Hilary Benn’s Commons speech in the Syria debate on 2 December has received high praise from right wing politicians and the media. It has been variously described as “one of the great speeches of the House of Commons” (Phillip Hammond), a “tour de force” (Tony Blair), “electrifying” (Andrew Rawnsley in the Observer) and “politically elevating” and “riveting” (Martin Kettle in the Guardian). On close examination, however, it turns out to be a thin affair full of misleading and false claims and with no serious attention paid to contrary arguments. Continue reading
Tagged with Hilary Benn
Benn speech: a fine masterclass in dressing up an intellectual and political collapse
It doesn’t take much to be Labour’s leader-in-waiting these days. There’s David Miliband, failed leadership candidate and proud former owner of a 0.5% contact rate. Dan Jarvis is another – a distinguished military service makes him a front runner regardless of what he says and does. And there is Hilary Benn, the man who electrified the political establishment and their media hangers ons with a simple 15 minute speech.
Having odd-jobbed his way around the front bench for years, before taking up shadow foreign secretary under Harriet Harman’s ill-fated tenure as caretaker leader, Hilary cut something of an overlooked figure. He reminded me of Lembit Opik, sans The Cheeky Girls and the crippling mid-life crisis. He is well-liked, able, and considered a little bit bumbling in a friendly, avuncular kind of way. But not someone destined for a seat at the captain’s table. Continue reading
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The Blairite ultras would lead Labour to surrender. They must be stopped
I never thought I’d say but it but, Christ, I don’t half know how Thatcher felt. Until her administration came and put the ‘Great’ back into ‘Great Britain’ (and all that), post-war Britain was a picture of despair for Maggie. The Tories had capitulated to the political settlement established by Clement Attlee’s 1945 government, with just a few tweaks. Post-war politics were a “socialist ratchet”, she claimed: “Labour moved Britain towards more statism; the Tories stood pat; and the next Labour Government moved the country a little further left. The Tories loosened the corset of socialism; they never removed it.” Continue reading
