Tuesday, April 26, 2005

You Heard It Here First - Unless You Read Recess Monkey 5 Minutes Ago

Brian Sedgemore, retiring MP for Hackney South & Shoreditch has defected to the LibDems, causing a headache for Labour Candidates trying to show the public how right wing the Liberals can be.

Is it possible that Charles Kennedy offered him a Peerage after being rejected for an Honour by Blair? Traditionally, the two main opposition leaders nominate 5 people for Peerages at dissolution.
Recess Monkey


Oh the joys of rushing to post! Great minds think alike (or were watching Newsnight at the same time).

Not sure Sedgemore would go for a peerage, after all, he did used to attack 'The Establishment'. And there's the small matter of the Lib Dems' Approved Peers List -- surely Charles Kennedy wouldn't go above the heads of his own party's democratic structures?


So chaps, which bit of the Sedgemore battering do you disagree with? Recess is I know a fan of Brian. Do you renounce Sedgemore and all his works and pledge loyalty to Blair?

There is a lot of truth in what he says, half the PLP loathes Blair, half of the candidates do as well. Much of the activists (who are generally more left-wing) will not campaign for him and many voters find him indistinguishable from the Tories. That latter point is key to his success. Will conscientious socialists hold their nose and vote for New Labour? I suspect a lot will vote for the most left-wing candidate, which in many cases will be the LibDems.


I have never rated Brian "eminently forgettable" Sedgemore and, for once, agree with Blair that no one will have heard of him until this morning. I must admit to enjoying his and Mayor Ken's hate/hate relationship over recent years, which no one other than those concerned seem to know where the beef is. I expect Ken smirked over his cornflakes this morning.

In fact, if you want positive proof to the extent of his lightweight-ness then read Oliver Kamm's detailed examination of Sedgemore's historic contribution to the Labour Party. I also agree with Kamm's conclusion, we should be happy for Brian now he's found his real political home.

As for Recess, he's just a romantic lefty and is aware of Sedgemore's breezing through the pages of Tribune over the years.


Thanks for the irrelevant gossip, but without sounding like Paxo, answer the question - which bit of the Sedgemore battering do you disagree with? Do you renounce Sedgemore and all his works and pledge loyalty to Blair?


I'm baffled as to what I'm supposed to be agreeing with or disagreeing with. Was it a battering? Sounded like a bitter rant by a has-been to me. How can I renounce someone I never rated? Why do I have to pledge loyalty to anyone? I'm sure your question has humour value but as far as I am concerned these events have absolutely no personal relevance to me whatsoever.

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