It's been one of those days. This morning the most remarkable exclusive news story unfolded before my very eyes. And though I can tell the bit about myself. I probably cannot tell the rest. Will ring Max Clifford for advice. Potential for loss of face to go with the other issues. Only redeemable by some generous cheque-book journalism. More anon. Or possibly not.
Rory Bremner TV and 'phone prank tormenter of pollies pulled quite a stunt tonight melding Lord Charlie Falconer with Ronnie Corbett.
Lord Charlie is Blair's old chum, quickly bounced into parliament by the back door, but that did not stop him joining Baroness Amos and "Good Lord" Geoff Hoon lecturing Labour Conference 2005 on "engaging with the electorate". I kid you not.
Two peers like Brighton itself. Telling rank and file Labour Party and Labour Movement folk how to do elections. What a cheek! We tried to stop it mind. Several of us moved "reference back" speeches to ditch the thing and I suggested replacing these clowns with a comradely address from Walter Wolfgang who had been so rudely ejected for saying boo to a goose.
Got more support in the room than most such things with the platform glaring and the unofficial whips whipping. But sadly we got the half hour of pointless peerage. Or patronisage?
Will see if I can dust down and blog Walter's thoughts - on Gordon Brown, New Labour, Trident and the like - which he gave me in an interview which appeared in condensed form in Red Pepper's Natural Born Rebel feature.
UPDATE: Partner who sensibly avoids Rory Bremner's work was bemused by my assertion that Bremner was seguing Falconer and Corbett. In fact they are from more or less the same street in Edinburgh. Good spot RB, and LOL.
I'll be brief. Last night's party terrific, raffle magic taking home a half dozen of Geoff Bridson's Salmonella Specials (more - possibly recipes and pictures anon), some fantastic and very bloggable gossip.
Before that the food shop saw a renowned local anti-megastore campaigner shopping at one - outside his constituency - though this blogger couldn't attract eye contact as the sad man kept looking at his shoes. Then it dawned on me. There was something about those shoes ... more anon on that too.
This morning some sociable work on the knocker in Burnage, teamed up with Naheed and Tarus, and meeting the famous ex-Labour councillor Sam Darby and knife-waving Linda (more and picture anon). Jenny and Lucy also spotted. Latter in the midst of a "Clot" of Bradleyites. Not saying Nargis or Yogesh weren't there mind.
Naheed is going to do the Trotty hustings which means Lorenzo23 will be voting for Lucy - unless that is he changes his radical SWP-baiting position over the news that it is good Churchians wot did it.
Next stop: The White Swan in Ladybarn to help Withington BLP with their campaign (2pm, 3:30pm for lordly buffet). This was an old haunt of mine in cricketing days. Will miss watching the World Cross country with Tomas and Tarus (supporting Kenya and Ethiopia respectively). 
There is just a chance that a Londoner will get in the mix. And the GB women may be medallists.
Kenyans have been less dominant, even beaten in the World Cross these last few years. Particularly by a Mr Bekele who has been doubling up and winning TWO races in TWO days.
But this year it is in Mombassa - zigging round a small part of a Golf Course - and the Kenyans'll be on home turf. And they've cancelled the second race ...
UPDATE: Good session campaigning in Withington. Five times as many volunteers as Dolores ever had last time out. Which seems desperately unfair. But so it goes. Some bloggables to follow. Meanwhile in Mombassa the thought of only having one race to win was too much for poor Bekele who dropped out. Kenyan teams won men's senior and junior races. A Kenyan woman won the women's individual as well. And if she had still carried a Kenyan passport that would have meant a clean sweep in the teams, but she's a Netherlander now. Cockney Mo Farah (GB) had an amazing run - as predicted here - for 10th.
A Sad Soul's Lament
When an old cricketer
Loses his shirt, yeah
Tis a very sad day for the game
So I've been on the Mac
And I've covered my back
And my chest for that
Matter, as well, yeah
Copywrong Roy of the Heath
Some friends of Luke Akehurst have gone too far this time. They really have. They have apparently been impersonating councillors to get strange catch phrases and bizarre content into their local rag. Either that or the councillor geezer did himself in.
Thankfully only Lib Dems do that sort of thing in our town. Well not "thankfully", you know, they should be barred, but what I'm saying is that Labour don't do it. A letter full of cliches? For a bet? Must be a Lib Dem or a Tory letter.
Some Tory did one about rats near the canal the other day! Started "Didn't you just know ... there are rats near the canal".
Well I'll be blowed! Rats near the canal? You're having a laugh! Ain't yah? Well ain't yah? Particularly near all the crap Tory fecking candidates don't dispose of properly. You can see that LOL're very sympathetic?
The last time the Lib Dems made a habit of bogus letters they lost a councillor and many many hearts and minds. Quite right too. They are disgraceful liars and hoaxers.
RELOCATION: NO, it is NOT true. Your unofficial Manchester Labour blogger has not relocated permanently to Hackney. They already have lots of bloggers there in 21st Century Hackney. It's original and modern.
Miles from Action-Without-Theory posted a wild story as a comment HERE (top of the pops) overnight. I promised to blog about it myself and started this post fully ten hours ago.
Essentially the story was that Diane Abbot was to be flung out on her ear after facing what sounds an excruciating and extraordinary process of being taken to something called a "Trigger Ballot" - shotgun for ya! This followed a delightful wind up of a story over at Dave Osler's place. Picture: Double Act of Abbot and Some Fella
In fact Diane Abbot "faces a trigger ballot" like every single sitting Labour MP. How does this work? Branch Labour Parties and affilated unions and societies get together and are provided with a whip's report and have a discussion. Then they vote, in this case, on the simple matter - should Diane be affirmed here and now or face a re-selection contest?
Generally speaking positive incumbency effects outweigh any negatives and the risk of starting from scratch with a new candidate, possibly less well known than the opposition's, and people tend to vote for the status quo.
But if most of them vote for a re-selection contest then there would be one. This is already a bit far-fetched - unless New Labour tried to push the Trade Unions to take part in a putsch and they agreed to play ball.
Seems to me that if this were to happen - and these things rarely do, even when (or especially when) hyped in the press - that Diane would (a) probably get a bit of roughing up then get a shortlist of one or (b) beat any and all contenders hands down.
But it ain't going to happen.
The preposterous story among the conspiracists and fantasists is that the LEFT would do Diane in. Absolutely blooming ridiculous. The right would be more likely. But then again they may also be more likely to understand the tactics and recognise the positive incumbency and the positive name recognition.
And having a couple of hours on political TV most weeks is probably seen as a GOOD THING by the general public and conscientious activists alike.
Obviously the ginger nut arms dealer would not be able to deal on this one as if it came to pass it would be an AWS.
Seems to me that naming three local councillors who may or not be available should the day come is rather scurrilous and just a bit "Trotty-Petulant", though perhaps not as bad/good as "giving good headline" to The Daily Telegraph outside Brighton Conference Centre and then showing your CLP badge and giving your name as the Ultra Blairite delegate instead of your own. (Sadly 18-24 months out in blood on carpet predictions.)
The good headline? In answer to the question "What did you think of Blair's speech?". the reply straight off the bat: "Dead Man Talking". The comrade - a Londonista, non-mocha division. This comrade LOL'd and took some flack for repeating the anecdote and the LOL'ing to a stern London MP. He had sadly flunked in the ritual Brightom Karoake and was in a grumpy mood.
The man most likely to organise a carve up in Hackney North has other fish to fry and reports TODAY:Diane Abbott was on top form and extremely funny, and won my son's vote in the reselection trigger ballot by giving him a kitkat bar to keep him quiet.
Mr Osler's blog shows there is a degree of jitters in Diane's camp about the trigger process. I gather this is because the forces to the left of her (we have them in Hackney) might vote not to reselect her (because of her son's private schooling and her support for Livingstone's position on the East London Line Extension - i.e. private sector involvement).
I'm not convinced she has anything to worry about. Yes there are a lot of people who will vote against her in some of the ward parties, but I'm not sure they will carry a majority even of the wards, and almost all the affiliates will vote in Diane's favour.
Getting her triggered would require a lot of organisation - and as the person who would, if minded to, do that organising, I can report that I'm not doing it because a) the political disbenefits for Labour in the seat outweigh any advantages it would bring and b) I have other selection fish to fry in the coming months in Walthamstow.
For once I have to agree with Luke Akehurst. This analysis from the BBC concerns the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) candidates for the main parties in 2005. Labour had less but many were defending or placed in realistic winnables - way ahead of the other parties on Equality.
Labour parties de-selecting black women sitting MPs as candidates anywhere is very unlikely I feel. Selecting more BME candidates however is very desirable indeed.
- How many BME MPs and MEPs do Labour have in the North West?
- What is the proportion of BME voters in our safest seats?
- Why on earth doesn't Greater Manchester has some BME MPs?
UPDATE: I'm told by a man in the know (Ginger Nut) that this seat would NOT see an AWS if Diane were de-selected. Tom Watson MP posted this comment at Dave's Part:Hahahahahahaha.
You want to deselect Diane Abbott?
That would be the sort of nihilistic, self-hating idiocy of the hard left we have all come to love. You're seriously thinking about deselecting the most articulate voice the hard left has in parliament?
Her bourgeois antics deserve punishing. I mean, to communicate with the workers, peasants and intellectuals through the anachronistic medium of the wireless television. What a splitter.
God bless the 'Ackney Norf hardcore Trot cadre crew.
Posted by Tom | 11:56, 23 March 2007
Tom (at the link above) also has a fascinating excerpt from an interview with one of Cameron's Eton Rifles on defections to the Tories.
Bob Woolmer's death has shocked the World of Cricket. Here in blogland it has found warring factions Prague Tory, Action-Without-Theory and Barry's beef united - just this once. 
There is a Tribute and Trust fund site HERE and the Daily Gleaner's latest story from which the Fan's Tribute picture was taken is HERE.
Wiki link for Roy Harper's Song Here and this is connected because I saw the old folker in a room above a pub in Edgbaston, AND Roy was born in Rusholme, Manchester 14 scene of some of my own finest hours at the wicket, AND Roy played and watched much of his cricket in Lancashire.
When the moment comes, and the gathering stands,
And the clock turns back to reflect,
On the years of grace, as those footsteps trace,
For the last time out of the act.
Well this way of life's recollection
The hallowed strip in the haze,
The fabled men, and the moonday sun,
Are much more than just yarns of their days...
Tory bloggers have turned on the man that their leader Dave/id Cameron was so keen to have as the Tory candidate for the London Mayoralty. Adam McQueen's reposted 2002 article on the subject of JB's management style is called in evidence.
This is not a blow to John Bird who will just roll his sleeves up and get on with his winning Chim-Chimeny ways down the Old Kent Road. But it is another major stain on Cameron's Cuddly Nu Tory copybook. His judgement is pants. Big pants.
CAPTION: Galloway for Mayor? Gratuitous red lycra with Pete Burns.
BBC Radio Five is my radio of choice much of the time. Kids and partner will agitate for Radio 1 or Cheese FM but if I have a choice it's often Five Live with an occasional dabble for TMS or DID on Four.
Yesterday on Drive Peter Allen introduced an item on dilemmas. His first example was of a group of survivors in a sinking life boat who knew that one of their number would soon die but leaving them aboard will sink the lot of them. I don't think that one is at all hard. Do you?
What would you count as a real dilemma, political or otherwise, that really needs one of those hard choices we speak of. Not just whether to tie Public Services to decades of debt. A real hard choice. The bull is charging. Dart left (above) or dart right? Answers in comments please.
Action Without Theory has just posted a Man Wit nomination exclusive. Miles is working on USA West Coast time or the like so please don't worry about his insomnia - just add seven hours.
Miles claims that Lucy has told the organisers that she thinks: "the selection is an 'internal matter' for party members". Which is something along the lines Lorenzo23 expressed in comments here last evening. 
Presumably this means that Lucy would agree to take part in a head-to-head hustings with the other nominees so long as only Labour Party members are allowed to attend. Many would see that as a step in the right direction and would welcome organisation of this immediately before or after the public session.
At the time of writing only Jenny Lennox is known to have accepted the invitation - from a collection of church, community and single issue groups, leavened with a few politicians from assorted parties and sects.
Jenny said: "I think the Labour Party needs to engage with the anti-war movement in the constituency." Also invited are Cllr Nargis Khan, Dr Yogesh Virmani, and Naheed Arshad-Mather MBE.
UPDATE: I am told that as of tea time today Jenny, Nargis and Yogesh have accepted invitations and I believe that all are prepared to double up and do a members only meeting with Lucy.
In fact it's a horrid (not very), childish (very) video with pervy childish tittering and mad crowing. Gordon fidgets, thumbs nose at Tories, and picks spanking new teeth, gnashing brilliantly like a croc ready to pounce on a colonial slaver.
MEANWHILE: On Tory benches Smug Marginal MPs sit happily.
They have rushed from their city jobs and hair of the dog breakfasts.
But they are 50 minutes away from brown trousers over Brown's Basic-rate Bombshell. A Tory Twilight Zone.
He's BEHIIIIND you!
Today's South Manchester Distorter Readers' Letters feature was the fourth in succession to carry a letter from a potential Man Wit candidate expressing opposition to the Iraq War. 
In order of publication these were from Nargis Khan who opposed the war and Trident replacement, Jenny Lennox who did likewise and had attended the latest London Demo, Naheed Arshad-Mather who adds her anti-Trident letter this week, and now Yogesh Virmani. 80% of the remaining five candidates. Perhaps next week will bring a full house?
We are also heartened to see that Chorlton Against War have organised a special head-to-head hustings for the five prospective candidates with all welcome to attend. The meeting - on Thursday 29 March at 7:30pm will also give an opportunity to inspect the new meeting facilities at Chorlton Library. Will there be enough space?
Questions are expected to range widely across all areas of government policy and constituency issues.
After all money spent on making war cannot be spent on making our Metrolink better.
This one really is a five-line whip. Hopefully it will be filmed and YouTubed.
UPDATE: This post has triggered some heat in the comments on two red herring issues. One: a mischievious story about Diane Abbot being unseated. And two: some concern about a face-to-face hustings organised by Trots. For clarification although the blessed MK sent the letter in to the Distorter he did so on behalf of a broad group of local people of all parties and none. CND, churchies and mosquies prominent.
Dave Osler's Dave'spart blog has added both your humble blogger and friend Adele (Crazy World) to his blogroll. I'm chuffed.
Dave is a consistently good source of interesting and well-researched posts and being as he has worked his way back to Labour from the independent left he attracts some Trotty flame interest.
He has analysis of the phenomenon of Big Issue founder John Bird standing for London Mayor and of independents in general. Comments go off on tangents about Galloway and PR.
Bird was a WRP-er when the Libyan money was pouring into their paper. But that's not all. “Actually,” someone called John Bird told the Standard in 1997, “I was a member of something called the Socialist Party of Great Britain at school for a while. You had to pass an exam, you know. You could not just join”. I am now told by a comrade that this may have been John Bird of Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Nonetheless Big Issue John Bird is a former sectarian leftie.
We had The Big Issue in Manchester in 1992, soon after the 1991 launch in London and the sale of the previously fiercely independent City Life, which I had 
co-founded, sold to the auld enemy MEN that we had set up specifically to counter.
John Bird was impressed with Ruth Turner and sprang to her aid: “I just don’t believe this. She was religiously straight - almost like a zealot.” Which may translate roughly to 'Ruth simply wouldn't let me pull the fiddles I wanted'!!
AND ANOTHER THING: Despite his revolutionary socialist background Bird was courted assiduously by Cameron's Tories to be their candidate. They are making some strange moves on recruitment and selection. But no-one is taken in. Same old same old.
Homage to Notting Hill and WebCameron.
A Taste of Honey with your ginger nuts?
A real shot in the arm for Salford - just the ticket on the estates.
Remember: Nargis Khan got there first. Still waiting for Jenny, Naheed, Yogesh and Lucy. We let the MEN break it though we've known for hours. What do you all think?
Spare a thought for the Chorlton Blogger waiting anxiously for the follow up to the Lib Dems' Shameless exposure of a blog story seen by approximately 50 Town Hall insiders to 80,000 readers.
Some fan mail has arrived at LoL which suggests that the fearless blogger was the only one to emerge with any sort of credit from the South Manchester Distorter's debacle.
The paper printed a "story" that was six weeks old on page three. The reporter was confused. Lib Dems railed against free speech. Labour had it both ways - "nothing to do with us" and "we'll have the bastard".
Confusing times in the strange world of the "Interweb" which these grey surfers sadly do not understand. Next instalment on mats shortly. We'll keep you posted.
Anyone for Tennis? You've seen the Wimbledon announcement presumably? Lord Levy might fancy a run out? He's at home in the courts I've heard. Steve Bell Merchandise.
Mr Meacher has quoted this blog on his Facebook home - which has less adherents in the whole country than he needs votes from the PLP - without attribution and severely out of context. He cherry picks the words "class act" from THIS post where they were followed directly by:But essentially Meacher has the same platform as John McDonnell without quite the same degree of integrity and judgement, something which Meacher himself salutes before spinning yarns about parliamentary nominations in the bag.
Backing Blair on Iraq, conspiricising on 9-11, owning millions of pounds of residential buy-to-let do not a wise leader or an exemplary socialist make. I look forward to Alex Hilton interviewing John McDonnell, and who knows another candidate who is from the centre left, yet distinctive from the left candidate, and unimpeachable.
A Class Act indeed. He has also strenuously resisted posting a link to THIS POST for some reason. And they say Gordon is the old Tanky?
TANKY TEST: Are you reading? If so please check your spelling of camapign@michaelmeacher.info which looks faulty.
McDONNELL LINK: on Facebook HERE.
My, how very unpopular GW Bush's Iraq Strategy (and United Nations Strategy for that matter) has become when Mr John Bolton, wild-eyed and rather Stalin-moustachioed Bush ultra is now using the excuses so recently not employed by one Oliver Finegold when harrassing a certain Local Government politician at a party for the LGB Community.
Incidentally the Judgement from Ken's trial showed the absolute short shrift the Judge gave to Finegold and The Standard's arguments. Particularly in light of an unexplained exision from the famous tape and transcript. An exision which has received insufficient attention from the press who are presumably protecting their own.
Newsnight, including budget analyses and debate, with DC back to left parting after dabbling with centrism, and even Ming's own people nodding off during his bit, available ONLINE for 24 hours.
Bolton's apostacy is 32 minutes in.
Frank Luntz's GIMMICKY FOCUS is also there.
I've seen less manipulative and more scientific medium shows with Mystic Rose.
As blogged earlier I had a fine walk with my trusty dogs this morning. Only downside was a faltering camera. But there are always pictures out there if you know where to look.
Proceed to Chorlton Park, the Water Park to be precise, exactly one mile around and one of my stamping grounds for almost 30 years now. Along the high road to Mersey Bank fields and on and on along the banks through Didsbury to Northenden.
All the while meeting and greeting or at least spotting dogs and owners strutting their stuff. And in glorious sunshine, albeit with a nip in the air, this was a veritable Crufts and Scruffs of the Mersey Bank.
First noteworthy encounter wasn't actually an encounter. Distracting the dogs so they didn't see I watched some stern old trooper schooling a poor Whippet pup in how to walk nice. A vertical lead in his left hand pulling the poor little thing erect and a stick in the right keeping him eyes forward.
Sheesh, some way to live! My three have been shown at a couple of lurcher shows and have a collection of rosettes but I take the judges at their word when they say they can put up with some snarling and insolence as long as no blood is drawn.
Onwards down the banks to the weir at the Tatton Arms it is across the foam with a few close encounters and onto leads for a stroll through the village. At the top of Boat Lane bump into Edwin who is rushing home to feed his Jack Russell. A lovely chat about the new Council doggie by-laws, doggie nutrition and doggie care. Onwards past a "Doggie In the Window" scenario where the camera is a particular let down.
And on and on. Past Jehovah's Witness HQ, the scruffiest Hotel in the Western World, and on to Wythenshawe Park. Another of my most regular stamping grounds, again for 30 years. A place of triumphs and despair.
But today of new mown meadows with their aroma of global warming. Of walking through one "Round" and round another. Of a close encounter with a golden retriever puppy and her Kurdish owner. Of a march past old Cromwell, climbing up to inspect but alas not photograph the presentation rubric.
Onwards past the West Lodge to Rackhouse Road and Kenworthy Farm and down towards the river. Great chat with some Park Guys about a ridiculously huge sign proclaiming "Oil Interception" (or similar, no camera) which reflects a sump underground which collects chemicals spilt on the motorway.
"So is it to stop people digging there?" I ask, the spot having been both undug and unprotected by signs for at least 30 years. "Yes" they say "But who will dig there?!" I ask "We might" they replied but they were uncertain why a huge sign - readable from the motorway itself might be needed. Short chat about the dogs' varied hunting instinct ensues.
Onwards towards the Water Park. But two Horseback Bobbies (more soon, I promise) are approaching and I decide to duck the dogs through a putative hawthorn hedge and avoid any confrontation. "Bobby" shouts a thank you. And I allow the change of course to persist and the dogs are pleased to encounter new ground.
When we reach the "bumps" they know by the Electricity Station and I have a guy relaxing on a bench laughing out loud with some amazing anecdote I cannot now remember. But then a huge rabbit, or perhaps a hare, runs across our path. The dogs are off, but way too late. I decide if they catch it it will be (a) a dead hare and (b) definitely a hare. But it is probably a rabbit with a hole to go to and it certainly lives.
Back to the banks and we meet a fidgety Border Terrier and then onwards via a Giant Schnauzer to Chorlton Park and home.
All roads ... Chorlton Park, just at the moment.
Bloggerheads produced the above re-working of the following piece of "Christian" propaganda. Unfortunately we have now missed today's 1pm Fascist Rally in Parliament Square. This reminds me of the National Front protest at Manchester Pride last year. Which I may come back to and blog when I get a moment. But no promises. One of these days I'll catch up.
As Tom Watson and Hamer Shawcross say this is one of the worst pieces of propaganda ever seen on our shores. Presented under the title "What The Government Doesn't Want You To Know" you can also see it in context and read and perhaps add to the comments HERE. There are even fascist bigots writing in pretending to be gay, like this one:"I'm gay, and quite happy to be one, but I think the government is perfectly capable of enforcing this kind of education. If you don't believe that, go to the Daily Mail webpage and type in 'Outcry over explicit sex education video shown to five-year-olds'
The Daily Mail! Hallelujah, that's God's honest truth then is it. The propaganda has been seen by around 15,000 and the most popular response video to date by just over 1,000.
Meanwhile lefthand mini screen below shows Peter Tatchell trying to have a civilised conversation with a mad cleric, known by the CCTV scum who produced this simply as "The Bishop". Just so everyone knows how wrong he is he is later endorsed by Papa Doc Ian Paisley. To the right is a reasoned six minute response to the major lies and distortions in the propaganda film. It has a more measured pace then the other items but is none the worse for that.
Posts
