Life is full of strange coincidences and one of the strangest is gatherng dust on my bookshelves in the form of a yellowing newspaper cutting. Back in 1990, a very young Hazel Blears was with me at the opening of the ( as then was) Labour History Museum in Manchester and Guardian photographer Don MacPhee captured this moment for posterity.A couple of years later, up popped Hazel again as a would-be PPC in Salford.
It was in the days when Branches actually got to question candidates and suffice to say my vote went to someone else. I left Salford shortly afterwards but have retained an interest in my old CLP - particularly the news that someone has been brave enough to table a "no confidence" motion in Ms Blears at next week's constituency meeting.
Already Hazel is eating humble pie and has conducted a contrite interview in which she expresses regret at doing the Party such damage by resigning on the eve of Euro polling. It won't wash.
Her expression as she was photographed post resignation was one of smug triumphalism. The wearing of the "Rocking The Boat" badge was both childish and inflammatory, to say the least. But it didn't work. Mandelson steadied the ship and the North West has ended up with Nick griffin as one of its Euro MPs . Blears must take part responsibility for that. Let me just say that if I were still a member of Salford CLP I would be voting for her to stand down. Apology or no apology. As my late mother used to say when I had misbehaved, sorry is too late.........
Friday, 12 June 2009
NO CONFIDENCE IN HAZEL.......
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5 comments:
She's got very neat ankles, though.
David Duff
Usual excellent political analysis I see, Mr Duff.
But Hazel Blears certainly wasn't an uber-Blairite in 1990.
I think if there is an intention to move on then that has to be from all sides and doing what you suggest would not be sensible. If there is that much antgonism in her CLP then I would imagine she would opt to stand down.
To be frank, though, I can't quite work out why the left seems to keen on Brown. I think he is about as inspiring as a wet weekend and hias politics are the same as Blair's. What is the appeal? Is it that dour puritanical Scottishness ? I have often found the hair-shirted puritanism of the Labour left something I dislike
I can't see Hazel voluntarily standing down in a month of Sundays. Salford is one of the safest seats in the country- still. Granted she may not have been an uber Blairite then ( impossible!) in fact I remember she portrayed herself as "soft left" but in her speech she was unimpressive and my Branch was not convinced.
I don't think the left IS particularly keen on Brown. The points you make are all so but let's face it John Major had zero charisma and still won. It's the policies that have to change. Not the person.What the left didn't want to do was align with the Blairites.......which doesn't mean Brown wouldn';t face a chalenge from the left if things don't get any better.
Thing is, Major wasn't Thatcher and whilst I agree that he came over as quite weak, I think people generally liked him, I think the problem is that many actually don't like Brown. I don't find him inspiring but I don't dislike him either. I agree, some of the policies definitely need to change, but I also doubt whether in these personality-obsessed days, Brown could win an election. I don't welcome that development. I think its a reality, though.
I think if it was clear that Blears was to be no-confidenced, she would step down. She has always traded on those local roots. I've met her a couple of times. She is exhausting.
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