So Comrades McD and McMeacher came to a comradely agreement as to which one would stand for leader pf the parliamentary Labour Party did they? Now where have I heard of such an arrangement before?
Those of us who still keep a toe in the camp of the Red Tories may have heard Comrade Jon Rogers late of Lewisham Labour Club and now NECing UNISON (http://jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/) on BBC Radio Four The World Tonight last night, being interviewed about Fake Scotsman Comrade John MacDonnell's famous Forlorn Hope. (He must be a fake Scotsman because No True Scotsman would oppose Comrade Dear Leader Gordon. There's no shame in being a fake Scotsman, its quite noble really. Mr Blair is a real Scotsman and a fake Englishman, a much more dubious beast.)
Does a Brighton accent really sound like that?
The only other people interviewed were the candidates themselves and probably-not-a-Comrade Simon Hoggart. One politely wonders whether the BBC tried to get someone with more national recognition than Jon to interview, but found no-one willing to take the third light and stick their heads above the parapet. Jon made it clear he wasn't speaking officially even for Unison never mind the rest of the Unions.
Or is my old mate really the coming voice of the Left in the Trade Union movement?
Meanwhile, back at the official end of politics, Comrade Great Leader Anthony Francisco Blair is still Prime Minister. I dread having to explain to American friends that all that has happened in legal terms is that the Labour Party has announced a date for holding an election for Parliamentary Leader. And it is widely assumed that when that election is complete, Her Maj will ask the winner of it to form a new government. But this isn't all specified in any laws or anything, its just the way Things are Done round here.
Mr Blair is staging the longest death scene since Hamlet. After The World Tonight they had John Major reading his cricketing memoirs. Now even Tories would admit that Mr Blair is likely to have a bigger page in history than Mr Major. Even Mr Major would admit that. And he wasn't my favourite Prime Minister of the 20th century by at least nine or ten PMs. But when he had to go, he went. To the cricket. He had already bought his ticket. Nothing became his office like the manner of his leaving it.
(Jon did very well by the way. He should be on the radio more often)