Sometimes it is not the action, but the timing; not the arguments, but the conduit. So it has proved for veteran MP Louise Ellman, who has announced her decision to leave the Labour Party. She will, for the time being, continue to represent the constituency of Liverpool Riverside; she has been the MP there since 1997, and at the 2017 General Election retained the seat with 84.5% of the popular vote.
Louise Ellman MP
Thus the action: the argument is, as with Luciana Berger in the neighbouring constituency of Liverpool Wavertree, that she is the victim of alleged anti-Semitism within party ranks. This, though, has been hotly contested by many local members, with Jewish Voice for Labour having compiled a comprehensive report on the matter (see HERE).
But neither the action, nor the arguments, are new or surprising. Louise Ellman has been consistently critical of the party leadership for some time. She is an unswerving supporter of the state of Israel, and of its actions; this is inevitably going to put her at odds with those who advocate for the cause of the Palestinians. That can be seen in the JVL report.
What lifts the Ellman resignation above the routine of Labour disagreements is the timing of her action, and one of the conduits used to disseminate information about it. Right now, Labour stands ready to bring down the current Government, once the Article 50 process has been extended in accordance with the provisions of the Benn Act.
There had not been any significant new accusations of anti-Semitic behaviour levelled against the party for some time, with the EHRC investigation taking its course. Cross-party discussions around bringing forward a Vote Of No Confidence have been proceeding. And with remarkable timing, the anti-Semitism accusations are brought to the fore again.
That much may raise a few eyebrows, but added to the timing is the conduit: at 2159 hours yesterday, Henry Zeffman of the Murdoch Times announced the Ellman resignation. Just three minutes later, her statement was published by the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog. That’s a remarkably fast turnaround for a post. It’s so fast - three minutes - as not to be credible. Not without prior notice.
So my Occam’s Razor is pointing at The Great Guido having had prior knowledge of the resignation. And anyone opposed to anti-Semitism should not be going anywhere near Staines and his pals, for one very good reason: they have had no qualms about dabbling in it themselves in the recent past - notably during Ed Miliband’s leadership of the party.
Posts like that telling “Every week Cameron looks easier, calmer, more in control of his party, his policy and his election plan – and every week his opponent dances at the despatch box like a spastic marionette … Ed kept asking, his convulsive string master taking another swig of the meths”. Marionette. Puppet master.
Not long after that post came another containing this gem: “Miliband is no Messiah. Pious, yes. Other-worldly, yes. Crucifixion-material, yes”. Both posts are still live as I type.
But now, all is transformed, and the Fawkes massive are right behind Louise Ellman. One can only hope that their intervention was not prompted by her. That, after all, would be the most appalling hypocrisy, and that would never do.
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4 comments:
Well, I warned months ago about the likely timing of things like Ellman's scuttle. If Tim's timing account is true Ellman must have issed the news beforehand to both the Murdoch goon squad and the Fawkes propaganda clerks. Which makes her even worse than she has always appeared to be.
There will of course be more of it as a general election looms. One way of checking the true character and motivation of scuttlers is to consult their voting record. In every case they will have (a) Voted for the illegal Iraq War and its ensuing mass murder and social destruction, and (b) Voted against an official inquiry into how and why the Blair-Brown gang got us into those war crimes. This will, quite aparty from anything else, tell you all you need to know about their actual nature.
In Ellman's case it is accentuated by the sheer personal venom and hatred of her scuttle statement. The woman - who according to the record has never lived in the Riverside constituency in 22 years of Labour Party sinecure - has done virtually nothing of substance to help the constituents or the City of Liverpool. Which is why there will be a lot of, "Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out. Can I help you with your bus fare?" She is merely another example of honesty devolution catching up with the Blair-Brown political hoodlums. She won't be missed. You can expect others of similar inclination.
As for the poisonous antisemitism propaganda garbage, Gore Vidal put it in his own inimitable way in interviews over fifteen years ago:
“What they do is whatever is their transgression, whatever are their faults, they lie and apply it to the other person. That confuses everything......So, you know, Machiavelli (if I may bring up a great Italian), Machiavelli wrote hundreds of years ago – and he’s one of the best writers on politics that ever lived – he said if you want to destroy an opponent, you do it by attacking his virtues. If he’s a generous man, say he’s terribly mean; if he’s a loving man, you say he’s full of hate; if he’s efficient, just say, oh, he’s so sloppy. You get counter to him.”
Sound familiar?
Vidal was referring to Yank media, though it applies just as much to the British versions. In many ways the Murdoch/Rothermere press gang and their New Labour allies are even worse. The BBC, ITV and Sky are more mealy-mouthed but the effect is the same, the difference between text medium and audio/visual medium.
Meanwhile, normal democracy in the Labour Party continues to shake out the worst of the Blair-Brown right wing mafia who betrayed it so solidly. Honesty is beginning, just beginning, to try to reassert itself.
So, goodbye Ellman. Mind the door etc.
I know several people in her constituency who will be delighted with this news because they feel she has done absolutely bugger all for them and the city of Liverpool.
Maybe someone should bust Guido's premises for listening devices?
You can safely tory corporate media won't give this the "coverage" they gave Ellman: https://mobile.twitter.com/flowerchucker/status/1184897806227660806
After all, it's only the Riverside Constituency Labour Party - the very people she has betrayed over the years.
British democracy my arse.
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