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David Blunkett

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Spannerman
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David Blunkett

Post by Spannerman »

David Blunkett MP Home Secretary

This thread is likely to be a tad controversial and it is not meant in any way to be derogatory or defamatory.

Whilst we have a system of Political Correctness in this country today where colour, age, gender, religion, and physical handicap should have no bearing on whether a person is capable or not of doing his/her job.

My question is: Is David Blunkett the right man for the job of Home Secretary? He is currently visiting the USA to discuss home security both in Britain and the USA, he must have to have a myriad of 'behind the scenes' advisors having to explain everywhere he visits, his audience, his counterpart his surroundings. His statements have to be written up in Braille the cost in all of this must be enormous, as a registered blind person he would undoubtedly own a guide dog, so there is nothing extra in expense on that front.

Without making any jokes out of the situation would other forum members like to express their views in what must be a very responsible position with prisons at bursting point and immigration tending to dominate domestic issues and yet the chap is not able to see, first hand, the problems that surround us.

I admire his constituency MP status and his governmental role but if the job had been offered to me (if having the same disability) I would not take on the role, where I knew that someone other than myself was capable of doing a job better, quicker and with less costs involved.
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Post by dootybooty »

With respect to Blunkets disability, he talks with a forked tonuge, and no, he should not be doing the job. He played his big excuse card over the Clair Short business when he stated "I did not see any reports on the bugging of Koffi Annan". Off course he didn't bloody well see them, but I bet someone read them to him.

As for the political correctness we have in this country, all of us who wore the Green Lid or a Red Beret or even a Bearskin know that we are not all created equal and that there are people who are incapable of doing certain things. That does not make them any less a human being or us better than them. We are not all the same, Blunkets Government, however wants us to be so we can be more easily controled.

I believe firmly in the old dictum that anyone who wants to be a politician should be automatically banned from standing for Parliament. They are all after personal power and grinding their own axes.

This nation was best served by it's politicians when they were unpaid servants of the electors, somehow or other in the last few decades we have become their servants.

Stuff em, we would probably be better off under an absolute monarchy than under the elected dictatorships we have had to put up with over the last thirty years.
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Post by lew »

I can see this being an interesting thread...

Personally I don’t think it matters if your blind or not, as long as you do your best to do right by your country... spanner man I can see where your coming from with this though, and there is probably someone out there who can do the job just as well if not better than him, but we cannot simply tell him, no, you cant work here your blind...
I believe firmly in the old dictum that anyone who wants to be a politician should be automatically banned from standing for Parliament. They are all after personal power and grinding their own axes.
I have to say that I completely agree with this, politics shouldn’t be a career for people; it should be an honour and a burden...


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Post by Frank S. »

Beyond his being blind, which plays rather well here in the States ("oooh, look what they can achieve! How uplifting!"), I'm not impressed by Blunkett's ideas especially when viewed in parallel with his counterpart, Tom Ridge.
In particular I've read (and yes, taken with a grain of salt) Blunkett's idea of reforming the MI5 along the lines of our FBI, while Tom Ridge and others kick around the idea of creating a US agency along the lines of MI5 (constitutional issues notwithstanding).
Neither man strikes me as shining in the 'practical thinking' department.
I've got other suspiscions which I'll probably elaborate on later...
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Post by Tab »

Frank

The one thing this Government can do is talk about what it is going do, now what it actually does that is another thing. The one thing they have found out that talk is cheap and if any thing seems to catch the public interest then send it off to a committe for a few years till every one has forgoten all about it. Still you never get rid of the committie becuase you can put all your friends and supporters on that, then they can pick up a very nice attendance allowance for going to the meetings even if they only last five minutes.

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Post by Jon »

I agree with Lew. Being blind does not mean that you cant make correct decisions, therefore it should make no difference (Franklyn Roosevelt done wonders for the US and he had polio afterall). However, Blunkett, blind or not, can not make correct decisions. He has failed to do his job, even though he insists that he is walking down the right path (maybe his dog took a wrong turn :oops: ) We have seen it time and time again - labour promises, fails to make those promises happen, and then asks for more time to fulfill those promises.

But then again its the same with all politicians. They just give empty promises to seek power. In the end, democracy is just a choice between two Partys. It is not fair or efficiant. As soon as a Party's in power it can basically do what it wants. Parliament thas no great function - its just arguing for the sake of arguing - in the end it just stalls the process and puts prioritis on hold. All politicians are hypocrites anyway. Just look at what hapened over Iraq - the Conservatives were more in favour of going to war than Labour, but as soon as its over there main focus was on "where are the WMDs" etc. At least the Lib Dems had the common decency to object against the war from the start and keep to its principles.

In Britain a political Party will gain power if it simply has 51% of the vote even though the other 49% doesnt want it (and then you have people who arent eligable to vote or who just cant be bothered). Lots of voters decide on the basis of which leader looks the best, or speaks nicer, etc. Whats great about that? In an autocratic society you dont get a choice, but that doesnt mean that the leader will be unpopular. Even if he/she is unpopular, at least they wont have the trouble of arguments and stalling.
Saddam was unpopular - so what? So is Blair and Bush.

Its the same in the US - Bush actually lost the popular vote but was elected President anyway. He didnt have support of the peoplebut that didnt matter. And look at what that meant - the world is being run by a madman.

Democracy is a load of crap. In the next election I will vote for conservatives, but that doesnt mean that I like them. I wont vote for Labour because of its failures and I wont vote for the Libs because of thier cost cutting policies. I also wont vote for the BNP, Greens, etc, because in this 'first past the post system' its a waste.

What we need is a written constitution to put politicians on track. The people shouldnt vote for the PM because the majority haven't a clue. Once in power the PM should have autocratic power (as long as they stick to the consitutional guide lines) for one term only - im sick of politicians making decisions for thier future propects rather than the nations sake (as seen by the vote on Tuition Fees - Labour MPs voted for them to prevent the Conservatives from having a victory).

The best politician is a moral, fair, uncorupt and stable dictator. If it wasnt for his mass murders and WW2, many would call Hitler one of the all time greatest politicians for what he done for Germany pre-1939.

I see the reason for going to war on moral gorunds. but what right has Blair got to judge other nations on thier political ways when ours is far from perfect?
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Post by Aldo »

I agree with the sentiments but I keep seeing something wrong with it. What's the alternative? There will always be people who are in it for there own gain and a test can't tell you who they are. It's all well and good to say that politics should be burden and not a career but who else will do the job? Only the people we have now do it and they are getting something out of it, I doubt many would be up for the job if it's seen as a burden. Like I say, I agree with the sentiment but I fear it's only idealism, wishful thinking at best. Politics, as it is today, is fundementally flawed. Perhaps if the system was taken up at the roots and re-done it could turn out better but even then it only takes one wrong leader to mess it all up again. Sorry to go a bit off topic but what would you see done?

PS I agree about Blunkett, but unfortunatley untill he stops serving Tony Blairs needs he'll be around for a while.
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Post by Pasha »

Jon,

Ref your:
The people shouldnt vote for the PM
actually they don't. The person you vote for is your local MP. The party with the parliamentary majority aform the government with their party leader becoming Her Majesty's Prime Minister.

The Americans, on the other hand (and Frank, Wholley et al correct if I err), vote for a whole range of positions including President, Senators, Congressional Reps etc. So it is possible to split your vote and, say, vote for a Democrat Senator and a Republican President. Also, when you register to vote you can register yourself by party affiliation i.e. Rep, Dem, Independent and thus vote in that party's leadership election or primaries (the exact rules vary from state to state).

There was an old truism that I once heard when I lived the US that went like; God is apolitical but registers as a Democrat in NYC and as Republican in Long Island, so as not to waste His primary vote.

I've actually come to be quite fond of our parliamentary system. I mean it's outdated and not accurately representative, but name me any working democracy that is. Am prepared to accept that I'm sliding into Old Fuddy Duddy sentamentalism though.
Regards mate

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Post by Spannerman »

Some interesting replies!

I would go on to say that although David Blunkett is probably well versed in his position as Home Secretary, I do feel that if he 'had' to have a job on the Front Bench in the Commons then the Secretary State for Health may have been more suitable for him as he can speak of disabilities first hand.

If it means in his current job he has to have these advisors to brief him on what is happening in the 'outside' world are not those very people more able to do the job quicker and more efficient than he.

Personally I think it is a PC job and if the money expended on his department through his disability was used to help partially sighted and blind people have better treatment then so be it.
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Post by Tab »

Hey Spannerman, I would be careful in what you say, or Mr Blunket will have his eye on you.

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Post by goreD. »

Personally I can't stand the man. He brought in new guidelines for our expenses system last year and cost me about two hundred pounds a month.........................

New Labour, new ways to rip you off.
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Blunkett Strikes again?

Post by Wholley »

Just caught this on Fox.
Blunkett want's a wrongfully imprisoned man who has been released after thirty years to pay for board and lodging?
It was only a quick sound bite with hardly any detail.
I have tried a quick search through the UK version of MSN and a few of the better newspapers but came up blank.
Is this true?.
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Post by Spannerman »

Wholley

Can't find anything on the BBC news re your query but I do recall some few years ago something similar happening and because the 'victim' was wrongly convicted he/she got paid mega bucks in compensation and he/she was asked to contribute to his/her upkeep whilst in the slammer!
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Post by Wholley »

Thank's Spanner's.
It's dropped off the radar now,can't find the article in any paper
or news cast.Maybe they were trying to run with an old story.
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Post by Powder monkey »

It has happened before. I think the guy in question told the state to go f@#k themselves. If Blunkett ever tried to force the wrongfully imprisoned person to pay for there 'stay' I have no doubt it would be thrown out of court faster than you can say dingodecadacious.
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