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STILL NOT THE YORKSHIRE POST (Column not published on Tuesday 8 February) |
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Written by Austin Mitchell
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07 February 2005 |
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BLAIR V BROWN: ROUND 18
Growing speculation (which must come from Downing Street because no-one else would be that daft) says that after the election Tony will take Treasury away from Gordon and make him Foreign Secretary.
It should be the other way round. Tony should become Foreign Secretary where his skills of persuasion, preaching and cause promotion, freeloading and world travelling, make him better suited to the job than anyone. Gordon should then be Prime Minister; Turstworthy, getting on with implementing Labour policy rather than flibbety gibbeting around, and a serious achiever.
EMINANCE GREASE BIRT
Any court has its movers, shakers, jesters and bottom wipers. The first three are all recognisable in Tony`s, i.e.Adonis, Milburn, and Prezza. But the “croak voiced Dalek” Lord Birt is now emerging as the strongest contender for the fourth. Appointed without pay to think blue skies thinking and write unread reports on subjects he knows nothing about, we`re now told that his reward for his long training in applied sycophancy has made him the new Campbell and Mandy rolled into one. He’s planning Labour`s strategy.
God `elp us. Birt managed to bring the BBC to mutiny with his market reforms “Producer Choice”. He drove out creativity by his obsession with management structures. He`s now to do the same for us. Birt is as devoid of Labour ideas or instructs as he is of creativity, flair, understanding or personal empathy. Which may be why he appeals to Tony.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW THEY NEED PR?
When I first began to campaign for Proportional Representation I rapidly became chair of the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform because all the other members deserted to join the SDP. Then most backing for PR came from Tories who thought it would keep out Labour, emasculate Tony Benn and perform various other useful services.
I`m still campaigning for PR. Yet now its supporters are all Labour. No Tories support it. Barmy. The Tories really need PR if they`re to get back. Greater love hath no Tory than he lay down his party for his prejudices.
BORING BRUSSELS
Last week in Brussels I took a distinguished series of photos of the hands of Belgian attendants and cops as they stopped me photographing inside and outside EU buildings or the Parliament. Perhaps they thought I was promoting Kilroy Silk.
What have they to hide? It must be the Constitution Bill which is supposed to make way for the referendum. Those who`ve looked at it in more detail claim it is in fact a con which approves the constitution so no requirement to discuss it further if the people vote Yes.
Disastrous. We`re already excluded from discussing the text on the grounds that it`s a done deal. All we can discuss is the Treaty, i.e. nothing. This promises to be more of a farce than Maastricht. |
