The sanctimonious intolerant wing of the Labour Party is seeking self-destruction again. They are indignant! They are Angry! They are outraged!At what?
Why, one of their own MP's - Kate Hoey - being Chairman of the Countryside Alliance, that's what. What's more their poll indicates that they believe being a Labour politician is incompatible with Countryside Alliance activism. Not unlike the extremist Colonel Blimp hang-em, Flog-em brigade of the Tory Party. Except that outraged authoritarian intolerance seems to be not only the majority mindset of the Labour Party these days, but also to infect it's younger members the most. Two CLP's are 'So alarmed', they are calling on the Party Whips (do they know the etymology of that word I wonder?) to take 'decisive action' (unspecified naturally, but decisive)
They are blissfully unaware that the previous CA chairman, John Jackson, is a lifetime member of the Labour Party and Fabian Society, and that the CA President since 1998 is a Labour Peer - elevated by Neil Kinnock no less - Baroness Anne Mallalieu. Also that another Labour Peer and former Labour MP Lin Golding is a member of the CA Board. In fairness there are some solid dissenting views on the thread too but, naturally enough, they stand accused of being closet Torys where possible.
Read the whole thread here on LabourHome
All the usual tired, discredited shibboleths trotted out - yet again: toffs, privilage, insulting caricatures of hunting, 'what about the miners?' etc. etc. - plus a few. Even one complaint about feeling intimidated by the CA demo at the 2004 Labour Party Conference - ahhhhh. (he ought to consider just who was doing the attacking and who the defending). That was also the conference where, for the second year in succession the CA stand in the secure area of the conference was vandalised and the staff manning it subjected to a constant stream of foul-mouthed abuse from those ernest, sour-faced, mostly youthful, delegate/activist types.
They are quite right to be worried about the 'Vote-OK' campaign though. There's no doubt that it has learned a lot and, come the next election, will put far more committed activists on the streets in marginal seats where the incumbent declares him/herself to be unsympathetic to repeal or drastic amendment of the farce that is the present Hunting Act.
Rather hope the outraged intolerant brigade get their way though - It'll be another PR gift for hunting.
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