Thanks, that is a surprisingly good read. The 'with you whatever' does lend itself to a psychological reading of events, whilst the whole thing is also the bizarre political endpoint of New Labour. In similar mode I keep getting flashes of Bauman on the holocaust (that it was an act of modernity, driven by processes, bureaucracy and 'logics')
If I remember correctly the official reason for his expulsion was congratulating Michael Lavalette on his victory in Preston. Meaning that while still a Labour MP he congratulated a member of another party on their victory over Labour. Not a bad reason for expulsion as it goes and I'm pretty sure it still stands.
If it doesn't I am sure other reasons to keep him in the outer darkness will be found
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he asked everyone that. More than once, in varying forms. The man is an expert dissembler. A lot of 'I had a decision to make. You don't know the burdens of power. Look. What would you have done'
Not since losing his last one he doesn't.
He's not just an expert dissembler, he's a professional confabulator, he believes his own lies. He converted to Catholicism ffs. Who does that apart from Ann Widdicombe, John Wayne and Fanny Allen? Delusional fuckwits.
he was always a secret recusant but catholics can't be prime minister, an office which evolved from the Queens First Minister. Or kings. And the monarch really can't be catholic. So niether can the first minister so he lied*
A major criticism was he didn't use collective responsibility. And if he had things might have been different. The man's an arse.
you mean didn't say 'look at everyone else who backed me'? 'I was a bit player in a wider current of history'?
If we're going all QI, the monarch is the head of the Church of England which, although reformed, is catholic.
I've had the last paragraph of that speech stuck in my head for days now, hadn't twigged it was blair. Great rhetoric, even if he did use his powers for evil. You forget how impressive he was in his pomp.
Being an old git I've had the luxury of disliking him since his war on want days in the 80s ('financial irregularities'). As a labour mp just had him down as a self interested gobshite, but managed to up the ante throughout his gruesome positioning in respect, that horrible mix of embracing religious conservatism whilst ensuring that a whole movement was in orbit around him. The Saddam stuff, Tariq Azis and all that, proper sick making, well, actually fucking monstrous. The big man fawning round a proper Big Man. A couple of vile election campaigns since then, rape apologism. Fucking hell - 'whens the moment GG lost even the tiniest shred of credibility for you? - that's a really hard question!
There's nothing new in the report it's just confirmed now I suppose, putting it simply.
