course, the main opposition party in British politics and who they choose as leader matters.
Or so I keep telling myself. My views on this contest are pretty similar to film critic Mark Kermode's rant against the Pirates of the Caribbean 3 on Radio 1 some years ago which you can watch in all its glory at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZMfe4qnoKU&feature=related
I really cannot summon up any interest or enthusiasm at all for the continuing spectacle of this bunch of cynical, opportunist, intellectually vacuous and spineless hacks parading themselves in the media and around the country to dwindling bands of Labour Party members.
Recently we've had the spectacle of former city MP Eric Martlew announcing that he was backing the ineffective Ed Miliband. Reg Watson meanwhile is supporting brother David, because he's really good, and that. What endorsements. If anyone is tempted by David Miliband, this article in yesterday's Guardian is worth reading at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/29/islander-appeal-labour-candidates-miliband
To varying degrees Messrs D Miliband, E Miliband and Burnham all fall over themselves to tell us how Labour got it wrong in government over thirteen years/lost touch with core voters/didn't address reform of public services/Iraq/was too close to Bush, delete as appropriate. Yet clearly none of them had the courage to say their piece at the time. Meanwhile the pitch of hypocritical, self-righteous bore Diane Abbott is that as the only gay in the village Labour Party members should vote for her.
The Green Party is currently engaged in a series of internal elections, including the leadership and eputy leadership contests which under party rules are open every two years. Every party member has a vote. Clear, simple and democratic. Labour's leadership election rules, however, were clearly concocted by a bunch of student hacks and seem to feature a trade union bloc vote, more say for MPs, a system where some people, Nigerian elections style, seem to have multiple ballots with the whole thing presumably topped off with a televote from the Andorran public ('good evening Oslo').
I really cannot summon up any interest or enthusiasm at all for the continuing spectacle of this bunch of cynical, opportunist, intellectually vacuous and spineless hacks parading themselves in the media and around the country to dwindling bands of Labour Party members.
Recently we've had the spectacle of former city MP Eric Martlew announcing that he was backing the ineffective Ed Miliband. Reg Watson meanwhile is supporting brother David, because he's really good, and that. What endorsements. If anyone is tempted by David Miliband, this article in yesterday's Guardian is worth reading at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/29/islander-appeal-labour-candidates-miliband
To varying degrees Messrs D Miliband, E Miliband and Burnham all fall over themselves to tell us how Labour got it wrong in government over thirteen years/lost touch with core voters/didn't address reform of public services/Iraq/was too close to Bush, delete as appropriate. Yet clearly none of them had the courage to say their piece at the time. Meanwhile the pitch of hypocritical, self-righteous bore Diane Abbott is that as the only gay in the village Labour Party members should vote for her.
The Green Party is currently engaged in a series of internal elections, including the leadership and eputy leadership contests which under party rules are open every two years. Every party member has a vote. Clear, simple and democratic. Labour's leadership election rules, however, were clearly concocted by a bunch of student hacks and seem to feature a trade union bloc vote, more say for MPs, a system where some people, Nigerian elections style, seem to have multiple ballots with the whole thing presumably topped off with a televote from the Andorran public ('good evening Oslo').
