I rather expected that, but it won't wash!
Fortunately, my letter quoted checkable facts, in particular a Labour MP's admission to Paul Waugh (of the London Evening Standard) that they were playing deliberate games of mischief, which of course are all at public expense and done purely for party political reasons, not for any benefit to the nation. The term for this known practice is filibusting.
Here's the relevant part of Paul W's article:
"...the main aim appears to be simple mischief.So, there you have it. The Munton letter attempts to twist the tale into something else; but by playing the man rather than the ball, and by having no counter to the filibusting charge (he claims that Labour MPs had "insisted on a full and exhaustive debate"), it falls flat.The key phrase here is on the Order Paper. It states: "Finance Bill: Committee (may continue until any hour)."
Put simply, the Finance Bill is one of the few pieces of legislation which cannot be guillotined. If a Labour MP wants to talk on it for hours, he can do so.
Last week, Kevan Jones and others filibusted for ages, with the result that the Commons finally rose at 2.48am.
Tonight, as one MP put it to me: 'You ain't seen nothing yet'."
I have to assume it was a hoped-for damage limitation exercise, as the Medway Labour folk will have realised that our local newspapers' readers are, by and large, not fools, and learned something when they read my letter that they aren't going to un-learn whatever any Labourite subsequently tries to claim.
Now we see why I structured what I wrote in that manner, so that it would ensure that any attempt by Labour to rebut it would show how dishonest they are as a party.
This is something to bear in mind at every election: you cannot have confidence in any Labour person's honesty, because singly and collectively they always, sooner or later, show their true nature.
Today's Munton letter once again reminds us of that immutable fact.
Careful that you do not confused filibustering with democracy.
ReplyDeleteIrrelevent of the fact however that getting wasted in Parliament is not sensible at any time for any reason.
That is not just good politics. Its character.
Oh, I haven't confused them, neither has Paul Waugh, neither has the MP who tipped him off about what was going on, Grant Shapps tweeted about it during the evening, and if you either watch the two debates of read them up in Hansard it is obvious anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe more Labour milk this, the greater reason there will be to dig deeper. For example, the next stage ought to be find out the names and parties of all the dozens who were witnessed "knocking it back on the first occasion, which included a number of Labour MPs.
After that, it will be instructive to find out the as yet unpublished stories of what they got up to (and I have been dropped hints that there are several equally interesting ones concerning Labour folk).
Remember Salvor Hardin's ("Foundation" by Asimov) epigram: "The atom blaster is an excellent weapon, but it can point both ways!" Keep trying to play the man and there will be every reason to counter with a whole raft of other tales from the same event.
Your choice, Labour...
The Tory whips leaked this... It was nothing to do with Labour!
ReplyDeleteInteresting to hear Tristan Osborne talk about character. Shame he felt no such compulsion with regards to the Labour candidate chosen to stand in Luton and Wayfield last year. Character Mr Osborne? She had it by the bucket.
ReplyDeleteThey've picked the same person again, Anon, and for the same ward.
ReplyDeleteYes John, and in the same ward as Tristan Osborne I believe. Has Tristan ever explained his claim in the media that he attended the Cameron Direct event in Chatham a couple of years ago, when the official record of all attendees, who were security checked and ID verified for obvious reasons, show he didn't? Yes, character indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd talking of Munter. Has Labour's selection for Rochester West been announced yet? Seems to be taking an awful lot of interest in what's going on there lately, in between writing his completely counter-productive letters to the papers. Pure coincidence that 'Friends of Watts Meadow' meetings are being held at Labour's offices on Maidstone Road...or am I just being cynical?
ReplyDeleteHere's a good one for you John. This is a comment posted by Tristan Osborne on the MM website in relation to the CCTV car;
ReplyDelete"There is anecdotal evidence I have heard that the car is targeting primary school parents on the school-drop off run because sometimes parents are in a rush.
If true - this tells you everything about our current administration."
Tells you more about Tristan Osborne's judgment and character if he thinks parents parking dangerously outside schools, regardless of whether they're in a hurry, is acceptable behaviour. Perhaps he'd care to come back on here to explain the rationale behind his statement the next time a child is hit by a car outside a school because some ignorant, thoughtless parent couldn't be bothered parking a safe and reasonable distance from the school because they were 'in a rush'. Character? Judgment?
Hmm. We're in danger of wandering a little too far off-topic, though I do accept that such claims and other matters could do with being explained/accounted for fully and publicly, as a matter of principle.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that Tristan will shortly find a way to at least attempt to do so.
It is not really my intention to "play the man" here, but to counter any claims with my customarily fully backed-up (and independently checkable) hard facts. It seems to have been a very successful methodology throughout the past ten years(!)
I completely take your point about 'playing the man'. However, I hope you don't mind me pointing out that an answer has still not been provided to my query regarding Tristan's claims about the Cameron Direct event. This goes to the very heart of everything he, and by association Labour, says publicly. He talks about character. I would say his silence speaks volumes on the issue.
ReplyDelete