IT appears that Neil Kinnock (Lord Kinnock of Bedwelty) is something of a forgotten man in political history. Indeed, leaders can become forgotten quite quickly. It was the same for Harold Wilson in the eighties and nineties. There is no doubt that without Neil Kinnock, the modern Labour Party would not have been born. Indeed, the party that only enjoyed power for 26 years in the 20th century could have been torn beyond repair.
Lord Kinnock was at Pitsea Leisure Centre on friday night to support South Basildon and East Thurrock MP, Angela Smith and Billericay PPC Allan Davies. With 50 days to go, Labour seem to be rolling out the big guns early. It will be interesting to see whether the other parties will match them.
Below is a piece of Lord Kinnock’s oratory from the eighties. “Welsh windbag” to some, a master of oratory for others.
“If Margaret Thatcher is re-elected as prime minister on Thursday, I warn you. I warn you that you will have pain – when healing and relief depend upon payment. I warn you that you will have ignorance – when talents are untended and wits are wasted, when learning is a privilege and not a right. I warn you that you will have poverty – when pensions slip and benefits are whittled away by a government that won’t pay in an economy that can’t pay. I warn you that you will be cold – when fuel charges are used as a tax system that the rich don’t notice and the poor can’t afford.
I warn you that you must not expect work – when many cannot spend, more will not be able to earn. When they don’t earn, they don’t spend. When they don’t spend, work dies. I warn you not to go into the streets alone after dark or into the streets in large crowds of protest in the light. I warn you that you will be quiet – when the curfew of fear and the gibbet of unemployment make you obedient. I warn you that you will have defence of a sort – with a risk and at a price that passes all understanding. I warn you that you will be home-bound – when fares and transport bills kill leisure and lock you up. I warn you that you will borrow less – when credit, loans, mortgages and easy payments are refused to people on your melting income.”
He may have been a great Orator but he was also great at the expenses as well, The Kinnocks were know as Brussels’s very own Lord and Lady Expenses.
During their time in Brussels both Kinnocks claimed a housing allowance on top of their incomes, even though they lived in the same home. This alone would have netted the couple almost £600,000 over 10 years.
Seems labour and Expenses go hand in hand 🙂
They already received up to £8m of taxpayers’ money in pay and allowances, he as a European commissioner and she as a member of the European parliament.
They also empolyed their son in some capacity withing the European office.
All very inspiring, but if Labour hold Sth Basildon/E Thurrock they’ll have a Commons majority. Lib Dem, UKIP and Green supporters can safely vote Tory there to block it without Cameron getting his own majority, whereas 100 seats further down the Tory target list in Thurrock voting Tory is too risky. A win there probably secures a Tory majority so in Thurrock Labour must be backed to stop them.
If people vote Labour they are seriously misguided, just take a look around at the complete hash they have made of the country, debt at it’s highest, immigration out of control, political correctness out of control, health service failing, education standards lowered, gun/knife crime rising, public transport falling apart, crime as a whole not being tackled, country taken into an iilegal war, a government who lied to the house and to the public over the war.
We have an unelected Prime minister running the country into the ground, this labour government has failed the british people and should be voted out at the next election.