3/18/2009

Bring Me The Head of Denis MacShane!

Hello,
Now that Terry Kelly has become too boring to worth mocking, I've been looking for a new scratching post and I'm pleased to announce that Denis MacShane is today's target. In all honestly I hate the lot of them but it does no harm to pick one and make an example of them.

Beside this Guardian column is just too awful not to mention and does in many ways typify what's wrong with the whole arrogant shower. Denis is writing in response to ten proposals put forward by Guardian writers as ideas for a new Labour manifesto.

One writer proposes that Labour reform the electoral system by introducing proportional representation. Denis is against it on the basis that the BNP would get thirty MP's elected which is of course a very bad thing. Whilst I can't say I'd be jumping for joy, people are entitled to vote for anyone on the ballot paper and if they do so in sufficient numbers be represented accordingly. In other words Denis takes the view that PR would be fine and dandy if it was likely to result in Labour gaining 30 extra seats. Denis further attempts to put us off by declaring it would herald the end of the Labour party. Who cares? If the Labour party was a thing worth having surely it would not be relying on the electoral system to keep the BNP out but would seek to do so by tacking the problems that lead their supporters to leave them for the BNP and making the case against BNP policies. Why he didn't simply explain that he's only in favour of democracy if it produces a result he likes and have done with it is beyond me.

He is also casually scornful of the 'old-trot' proposal that politicians should be paid the average national wage because the Tory front bench only use the wage as small change due to their vast wealth earned elsewhere. Quite why MP's need to be paid more because some of them don't really need the money is not explained. Presumably he means that Labour MP's all being working class types (no laughing at the back) can't afford to enter parliament for less than £60,000 p/a + vast pension + expenses. That being the case I take he'd be supportive of us all walking out our jobs tomorrow and refusing to return until we got the same. After all if only people with private wealth can afford to live on less then I'd suggest the minimum wage want's looking at as a matter of urgency to lift us all out of this terrible poverty.

Personally I'd go further than the national average wage I'd pay the buggers the average constituency wage as an incentive for them to do everything in their power to raise living standards in their constituency. If it's good enough for their constituents, then there's no reason at all why they can't manage on it. I'd go further -no funding for 2nd homes! We should build them a very basic no frills halls of residence to live in whilst they're at Westminster and if they're too grand for that then they can fund their own sodding accommodation. As for the rest of their expenses the folk at the DWP who administer the social fund would be the ideal candidates (except for Tom at Atlas Rd who is a gentleman).

Moving on Denis would also like to end trial by jury for people accused of rape because we aren't locking up enough rapists. He describes our rape conviction statistics as a global disgrace. To be fair they are shocking and tempting though measures like this may be to lock up more rapists, it's the thin end of the wedge -anyone who honestly believes the loss of the right to trial by jury would end at rape cases is deluded. As for our statistics being a global disgrace is he quite sure? Stories like this , this and this suggest attitudes to rape in other parts of the world might be a teensy bit more alarming than in blighty. Nevertheless in Mac Shane world the Saudis tut tut at our low conviction rate. He might also wish to reflect on the damage his government and their 'targets' have done to investigations of rape allegations.

Everyone who elected this monstrous halfwit should be ashamed of themselves.

Cheerio

6 comments:

Billy said...

I do like the idea of housing MPs in halls of residence.

iLL Man said...

Yeah, you could make proper reality TV out of it...........

joe90 kane said...

Excllent stuff Clairwil!

Here's is Denis's MP profile, at the bottom of which, you'll find out how much poor Denis has to get by on -
Denis MacShane
TheyWorkForYou

In 2006-7 all Denis had to get by on, was only £147,572 (minus £82k non-family staff costs) all told.

joe90 kane said...

Apologies C,
I meant to post George Monbiot's demolition of the loathsome but very scary Hazel Blears -
Just what exactly do you stand for, Hazel Blears - except election?
Goerge Monbiot
CiF
Gruniad
10 Feb 2009

By scary I mean, in an authoritarian school headmistress kind of way - I saw her on BBC's 'Question Time' once (no idea why I was watching it, as it's utter rubbish) and it was somthing about her quite prim and proper, but steely-eyed finger-wagging which got me. Iron in her soul where normally you'd expect some humanity to be found.

all the best!

Clairwil said...

Oh God -that Monbiot article id genius! It's spot on, delivered with an icy, controlled rage and Oh did I mention every single word is spot on.

The comments which follow are fucking majestic. Honestly I feel like re-reading it, standing up, saluting as the national anthem swells in the background. Brilliant!

joe90 kane said...

That's high praise indeed Clairwil - I'm glad you liked it.

I like to give my fave bloggers value for money when it comes to my comments.

Here's the MCB telling Blears to get knotted -
Hazel Blears demands Daud Abdullah's resignation
Islamophobia Watch
22 Mar 2009

Apparantly, Blears and her department bureaurocracy are concerned that there has been a signed statement for,
..calls for direct support for acts of violence in the Middle East and beyond.

Of course there has, its called British Government Foreign Policy or hadn't she noticed?

Our victims in the Middle East, such as Hamas, are not allowed the right to self-defence against British war crimes fully endorsed by Blears et al.

all the best Clairwil!

ps
You haven't done a guest post for the Picklers for a while I see -
Search - Clairwil
Pickled Politics