The Daily Telegraph: Retain "Left Expert" Iain Dale to rank Left Top One Hundred

The Daily Telegraph Left 100 assembled by Brian Brivati and Iain Dale follows hot on the heels of Bloggers' Own Story Lefty Top One Hundred. Their covering spiel is right here.

I'm sure Iain will have lobbied hard to have me included as his personal lefty stalker. It's possible to see a few of his curved balls hurtled down with poor Brian unable to resist dibbing them to hand. However in my own case good sense prevailed and the overlap between the two lists (blogger list in brackets) comes with Sunny Hundal 72 (- but there towards the top in spirit), Norman Geras 77 (48), John McDonnell 86 (7 among blogging MPs), and Dave Osler 93 (9).

Retired blogger Jon Cruddas (last post 27 June 2007) , who had a huge following from buttoned up Labour bloggers, strangely did not make either blogging list but seems excessively high in this Left One Hundred at 43. He's a good kid and all. But didn't he mess up by not taking any job from Brown? We'll see.


Here however goes my vote for the Lefty promoted the highest above their station, list wise and real wise both:

23. GEOFF HOON
Chief Whip Hoon is one of the great survivors of British politics. Deeply offended by his removal from the Cabinet by Blair, he lost no time in hitching himself to the Brown bandwagon and has been rewarded by being made Chief Whip, a position of huge power and influence. Probably his last position in frontline politics, though.

I'd say that is a Dale-ism. "Buff" is not in any serious commentator's Left Top 500. SECRET: Buff has the Chief Whip's job to give him the pay, others like Tom Watson wield the influence.

Also there at 85 is Gerry Adams President, Sinn Fein. Again, and I know Iain will leave a polite comment if I'm wrong, this looks like a mildly bizarre Dale-ism. Which "mildly bizarre" would be oxymoronic without qualifying "Dale-ism" which leaves a lot of head room bizarre wise.

Adams' inclusion does give me a chance to relay an anecdote of another list. From The Economist early doors in the New Labour period. Top 50 or 100 movers and shakers in the Financial Whirl of GB.

Gordon was it seems distraught when he got his copy and found himself solidly Top Ten but below two of his com-leagues. He rang Ed Balls - one of those above him - and demanded to know whether Balls had read the report.

EB was on a train towards Scotland and hadn't read it but he pulled out his copy.

"I can understand" said Brown "Why Blair is ahead of me". This was some time ago. "But why are you above the both of us?"

While Balls may well have thought this was on merit he is not stupid so he had a good think before answering.

"Ah" he said "I see Gerry Adams is there too". Pregnant pause. "They've put him at Number One."

Adams, Balls, Blair, Brown ... "You don't think the fools have put us in alphabetical order do you?"

All the above - "or words to that effect" - but probably a better rendition than the last time I heard it from Balls.

HAT TIP: None other than Iain Dale the 101st most influential player in the Modern British left.