Posts
Jon Cruddas: Has this Lefty Done the School Run?
Well, well, well. Tory bloggers and the Daily Mail have joined forces to "expose" Jon Cruddas as having a home in Dagenham and another in Central London. This is connected to his son's education at an RC Comp named for Bishop Vaughan and according to the Mail better in exam tables than the London Oratory School.
Naturally Tory bloggers aren't satisfied with whacking Cruddas. They also have a dig at Hazel Blears who reveals exclusively for the umpteenth time that she was briefly on film as a five year old in A Taste of Honey.
This is indeed reprehensible. LOL do not go on about our own film triumphs - since you ask, second Flying Finn in the steeplechase when the wheels came off poor Aubrey's chariot of fire in the water jump - so we cannot possibly forgive Hazey.
But Hazey's big fan - a little ginger himself as he once discovered growing a 'tache - makes an accusation that she may have dobbed Jon in ... before spreading the pointing fingers to Peter Hain and his campaign maestro Phil Woolas.
Not so long ago these Tories had mild mannered Hilary Benn turning the air blue at supposed Alan Johnson dirty tricks. Only Harriet "I'm a Lady" Harman seems to be neither dishing or being dished on. So far.
But Phil Woolas? Really? Would he seek to exploit a rival having two addresses? Never. More and pictures and all that tomorrow which may be a bank holiday, but is not a blog holiday.
22 comments:
A few months ago I heard John Cruddas on Five Live singing like a canary about how good the state schools are in Dagenham and how they've got their selection policy spot on.
So this does seem very hypocritical.
Jon Cruddas is a catholic and is a supporter of faith schools. From the quotes it seems that his son was already at one of the local schools and his parents wanted to keep him with his friends. One thing I didn't realise though was that Cruddas's wife used to work for Mo Mowlam.
Well, as you know I am not Cruddas's biggest fan.In fact, I would like to personally punch him for shafting John McDonnell. However.....this is the kind of rubbish the right-wing media excels in and they will always find something to rubbish left-wingers with, even someone as mild and non-threatening as Cruddas.So in that respect, I have some sympathy for him.
But this is yet another example of the Crudster not putting his money where his mouth is so in that respect it is depressingly consistent.The question must be asked why does he need two homes in London? Has he been in collusion with Michael Meacher? Yes, bit hypocritical,really.Why am I not surprised......
Au contraire, Susan. If Jon Cruddas wasn't a threat his rivals wouldn't feel the need to leak dirt to it nor would the Mail on Sunday be bothered to print it. It sounds a bit odd to say I'm delighted this has happened. it shows that Jon is closer to winning than most people think and his opponents are desperate to try and derail him. Keep going, Jon!!!!
Yes anonymous that absolutely right. Jon Cruddas only became an MP 6 years ago. He already had a family life in place. I think most of us would be reluctant to drag a young family already settled just to prove a point. What's wrong with his kid wanting to carrying on going to school in the area he already knew with the kids he was already kids with?
That's friends with not kids with....
Yes, the usual argument put forward by Labour MPs with kids at posh schools. One rule for them, another for their constituents. BTW Paul Flynn MP,who signed Cruddas's nomination papers, has just switched support to Hain.Flynn was one of the 29......
Caroline
I'm confused.
Did the Cruddas family live in Notting Hill before they lived in Dagenham?
Miles, they DON'T Live in Dagenham. They just have a house there. Comprendez?
No idea where they lived before but assume it was there. Jon Cruddas hasn't lived in Dagenham since birth so he and his family must have been living somewhere else before. The same applies for Blair (Hackney before Sedgfield). Miliband (London before outh Shields) and hundreds of MPs all over the country. If I were a kid happy at school with lots of friends I wouldn't want to be dragged miles away to prove a point. I also respect the fact that JC wants to follow his faith and make sure his kids are educated within that faith. I am not religious but find it refreshing.
And Grim, your fruitless pursuit to try and lose Jon Cruddas the election are not going to work. Am looking forward to June 24th when we can celebrate his victory as our party's new deputy leader.
PS: Grim, what is wrong with posh comprehensives? As someone who wants a good education for my kids in a good comprehensive I will be very happy to send my kid to a "posh" comprehensive. The sooner we scrap the charitable status for private schools - as Jon Criddas is advocating - the sooner we can reinvest the money that will be gained to make all cmprehensives "posh" and a bloody good thing too.
Apparently, Hazel Blears reveals rather more on Theo Sparks blog. Then again, it could just be her head on another body...
It would seem we might need to know where the Cruddas clan were living before any more stones are cast on this one. Though having an unused house in an area of housing shortage seems fairly bad news as well. Particularly if he hardly goes there and it is more or less for show ...
When I read the article first I thought the primary was in fact in Essex but some of Cruddas junior's mates were being bussed there too ... sounds like that was a wrong impression though.
But I went to a Catholic 6th Form in Bristol and used to do an 18-mile round trip on public transport every day for that. Improved my Bridge and Solo, Brag and Poker no end and meant I rarely needed to do any homework at home.
And it must be said that there are a LOT of catholics in local government are similarly bussing children to faith schools but chuffing about comps and fairness and equality.
JH: Theo Sparks is nought but a pornographer. Is it the usual one with Blears as squirrel nutkins?
If Cruddas wants tolive in Notting Hill and send his child to a local school that's up to him. The house in Dagenham is therefore a little unnecessary? June 24? Well, we'll see.There's not a cigarette paper between any of them.....
Of course his house in Dagenham is not unneccesary. If it weren't for this DL contest he'd be there all weekends and good knows how many nights during the week. There is nothing unusual about what he's doin. Loads of MPs do. I expect when the kid has grown up and moved he can pack up the Notting Hill house and spen all his time in Dagenham. Until then, people should back off and give Jon and his family a break.
To get the £21,000 for mortgage etc for NH house he has had to say the Dagenham house is his MAIN residence. That is clearly not really the case if the family are based at the other house or Jon is based there. Perhaps he should be getting £5,000 or whatever for the other house? The fact is that lots of MPs racket over this - within the rules - and that a one term MP can make a substantial six figure capital gain at no risk as well as the salary, the perks, the pension, and the career opportunities. One could argue that only a fool would not get the best out of the terms and conditions of their job ...
The give Jon a break line don't wash ... he's an MP and he's standing for DL he's clearly newsworthy.
Yes, newsworthy enough for the Mail on Sunday, which exactly why I will continue to back him. I know a stitch up when I see one and this is a classic. The rival candidate who leaked this should be ashamed of themselves. Comrades? Don't make me laugh!
You protest too much Caroline. It's an interesting story and the hacks could have found it out themselves I'd have thought? Or got it from opposition parties from either Dagenham or Westminster village. Or perhaps from attack dog Phil Woolas keeping his skills up for nailing LDs and Tories in future.
Please. The only reason this is being printed now is because Jon Cruddas is (rightly) perceived as a credible and serious threat. If the establishment didn't think he could wn they wouldn't have bothered. What did they print about McDonnell during his campaign? Nada.
Actually, the Sun did a vile hatchet job in the 24 hours when it seemed likely there would be a contest. And if John McDonnell had got on the ballot paper, Caroline, it would have been an utterly foul media stitch-up.Remember "Tony Benn On The Couch" and the Sun's Page 1 hatchet job re Kinnock on election day in 1992?
Afraid I was too young! Will bow to your memory and live experience of this one!
Seems Cruddas is blaming the Blearistas and have launched a riposte claiming she knew full well that her Tees were from a murderous sweatshop. Tho' unlike the Cruddas story which is factual if spun by the likes of Dale, even beyond the Mail's vile works, we've not seen a scrap of evidence.
Post a Comment