Voting TaKtiX

Hmm. Just finished listening to Charles Clarke on On the Ropes (again) - always worth a listen anyway, but this one had added comedy value. From the BBC coverage, David Davis said Mr Clarke’s comments were a Blairite version of Sir Geoffrey Howe’s attack on Margaret Thatcher in 1990, something that Simon predicted nine months ago. Also, I really like this comedy quote:

Education Minister Jim Knight said ex-ministers “bitching” about Mr Blair were doing Labour “no favours”.

Well no Mr Knight, they’re not, but then, neither is tired Tony.

Are we getting there d’you think? Is Simon right, is this the beginning of the end?

Addenda

:Is it possible this was timed to minimise the damage instead?

Update: Chris Lightfoot gives it a more thorough going over here, Bloggerheads has more here, and Justin is as eloquent as ever. Also Longrider Murky and Qwglhm.

I wanted to rant about this at length. But, it appears, I don’t need to. Language warning. No, not for DK’s post, you already know about his language. It’s Tim’s post that needs the warning. Yup, Tim Worstall is angry enough to title a post “fuck him”. More here and here, and doubtless in other places as well.

Message for Mr Clarke

You want to compensate the “victims of crime”? Good. Don’t you think the innocent locked away for a crime they didn’t commit is just as much a victim as the crimed against*?

You’ll save £5 million quid a year. Why not save much more money than that by scrapping the White Elephant National Identity Register? Oh, I forgot, that’s needed so the contract can be given to a nice Labour donating company like Crapita, right?

If we as a society get things wrong and imprison the innocent it is our duty, as that very society, to both say sorry and to compensate them as best we can.

*Obviously, context is all here, but the point stands