has finally come out and shown his full support for Boris Johnson (in the fascist Evening Standard - no link unfortunately - Cohen probably too embarrassed - the article was titled 'Go - Boris - we need you as Mayor' or something like that).
Lets lay to rest the fanciful idea that Cohen was ever a true Labour supporter. He had long joined Mad Mel Phillips and Steven Pollard on the extreme right. How much longer before 'pretend lefties' like Norman Geras follow? We must remember that Thatcher was surrounded by supposed ex-communists - Bernard Ingham for one, even Rupert Murdoch!! claimed to be socialist when at Oxford.
Motto: 'Never trust a self titled communist that talks of education vouchers'.
Lets lay to rest the fanciful idea that Cohen was ever a true Labour supporter. He had long joined Mad Mel Phillips and Steven Pollard on the extreme right. How much longer before 'pretend lefties' like Norman Geras follow? We must remember that Thatcher was surrounded by supposed ex-communists - Bernard Ingham for one, even Rupert Murdoch!! claimed to be socialist when at Oxford.
Motto: 'Never trust a self titled communist that talks of education vouchers'.
Actually he isn't. But he does have the usual anti-muslim monomania that infects so many Labour supporters nowadays. His view is that Livingstone is too supportive of muslims, of Palestinian rights and of course Livingstone opposed the rape of Iraq that Cohen is still strongly supportive of.
ReplyDeleteYou don't mean this piece, do you?
ReplyDelete"I went through [Johnson's policy statements] and found much to admire. But for a man who boasts that he tells it straight, I did detect a slippery habit of sliding for the door whenever tough questions had to be answered.
...
If Johnson has the strength of character to level with the electorate, he'll prove he's more than just another celeb. If not, his career in public life will remain a posh twit routine."
That was two days ago. Quite a turnaround if he's given a full endorsement since then.
Thanks Tom, that is the article I meant - I couldn't find it. The article is titled "You can do it, Boris - just wow us with your true grit"
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like he is endorsing a Tory to me!
I suppose you could argue that endorsing a Tory candidate does not make you a Tory, but it is pretty thin ice. We might as well pretend that people who vote BNP are not racists.
Stephen: I think Euston Manifesto-ites have been conned by people like Cohen into thinking that Bush's war for oil was somehow motivated by a democratic moral cause rather than greed and the strategic security of the US hegemony. It is good to hear you are not one of those who has been taken in. Come on Ken!!
ReplyDeleteHi Neil
ReplyDeleteI don't think he's endorsing Johnson in that article at all. Headlines often are written by subs rather than the actual writers.
The piece seems to me a mixed evaluation of Johnson, plus a judgement that he could well win - the latter part of which I agree with.
This piece could well be laying the ground for an eventual endorsement, though - Cohen's dislike of Ken is pretty strong.
I don't like Ken much either, but Johnson? Please.
It seems very much like it is laying the ground. Even ignoring the title, it is clear he wants Boris to win - hardly the actions of a supposed Labour supporter.
ReplyDeleteDid you see Ken's speech at conference? I suggest you YouTube it, it was fantastic.
As much as you may dislike Ken for getting angry with an Evening Standard reporter who was harrasssing him after midnight in the street after a party or for inviting a muslim cleric who is anti-homosexual and pro-Palestinian.
By the way, I am with Ken on this, his words were strong and are we not to invite any cleric of any religion? They are all anti-homosexual and have supported some dodgy war or other.
It is laughable to suggest Ken is a racist or homophobic or pro-terrorist, especially coming from Tories who secretly negotiated with the IRA, supported apartheid, introduced section 28 and tried to stop Ken funding anti-racist causes and gay helplines.
At least Cohen doesn't go round calling cancer victims "miserable bitch"
ReplyDeleteI'm trying hard not to see overt racism at work in that post. You call the Evening Standard 'fascist' -- and I have some sympathy -- but overlook the fact that EVERY LAST ONE of the journos you're abusing is from the Jewish community: Nick Cohen, Melanie Phillips, Steven Pollard, Norman Geras. To top if off, you say some of them are on the 'extreme right', as though they were knuckle-dragging maggots from the BNP. Distasteful or what? I think an apology is in order, followed by some serious thought about your subconscious attitudes in terms of racism.
ReplyDeleteThe Labour Party is now just another Tory party. It is not on the left and is a bosses' party, funded by business men and which attacks the working class. Brown hates nationalisation so much, he pulled out all the stops to keep Northern Rock in private hands. We need to build a new workers' party to represent the interests of working people, not this free market, neo-liberal capitalist party
ReplyDeleteNeil, are you really a New Labour supporter? Are you really a supporter of Blair and Brown? Many unions are now refusing to fund Labour who are just a big business party.
ReplyDeleteT4G: Only you is mentioning race - I didn't even know they were all Jewish. I was criticising a position. They are all prominant journos who proclaim (or proclaimed) left wing positions but are now on the screaming right. Can you name any others? Their race is a coincidence. I think this anti-semite accusation is a very low tactic, but one Cohen supporters seem to be using time and again to defend his support for the neocons. It is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteevil clanger: I regret my use of language, but the sentiment still stands. You lot are all paid up members of the 'middle class victims' club. Like Christians desperate to be martyrs in a country where their views dominate, the wealthy think the law is against them, when in reality the poor are more likely to be convicted AND receive longer sentences.
ReplyDeleteI wish those who criticise Ken, would actually look at his policies. More buses and cheaper prices than anywhere in the UK, free bus travel for under 18s and disabled, half price for those on income support, completely free public transport for pensioners, the only city to move people from cars to buses, won the olympic bid, addressing housing affordability, the greenest policies in the UK - all bitterly opposed by Boris Johnson.
ReplyDeleteNihon makes a valid point. I sort of got into politics a couple of years ago (after having voted Labour all my life until 2001 and then become disgruntled with them) and took a serious look at Labour, the Lib Dems and then the Tories and decided they were all equally shit.
ReplyDeleteI ended up in UKIP because at least they are honest on Europe and they'd end the smoking ban. And they have the best tax and education policies. And they are the party least in thrall to all this 'climate change' bullshit.
Mark, I disagree with you on climate change and the smoking ban. Labour have been good for this country. Even if I thought UKIP were a decent alternative there is still no point in voting for a party that is never going to be in government. Until we get voting reform we are never going to have any government other than Labour or Tory. While that is the case, it is a very easy choice to choose Labour. If you want Labour to be better then join. If all the progressives joined from the Lib Dems, Greens, non-voters and others then Labour would be vastly improved. No point pissing around in a minor party that is never going to have the chance of doing anything. Sorry but true.
ReplyDeleteNeil, small parties are like pilot boats, as soon as they nibble away a couple of per cent of the votes, this nudges the big parties (the cargo ships in this anology) into a small change of direction.
ReplyDeleteInner-party democracy re policies is almost non-existent in the bigger parties, and those that make policies have no clue about facts, logic, economics or anything.
Mark, nice analogy - while small parties can slightly influence main parties policy direction, this is more than negated under this system by 'splitting the vote'. For example UKIP probably helped elect about 10 Labour MPs at the expense of the Tories. The Greens, Lib Dems and other progressive parties probably helped elect well over 50 Tory MPs. Hardly helping their respective causes is it?
ReplyDeleteAll parties have a dearth of quality candidates. With the minor parties this rarely matters, with the main parties it makes the difference between good governance and bad. If all the progressives left the minor parties or their own apathy and joined Labour it would both increase competition and therefore the quality of MPs selected. Remember every MP in parliament is chosen by their constituency party members.
Actually Nick Cohen isn't jewish. I don't believe for one minute that he's a Tory either but I know he isn't jewish!
ReplyDelete