Two Scotsmen Do Battle, the Truth and the War
Gerry Hassan
February 7th 2010
The many sides of Alastair Campbell were on display on the Andrew Marr Show http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qqzbq/The_Andrew_Marr_Show_07_02_2010/ this Sunday morning. The good, the bad – and the ugly, in a way which will dominate the Monday morning press.
Here he was plugging his latest potboiler novel, ‘Maya’, all oozing charm and charisma, and as the interview ‘segued’ into the Chilcot inquiry, the many other facets of his character emerged. First, there was the fragility, as he paused and took account of himself, the cracks in his psyche opening to reveal the weakness behind the machismo. Then it was on to the combativeness, even nearly challenging Marr about the number of Iraqi dead post-invasion, but realising it better to let that one go.
Campbell like Blair must have some inclination of what they have done and how they are perceived, and the damage they have done to our democratic ways of life, how politicians and civil servants are seen, and our standing in the world (let along the mess in Iraq and impending conflict with Iran if the warmongers in the West get their way). Instead, what one gets from Campbell in full drive, is a Caesar-like personification of how tough it was for him and Tony in the bunker, and particularly making the case for how tough it was for his master. Read the rest of this entry »
Why the Parliamentary Expenses Scandal Won’t Go Away!
Gerry Hassan
February 6th 2010
The ongoing saga of the British parliamentary expenses crisis crossed a major watershed with the charging of three Labour MPs, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine, and one Tory peer, Lord Hanningfield, and the possibility of more to come.
There are so many layers to this. For a start the ‘gang of four’ are attempted to hide behind parliamentary immunity to prevent themselves being found guilty, literally explicitly making the case of ‘one rule for them, one rule for us’. Then there is the unprecedented nature of what is taking place, MPs being charged and held to account, which does in some sense remove another layer of the pretence of ‘parliamentary sovereignty’.
The last two MPs to be charged were Mohammed Sarwar, Labour MP for Glasgow Govan and Fiona Jones, Labour MP for Newark, both first elected in 1997. Sarwar was found innocent, whereas Jones was convicted of election expense fraud which was overturned on appeal only for her to lose her seat in the 2001 election. Read the rest of this entry »
Football Creep and the Dumbing Down of Media
Gerry Hassan
February 6th 2010
It has been an historic day across a range of huge political issues: the resolution of the Northern Ireland impasse between Sinn Fein and the DUP, the public shame of criminal charges against MPs and a peer, BAE Systems paying back millions after the kickbacks it paid for contracts, and of course, John Terry standing down as England captain.
On a day I spent the afternoon interviewing fellow blogger Tom Harris, Labour MP for Cathcart, in the Queen’s Park FC boardroom, I know that football matters. The boardroom in question, set in a collection of permanent portacabins opposite Hampden, is filled with history and triumphs from another era. Queen’s Park won a spectacular ten Scottish Cups – all in the 19th century – before professionalism kicked in and established the dominance of ‘the Old Firm’.
The room was filled with silverware large and small, and staring at a large impressive cup, hoping it to be the Scottish Cup, I was a little disappointed to find it was some local trophy. In a place of such emotions and memories, including a framed Rod Stewart Queen’s Park strip, I could tangibly feel the power and pull of football, yet the conformity and vice-like grip of the game on our imagination grows alarmingly by the day. Read the rest of this entry »
Gerry’s Blog Wins More Awards
Gerry Hassan
February 5th 2010
The Scottish Blog Awards culminated with the award everyone had been waiting for and wanting, the best newcomer http://scottishroundup.co.uk/2010/02/04/top-newcomers-of-2009/ Being ‘new’ to this I fancied my chances in this and was rewarded with the high position of third place!
Ahead of me were the bloggers Lallands Peat Worrier and We Know SFA, while I was well ahead of the Universality of Cheese which achieved brief fame and notoriety last year, Lesley Riddoch and ‘Major’ Eric Joyce, who consistently has been the most expensive MP in the entire Commons, and for years has certainly been the most warmongering!
The excitement hasn’t been confined to just the best newcomer category, as I also finished in a respectable eight place in the best blog, after finishing third earlier in the week in the best journalist/media section. Read the rest of this entry »
Another Scotland is Possible! The Joy of Jonathan Meades and Momus
Gerry Hassan
February 4th 2010
I have just watched the second part of Jonathan Meades’ idiosyncratic, challenging work of genius, ‘Off Kilter’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mqlzz/Jonathan_Meades_Off_Kilter_Episode_2/, his travelogue around Scotland – part rumination, part history, part observations on life, place and the meaning of it all.
The first programme was on Aberdeen and focused mostly on its architecture, while this second one mostly covered Lewis and Harris, and centred on the landscape, the ether and feel of the place. Meades commented that its awesomeness made it felt like being witness to a glimpse of ‘the furthest future’ and ‘the end of the world and the beginning of a new one’.
I cannot help but think that Meades is providing a wonderful, original account of Scotland which is uplifting and liberating. His reflections on ‘spirit’, ‘faith’ and ‘rock’ seem to succeed where Neal Ascherson tried (and to my mind completely failed) in ‘Stone Voices’. Read the rest of this entry »
