Jack Straw on the Trots
One of Jack Straw’s jobs as Leader of the House is to pitch up and answer questions from Lobby hacks at the afternoon briefing. The Daily’s eye was drawn to this exchange about the meeting of the Trade Union Group of MPs earlier this week:
“It was a fraternal meeting,” he said.
A Lobby correspondent said that he had heard that there had been blood over the walls.
Mr Straw replied, “Yes - it was a fraternal meeting. This is a set position if you are a Labour MP. You spend your life advancing the cause of socialism and as soon as you get close to doing that, you are accused of doing a sell-out by the people who put you there. That is how it works. It goes with the territory. This has been said, by the way, with some levity - ever since I was a teenager and was able to spot a Trot at 50 yards - and with those bastards I am pleased to plead guilty.”
Class.
December 14, 2006 at 7:01 pm
“You spend your life advancing the cause of socialism and as soon as you get close to doing that, you are accused of doing a sell-out by the people who put you there.”
Could be true, Jack but probably best to reserve judgement until you get close, eh.
December 14, 2006 at 7:26 pm
He also said he could spot a trot from 50 yards… So i’ve got a test for him on my blog….
December 15, 2006 at 1:29 pm
What is it with the Brits and your Trots? Unbelivable that they take up so much of your time. What are they really, five university students sitting in a basement somewhere dreaming about the permanent revolution?
December 18, 2006 at 2:17 am
Was that a mention of socialism by a cabinet minister? When was the last time that happened? Sounds like such a musty old word!
December 18, 2006 at 3:42 pm
“What are they really, five university students sitting in a basement somewhere dreaming about the permanent revolution?”
No, for formerly left-wing government ministers who are desperate to believe that they’re still political radicals ‘Trot’ means ‘anyone more left-wing than me’.
So Jack Straw’s current list of trots is likely to include the late former Conservative Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Edward Heath, the current Archbishops of Canterbury and York and more or less every Christian Democrat MP across the whole of mainland Europe.
December 19, 2006 at 1:46 pm
Bobblehat 2000 might have added Dave Cameron to that list as far as the Middle East is concerned.