NO CONFIDENCE IN HAZEL.......

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.........