Sunday, August 19, 2007

Redwood Deadwood: BBC Wrong to Apologise



It is quite right and proper that the BBC should put almost forgotten political personalities in context when they crawl back out of the deadwood. John Redwood IS most famous (as Wiki say) for being a Welsh Secretary whose version of "read my lips" was sadly lacking in any tasty morsels to read.

He IS next most remembered for caring little about the Welsh economy and for sending back £100M of grant in aid - probably Billions at today's prices considering the runaway inflation his party failed to tackle. His party, Cameron's party, Johnson's party had repeatedly hammered Welsh working people. And now they simply skimped.

Just when they needed it most. He left them ... in the lurch.

And of course he IS remembered as a Thatcherite (Head of Her Policy Unit no less), a right winger (ibid), and an idealogue (ibid).

Now Redwood has floated some tax cuts which will benefit just 3% of the richest part of the electorate. When they discover ultimately that they can't take it with them.

Now, Inheritance Tax may or may not be a useful part of the tax mix. It may be after all that there could be better ways to tax the rich 'til the pips squeak. Let's keep our options open!

But the BBC - or any other competent and considerate media outlet - should not be apologising for contextualising Deadwood Redwood as he crawls from under a log blinking, mouthing sweet nothings and shaking his dead head to announce a Bush-like "un-tax the rich" half promise.

Tories like Redwood, Cameron, Osborne and Johnson are out-for-the-rich, incompetent, spoilt, knob heads. That's fair comment. If they want some better press they'll have to do something useful and memorable. Unlikely probably. But so it goes. John Prescott will no doubt generally find a clip of a dab handed if eggy punch rolled out as he re-emerges from time to time. Also fair comment. That's the epitome of JP.

The BBC should apologise for apologizing. Punch their weight like our John. Sing their own praises unlike your John. At the very least these spoilt Tories do need to be singing from the same hymn book otherwise it really will be ten more years.

8 comments:

Owen said...

Who are you backing in the Scottish Labour leadership election, Chris?

http://www.laboursfightback.blogspot.com/

fairdealphil said...

Good post Chris...

i've embedded the classic redwood clip in my sidebar...would look good in yours...if the beeb have given in to pressure, we have a responsibility to the voters to make it available...!

you're on my blogroll..please reciprocate...cheers

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry Chris but you are becoming even more of a ranter as well as trying to sound intelligent ("ibid" for god's sake - you never studied Latin did you?) and now you have Phil begging to be linked to your sad site.

Oh well, glad I'm rid of you now.

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris

You do not appear to have a very clear understanding of economic theory - other than that spouted by Karl Marx who actually did not understand it at all - so you might be interested in this website link which has many sources of educational material to expand your horizons.

http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/index.php

Keep taking the tablets.

Chris Paul said...

In reverse order. Time wise, though not in importance:

Old Nick: John Redwood's blog is rather good and I have said so here and elsewhere before. But his economic ideology is anathema. This post is not about that, or indeed about rentiers getting a bit of pain to go with their gain ...

Arsula: Missing you already (op cit) ...

Phil: Yes, spotted the link thanks and will reciprocate next update.

Owen: Clearly the "leader" is the servant of the party not vice versa (there I go again, sorry Urs you old bearcub you) and they follow the agenda of the membership? As I am based in England I don't get a vote in this one do I? What's that? I didn't get a vote in the other one?

Chris Paul said...

PS

Taxing the rich more while they're still alive to "enjoy" it does seem like a reasonable plan. But reducing the inheritance of wealth and power on death is not something to be given away lightly.

People should be encouraged to keep their money moving while they are alive as this has positive multipliers for the whole of society. If they hoard it and live in out sized properties and so on they are creating dead money doing little for anyone.

Anonymous said...

"op cit"

Pretentious twat!

Chris Paul said...

Anonymous twat! Still posting pished Tosh?