Thursday, March 01, 2007

Private Equity Expansion: BBC Newsnight with Sion B'Stard and John McDonnell
















Sion B'Stard and John McDonnell debated the issue of Private Equity on Newsnight this week. SB'S was gung-ho for it. JMcD was rightly wary about the Labour Party accepting support from asset strippers and profit takers on quite this level.

NCP, The AA, Birds Eye and Debenhams are all businesses now within their ownership. One-in-six workers are now employed by their concerns. And Sainsburys and British Airways are targetted. Sion B'Stard is clearly a Tory whose contribution was muddled and unprincipled laissez faire. John McDonnell meanwhile had his media reputation enhanced by another principled and competent contribution.

Michael Meacher of course asked a rather bumbling question - with a rescue from a the speaker to begin - about the sector at PMQs yesterday. Great minds think alike? Tony Blair was able to advise Mr Meacher that his leadership bid was doomed.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, it was really encouraging.John comes across really well on TV. Even Sham said he was better than the enbarrassing SS.
John's USP is the fact he communicates calmly and reasonably and looks like a Minister ( Real Labour one of course) There is no ranting a la Galloway or Alex Salmond. No doubt we still have Everest to climb , though. Peter Kilfoyle had piece today in Guardian suggesting John Denham - though Denham ain't, er. standing and he agrees John has the best policy platform. Craziness! I have e-mailed him nicely urging him to help John get on the ballot. I advise others to do the same. PS: Good news is you can add Kilfoyle to the list of people NOT supporting Michael Meacher.

PSChris, were you at the CLPD meeting Saturday where Meacher chickened out of the debate with John ?

Chris Paul said...

CLPD meeting Saturday Susan? I know nothing. No I wasn't.