Where does he find the time? No sooner has Admin been appointed by Johann Lamont to the vital role of Shadow Minister for Conducting a Review Into the Use of Modern Technology (looks like he'll be rivalling Wendy Alexander's old status as 'Minister for Everything'), than he's back at the Labour Hame grindstone, churning out yet more public-spirited citizen journalism. In his latest article, he poses the thought-provoking question -
"Does it matter that a prominent nationalist website doesn’t consider accuracy as important?"
Thought-provoking, I mean, in the sense that it provoked a few other questions to creep into my own thoughts. For example -
1. Does it matter that a right-wing politician joined a left-wing political party solely for the purposes of career advancement?
2. Given his stated concern about the supposed lack of journalistic standards at Newsnet Scotland, does it also concern him that his repeated use of the term "NewsNat Scotland" would have fallen foul of the Better Nation moderation rules had he submitted his piece as a comment there, let alone that it would have precluded the article's use in virtually any other serious publication?
3. What is the significance of his repeated use of the spelling "Yoonyoonist" when characterising the speech patterns of nationalists, given that it is a perfectly natural phonetic rendering of how anyone would pronounce the word? (Unless of course "Un-yun-ist" is preferred in the Harris household.) Could it, by any chance, betray his extraordinarily authoritarian mindset, ie. that he is incapable of seeing people who diverge from his own views as 'mature'? That his brain automatically converts their speech into 'baby-talk', and the only response he can imagine is to try to patronise them into submission? In a nutshell, does he have a deep subconscious need for others to see him as a father figure who they look to for guidance and chastisement? And should we fear for his well-being now that his own party have comprehensively rejected him for the father role, instead preferring him for the (admittedly mega) technology review role?
4. Does he have no sense of shame about going into apoplexy over hair-splitting examples of the "inaccuracy" of others, given that it's only a matter of weeks since he lied through his teeth that a nationalist banner outside the Royal Concert Hall had read "End English Rule", and given that we all know he'd never have half-heartedly acknowledged that gross inaccuracy unless he'd been supplied with incontrovertible photographic evidence? What conclusions are we entitled to draw about a politician who does lack such an appropriate sense of shame?
His accusation is also incorrect too.
ReplyDeleteHe made the comments, which he does not deny making.
The comment was published the day after the result was announced, though it looks like Party insiders knew the results a little in advance
I think you are right, no one is allowed to disagree with Admin
Tom Harris appears to be a celebrity in the modern style. Everyone knows who he is but no-one can quite work out why.
ReplyDeleteHe's a back bench MP who got less than 8% of the vote in his bid to be Labour's Scottish regional manager.
As someone who appreciates good writing even if it is from a unionist perspective his last self-penned blog was mediocre to say the least. He got awards simply for being a unionist blogger in a nationalist dominated blogosphere.
I vote we stop talking about him because getting others to notice him appears to be his sole aim in life.
Poor Admin.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with being a backbencher. It is a noble job, well paid by Scottish standards and usually, whether deservedly or not, it confers a certain status on the post holder.
But Admin has made little secret of the fact that he had ambitions to "be somebody", firstly by giving up his old blog when he thought that the Thatcherite Miliband Senior would surely be the next leader of Big Labour in London (blogging not being a suitable pastime for a potential shadow cabinet personage).
When the only slightly right of centre Miliband Minor got his brother's job, Admin realised that, at least for the foreseeable future (a couple of years), there was no place him.
For what reason, it's hard to see, he then thought it possible that a person with his rightist views, sitting in opposition in a parliament in England, would be a good person to lead a centrist party, sitting in opposition in a parliament in Scotland. From wherever it came, the notion was dispelled as he was sent packing with 10% of the members’ votes; 8% of the affiliates’ and 6% of the parliamentarians’. In short; no one wanted him.
As I say, poor Admin.
I think, James, you may do his journalistic style some injustice. He, as all professional scribblers do, writes for his audience. A glance at the kitsch title-piece of his re-instated blog (an undertaking in which he took considerable care, but failed to, remain anonymous), indicates that it is written for an audience that would find baby talk appealing.
So the beautifully childlike phonetic spelling of 'unionist', and the repeated use of the wrong vowel in NewsnAt, aping 'hAme' of the blog title are just a part of the ambiance, the warm, welcoming, homely "nothing pretentious and intellectual about us, Maw. We're a Labour blog and proud of it", atmosphere that Admin has striven over the years to create.
I'd have agreed with Doug, that mentioning him only furthers his ambitions of being noticed, if it were not for the fact that your reviews of his writings are so side-splitting, that I'd not care to be without them for too long
What DougtheDug said. Deny him the oxygen of publicity, as his spirit guide once said.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think Bomber should be encouraged. His constant intolerance, contempt for "Scottish" Labour, outrageous claims and accusations project his own and his party's image in the most ridiculous light, and with any luck will continue to do so. The gift that keeps on giving.
ReplyDeleteA failed Labour backbencher. Really, is he worth taking seriously? He was given a little sweetie to stop his whining when no one voted for him. Moreover, he could stand to adjust the headband of his tinfoil hat since his conspiracy theories are getting wilder by the day.
ReplyDeleteI considered tweeting a link to this post, which I frequently do and came to the conclusion that he'd already received more attention than he deserves although I will agree the post is pretty amusing.
I think the best way to sum up the honourable member for Glasgow South is to say that if the roles were reversed, and an SNP supporter tweeted and blogged in the exact same way that he did, they'd be decried as just another ranting, lunatic Cybernat.
ReplyDeleteBut this guy is an elected MP. Not just an elected MP, but was a leadership contender. Truly, it makes Florentine minds boggle!
I fear your piece and the comments must have been read by the Great Administrator, and a mighty huff taken.
ReplyDeleteThere's a good piece on LH at the moment, written by Danny Phillips, talking about the aspirations that Labour should have.
I wrote a largely complimentary piece agreeing with much of what Mr Phillips said. I wondered, however, how it could be paid for and I criticised the current Tory government, which I reckoned would stymie any attempts to make these aspirations reality. Further, I criticised Mrs Thatcher.
I wonder if it was my criticism of Thatcher, and how she laid waste to Scotland, or whether it was because I was a tad patronising on here...
Whatever it was... my piece disappeared, never to be seen again.
There seems to be strong streak of the Bourbon in Labour Hame - they forget nothing and learn nothing.
ReplyDeletePost there seem to be very similar. It is acknowledged that Labour lost an election and that it is clear something must be done. A chorus of sycophants acclaims the wisdom of this message, and it is generally agreed that something must indeed be done. The evils of the SNP are examined, and it is condemned for failing to hold an immediate independence referendum.
An evil cybernat manages to get a message post Admin, discussing an end to nuclear weapons, continuation of free prescriptions or other dangerously radical proposal. The deeply conservative LH regulars duly condemn these flights of radical fancy and again damn the SNP. Any reference to the last Labour gov'ts, either UK or Scottish is dimissed as unhelpful and backward looking (Labour code for inconvenient and embarrassing, I think)
They then agree again that something must be done, but that discussion of precisely what would be inappropriate at this time in view of a forthcoming party election/conference/formation of a working party/ insert procrastination choice. Admin then claims he has been traduced by vile cybernats who have repeated his pronouncements in the public prints.The sycophant chorus pipes up again. And on and on it goes......
Congratulations Tom on being the new Shadow Minister for Copying How the SNP use Technology to Win Elections; reporting to Richard Baker and Anas Sarwar (depending on whether there is an “r” in the month). Ah how the “blot the copy book” King has moved on from those heady days at the East Kilbride News and the Paisley Dailey Express. Who said he would never amount to anything? All that toadying at Strathclyde Region and Glasgow City have paid off last.
ReplyDeleteIs the seeming drop in the numbers of comments published after articles on LabourHame connected to the return of Bomber after having been away flying his leadership kite for a few weeks?
ReplyDelete