WTF indeed. I read an opinion piece the other day (in the Tablet, which is not known for being partisan in secular politics :) saying that "sleaze" is beginning to become a new-Labour thing, whereas previously it was always a Tory curse.
Once people with money see that Labour has power and is likely to keep it, they start bothering to try to buy influence. Since politicians are human beings, and not enormously highly paid human beings, dodgy things are going to happen independent of ideology (in so far as there still are any ideological differences between the two...). The Tories look squeaky clean at the moment because of the struggle they (still) face to get back into government.
Something's strange here. The Treasurer is one of those honorary titles, largely, done for the prestige and place on the NEC by someone who has a different full-time job somewhere else (in this case running a trade union) and I wouldn't be terribly surprised that they not know about the source of loans, I wouldn't even be surprised if they didn't know about loans at all, but I am surprised that they would know in detail about bank loans and not at all about other loans. I mean, they must know in that case roughly what the party has coming in and going out, and you'd think they'd spot if those numbers were wildly and inexplicably different. Of course, it is arguably in the strategic interest of trade union leaders to stir up any controversy around the Labour Party getting funding from business.
Chin up, John. Jack and Harriet might divorce for the good of the Party just like Tessa and David if the Rev. Sun-Myung Tony tells them to, and then comes your chance. Thing is though, Harperson likes fat blokes with beards (well, that's what Dromey looked like during the Grunwick era). But she just isn't my type at all. Get in there, mate!
Yeah, as Ken Livingstone said on the Today program this morning, it could be that nothing improper has happened at all, it could be that this was just a failure to notify the treasurer where a particular loan came from.
OTOH: WTF! How can the treasurer not be informed of that sort of thing? Fucking disgrace if you ask me...
Ignorance is an excuse these days; you can get away from even a very close association with dodgy deals if you claim not to have read the papers you signed (Jowell), or not to have seen the memo about bombing Al-Jazeera, etc.
I think the key sentence is:
"It's wrong that Downing Street thinks it can run the Labour Party: we are an elected party, a democratic party," he said
So, Downing street is running the party and have lost respect for the party machinery that they are nominally a part of.
Jack Dromey, aka Mr. Harriet Harman, is every bit as informed about where the money's coming from as, oh let's see, David "Mr. Tessa Jowell" Mills, not just by association through marriage, but in his case being involved closely with the party through the Trade Union movement and the NEC. I remember Dromey from the days of Grunwick's, back when he had principles, back before Labourites like him sold their souls to the free market. A pox on the whole sleazy shower of them.
Oh, and I wonder what Jack got from Harriet on Tuesday (http://www.steakandbjday.com/)? Neither, probably.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 10:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 11:20 am (UTC)Once people with money see that Labour has power and is likely to keep it, they start bothering to try to buy influence. Since politicians are human beings, and not enormously highly paid human beings, dodgy things are going to happen independent of ideology (in so far as there still are any ideological differences between the two...). The Tories look squeaky clean at the moment because of the struggle they (still) face to get back into government.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 10:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 10:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 03:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 10:43 am (UTC)OTOH: WTF! How can the treasurer not be informed of that sort of thing? Fucking disgrace if you ask me...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 01:28 pm (UTC)I think the key sentence is:
So, Downing street is running the party and have lost respect for the party machinery that they are nominally a part of.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-03-16 03:15 pm (UTC)Oh, and I wonder what Jack got from Harriet on Tuesday (http://www.steakandbjday.com/)? Neither, probably.