Derby North MP Chris Williamson has been re-admitted to the Labour Party, following a period of suspension following comments he made about Labour’s reaction to complaints of anti-Semitism. As the BBC has reported, this was “after footage of Mr Williamson was published by the Yorkshire Post, showing him telling activists that Labour had ‘given too much ground' over allegations of anti-Semitism and was being ‘demonised as a racist, bigoted party’”. Some pundits have reacted strongly to this news.
Wake up Monty, you're bang to rights
And some of those pundits really ought not to be coming over so righteous, considering their own lamentable records when it comes to making anti-Semitic remarks - something Williamson did not do in that activist meeting. Sure, he was clumsy, crass, and grossly insensitive, and so it was appropriate that he was suspended.
One of those getting on his high horse about Williamson’s re-admission to the Labour fold is the serially clueless Tim Montgomerie, the obscenely overrated nobody who went on record to tell the world that the phone hacking scandal was just a Labour put-up job to get payback for Damian McBride. It wasn’t, and he was exposed as a sham.
“Labour isn’t serious about anti-Semitism. Part 127” Tweeted Monty the righteous, and one credit that has to be given to The Great Man is that he really is serious about anti-Semitism. So serious, in fact, that he blatantly indulged in it, was caught bang to rights by Total Politics, but refused to withdraw his comments, far less apologise.
Evan Harris - target of vicious anti-Semitic abuse
This is what TP said about Monty and his pal (yes, it’s her again) Nadine Dorries: “Writing in the Sunday Telegraph Tim Montgomerie, and Nadine Dorries on her blog, both saw fit to label Dr Evan Harris - who has been a continual critic of both Dorries and her motion - 'Dr Death’ … Neither Tim nor Nadine are known for their tact but by stoking the flames of an emotive issue and comparing one of their opponents to a Nazi concentration camp Doctorthey’ve lost all rationality. The fact that Dr Harris is Jewish … such disgraceful and loaded name calling has no place in civilised debate. An apology will not be sufficient, nor I fear, forthcoming”. Anti-Semitism. Crude and utterly inexcusable.
Anti-Semitic? MOI?
The article goes on to remind us “These kinds of tactics are straight out of the Tea Party playbook - as is the practice of labelling prominent opponents ‘Dr Death’ or ‘baby killer’ - both terms used against Dr George Tiller, an abortion provider in the US who was shot dead by an anti abortionist in 2009". Not just anti-Semitism, either. Incitement.
Monty’s excuse for acting like a total shit and not doing the decent thing - apologising - was that another columnist - the screamingly intolerant Leo McKinstry - had also used the term about Dr Harris. So that’s “someone else was anti-Semitic, so it’s OK for me to be, too”. I will say no more about the obvious shortcomings in that argument.
A Mail pundit called him it, so I can too. Er, no
There are no finer examples of rank hypocrisy on the subject of anti-Semitism than Nadine Dorries and Tim Montgomerie. They call themselves Christians, yet are howlingly intolerant of others’ points of view, and shockingly abusive to their opponents.
As a result, Monty’s glasshouse is terribly draughty right now. No surprise there, then.
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1 comment:
Montgomerie and Dorries are of course no-mark righties of the worst type. Hence their promotion on corporate media.
But even they pale into insignificance compared to hate-filled bitter Mann and Hodge, both of whom are trotted out whenever this "issue" surfaces. You have to wonder who are their fellow-travelers and briefers. Last night on Newsnight Maitlis, as usual, gave Hodge a clear run to promote her right wing propaganda.
Needless to say corporate media has continued to ignore Islamophobia in the far right tories. Once again they pedlle far right lies and hypocrisy. No surprise there, then.
Where Hodge is concerned:
From Private Eye 1995:
Millionaire newcomer to the Commons Margaret Hodge has had a tricky time with some of her fellow Labour MPs.
A former leader of Islington council and now a devoted Blairite member for Barking, Hodge agreed to debate Clause 4 with hard left MP Jeremy Corbyn in front of an earnest crowd at the Red Rose Centre in Islington.
Corbyn argued to retain the public ownership clause while Hodge said electoral victory must come first. Corbyn won the crowd over completely – at which point Hodge turned from cool pragmatist into fuming maniac. She rose to reply and completely blew her gasket: she called the astonished crowd stupid and accused them of loving being in opposition and of having their heads in the sand. Of the hundred or so present, only two voted in favour of Hodge, one of them being Stephen Twigg, ex-president of the NUS and now Hodge’s researcher).
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