A good day for bad jokes?
According to today’s Sunday Mirror, Michael Meacher (left) is claiming to have the backing of 55 Labour MPs who have said they are willing to nominate him for the upcoming Labour leadership contest. Now, lads and ladies, I know it was funny at first but I think it’s gone beyond a joke. Next thing you’ll have the poor old fella believing the 9/11 attacks were faked.
Meanwhile the other campaigns proceed apace, with Derek Simpson of Amicus endorsing Jon Cruddas. Which rather leads one to ask why he did that, given the “left winger” Cruddas’ support for reducing the organised labour movement’s share of the vote at Labour Party conference? Perhaps the merger with the TGWU has left him confused. Or maybe it’s the same phenomenon as those 55 MPs who said they’d back Meacher, and Simpson will soon be seen on TV going “HAAARHAAAR only joking!”. Well, we can but hope…
Owen Jones said,
March 11, 2007 at 6:48 pm
55 MPs?
Divide that by ten…
Halve it…
Then you have a more accurate figure.
You can bet your life on it.
susan calder valley CLP said,
March 11, 2007 at 8:04 pm
The lazy buggers @ Sunday Mirror have obviously just cribbed Meacher’s claims from Labour Home interview with Alex Hilton. The story doesn’t even mention ONE MP who is backing him. Now call me old-fashioned but when I was a cub reporter one wouldhave to , er,substantiate a story like this. Even Deputy leadership all-things-to-all-men candidates like Johnson and benn aren’t claiming 55 MPs.As Victor Meldrew would say, I don’t believe it……
Mike said,
March 12, 2007 at 10:19 am
Yes…he claimed Ian Gibson, the chair of his campaign launch was supporting him, didn’t he? Only for Ian to say to the press that he certainly wasn’t. I think dear old Mr. Meacher is getting a bit confused in his old age. The way things are going I won’t be surprised if he decides not to support himself…!