Come along and grill the candidates.

David Davies the Tory MP for Monmouth, deputy leader of the Conservative Party in Wales and Chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee (you need all that because there are gallons of similarly named politicians) has an obsession with immigration, pesky Human Rights and political correctness, he has voted ‘moderately‘ against LGBT rights. He also condones torture:

The Conservative MP for Monmouth, David Davies, insisted that the Government should repeal the [Human Rights] Act after the new commission has properly considered the legal implications.’Active members of Al Qaeda and the Taliban are living in this country and not being deported because of concerns about their human rights if something horrible happens to them if they are sent home,’ Mr Davies said. ’Personally I would have thought that would be a bonus rather than a reason for not sending them back. I don’t mind if the Act is torn up, changed or amended. But I hope that whatever this commission comes up with, the views of the vast majority of people in this country who believe it is fundamentally wrong are respected.’

For those in Wales who had noticed his rabid burblings- Rape caused by immigrant’s culture or upset if he is accurately labelled as far right, which in tedious politician fashion he elevates into a straw man (they called me a Nazi!!!!) to attempt to get a apology (he failed), he was a reliable source of BNP lite soundbites-

He added: “For the record my grandfather fought against Nazism in World War II and my other grandfather was a miner, so he couldn’t. If you’d have asked both of them, they would have said that they weren’t fighting for a country where there would be unlimited immigration and where enemies of the state – members of the Taliban now can come into this country bring their families with them, claim asylum and get priority on the housing list over ex-members of the British army who leave the armed forces.”

And before you know it he froths off about the evil Muslim Caliphate conspiracy (denying the link between our wars of agression and domestic terrorist attacks, a link even MI5 acknowledged) -

But let us not think that the war has led to the current bombing campaign by Islamic terrorists. Those responsible would be letting off bombs regardless because their real goal is not the removal of British troops from Iraq , but the imposition of an Islamic state or Caliphate across the Muslim World and Europe .

With his old and neglected blog we can play wingnut bingo-

• The War on Christmas
• BBC is biased (against Christians!)
• Fox Hunting
• ‘Stop funding politically correct organisations which claim to stick up for minority groups’ He specifically mentions:- ‘NHS Equality Unit. This is an organisation funded out of NHS money which looks for examples of “homophobia and racism” in the NHS. Stonewall, the Ethnic Business Support Programme, the Minority Ethnic Women’s Network, The Black Environmental Network, the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association.’
• Anti Choice
• Gypsies!
• Economic Genius:- Company taxation levels are far lower across the Irish sea something which has surely played a far greater role in Ireland’s economic success than it’s membership of the Euro.
• ‘Having released numerous IRA terrorists from jail Mr “Tough on terror” Blair is about to grant an amnesty to IRA terrorists on the run. Meanwhile British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland in the 70s could face prosecution for carrying out their duties.’ Now I duuno, could he mean the Bloody Sunday Inquiry?
• Um Muslims are like Catholics who tried to blow up parliament or something. Not sure where he gets his history from, the big book of Britishness?
• Hate Crime
• Israel
• Hijab
• England ended slavery so we don’t have to apologise for it…
• Yay the Closet!
• Silly NHS treating foreigners, ‘the NHS, or rather the Inter- National Health Service‘
• He does stress that he can’t be racist because he is married to a Hungarian woman. I am sure some of his best friends are black too.
• He does not support the death penalty, thus denying us a Full House, well ‘yet‘.
• Though to be fair, he did not give Blair a standing ovation when he left the House, as many did.

Once the Tories gained power it has been only a matter of time before he started to come out with more crypto fascist sounding bile. And he’s hit a double here, he appears to believe the military and police should have their rights privileged about the rest of the public, he makes an obtuse allusion to people benefitting from positive discrimination, a standard right wing race bating dog whistle, on his way to proclaiming that veterans should get preferential treatment in job interviews. Elevation of military service to a privileged celebrated ideal is a fascist cliché, so he’s not even original. Then on Public Order he bemoans the IPCC might investigate police crimes against protesters and be supported by ‘some in high places’, he really shouldn’t worry, the IPCC is a co-opted PR agency to ensure no aggressive investigation of police crimes happen.

Oral Answers to Questions – Defence: Former Service Personnel (Support Services) (13 Dec 2010)
David Davies: Has the Minister considered lobbying the Government to
change the law so that ex-service personnel can be discriminated in
favour of in job interviews? Does he agree that were we to add
ex-service personnel to the list of people in our society who can be
discriminated in favour of, it would be a true example of positive
discrimination?

Oral Answers to Questions – Defence: Public Order Policing (13 Dec 2010)
David Davies: Does the Home Secretary acknowledge that one problem is
that the police know that any attempt to deal with violent protest will
be met by a barrage of complaints to the IPCC, which some in high places
will support? Does she accept that it is time that we started to think a
little more about the human rights of police officers to do their jobs
free of assault and injury?

So when the cops were dragging Jody McIntyre out of his wheelchair, not once but twice, Davey boy must have been cheering the poor oppressed thin blue line (careful fellas, he might be hiding some crutches). But don’t have nightmares, David Davies also serves as a special constable for the British transport police. I am sure an asylum seeker, an LGBT person, a peace activist or a democratically engaged student needing his assistance would gain full help and his personal beliefs would in no way lead to them being treated unfairly, even if those same beliefs drive him to be an MP and legislate to support them.

Phil Woolas, the former minister for pandering to the BNP, tabloids & morons (Minister of State for Borders and Immigration the polite Westminster villagers call it) has finally pulled one too many acts of racist demagoguery and the law has finally caught up with him. Now the Labour party are thanking their stars for the weekend and refusing to issue an official statement of their position until Monday but here is my suggestion for a strategy- Drop him like it’s hot. New Labour’s record in government on immigration, Islamophobia and general tabloid shit stirring was shameful and hint- they lost the election- Woolas was the gleeful front man for much of that. This also provides a public record of his bigoted words and deeds, so defenders cannot claim- ah well everyone hypes it in election leaflets, he’s not really a racist. Labour have no need to trawl for votes with the rhetoric Woolas employed as his current trouble demonstrates, he pushed it to extremes and obtained a win by a handful of votes, a win that is now invalidated because of  the hate speech his campaign employed. And I have to tell you Oldham does not need people exacerbating tensions, I lived there for two years, the possibilities for a successful diverse town were always under threat from just the kind of exploitation Woolas employed. He is an opportunist who slipped into race bating with such ease and perpetrated such abominations while a minister that Labour should seize the opportunity to maroon him and the policies he represents. For once the cynical dumping of a formerly leading party figure will not earn any disproval, dump the dodgy bigotry mongering chump like he was shit on a donut, the crowd will cheer. It is also imperative because another election will be held and however fuck dreadful Clegg & the Oranginas are proving to be no sane person would mark an X for a Woolas return victory. If party managers feel bad I’m sure they can make some calls and get him a gig with an overpaid weekly column in a tabloid where he can warn of Islamists under the bed filling in the secret priority council house forms (y’know the ones that exist in the fevered imaginations of racists everywhere along with the secret plans to hand over government to the Marxist Caliphate) in order to spread bomb making cells across Lancashire. Although strictly speaking in a just world he should be sent on a global tour of all the places he forced people to be deported to in order to sample the totally safe and not at all war zone like and risk of torture-y nature of these paradises.

PS. Go on Phil file an appeal then, piss some more money up the wall so that when your inevitable end comes you can add ‘Bankrupt‘ to your list of achievements, just after ‘Has no conception of how much he is loathed (suggested by family)‘ and ‘Really world class shit eating grin‘.

UPDATE: Looks like the stink is too much to hide from, Labour can’t wait the weekend so Harman takes point-

Harriet Harman has just said: “It is no part of Labour’s politics to try to win elections by telling lies… Phil Woolas has been suspended”  She also added that the Labour party would not support his appeal. “We believe in good community relations – in fact that is central to our politics – and Phil Woolas has been suspended.”

Update comment: Of course when in power and absent a court judgement Woolas was part of the cabinet and his hideous career was promoted, I hope this is more than just a pragmatic -dump the lighting rod for bad publicity-, I hope they get the message, this BNP lite bullshit is over, that this is not simply an end of a political career it is the end of that approach to policy.

People who wish to ignore David Miliband’s lack of moral courage or principle and want him to be Labour leader should explain just what would put him beyond being considered for the job. Although given many also supported Tony Blair one must conclude that blind tribalism and a hatred of Tories reduced to a team sports level goes a long way. I guess Stalin was ok, ’til he had you removed from photos? Would Dave supporters proclaim, ‘say what you like about Peter Sutcliffe, but he was a hell of a good lorry driver.’ He can beat the Tories, Washington loves him, his dad was a proper lefty…erm and some other bollocks.

Torture, look it up. If you need a clue whether it is wrong or not have a look down at your genitals, put your hand on them and ponder if you would like them slashed with a razor blade on a daily basis while the British secret service wait outside with a list of questions. You may just begin to divine an answer from that, just a tad, a wee inkling. I know it’s not easy, you’re not very bright, you think a dead Iraqi is busy welcoming us with hearts and flowers in the afterlife as freedom spreads through their body along with rigor mortis and democracy, ditto Afghans. Your burning tribalism sees beating Tories as more important than basic human rights and you have been convinced the way to do that is to have largely the same agenda while the luxury of opposition allows an adversarial fantasy of- hey, we just might not of implemented this shock doctrine ourselves, Dave’s da Man! I mean if your idea of democracy is an opposition that would -slightly less speedily- enact neoliberal social war on behalf of its corporate chums versus a coalition that would do it a bit faster, then yes, Dave is da man and all hail Next Labour.

Not that the others are dreamboats, but it really would be nice to have an opposition you could support to one degree or another without handing the Condems a 100% slam dunk total victory over dear leader as they hold the inquiry into torture. And really, I ask again, are you ready to be the leftwing person arguing in support of torture and its covering up just so your leader is not comprehensively destroyed by oppurtunistic Condem spin? (You and Dick Cheney’s apologists, you should contact them now to swap strategy just in case, won’t be too hard, Blair pioneered Labourites allying with demented tyrants.) That’s the pragmatic argument if the basic- torture is wrong stuff eludes your witless brains. The end never justifies the means, if you think DM is the only guy to beat the Condems and you can live with his shortcomings because of that…

1. You are wrong, he is not the messiah etc. get some self respect.
2. What do you draw the line at?

When you are in a pitch black room under the earth and the guards come and drag you, naked, mutilated to another session, who do you hope is sat in Downing Street with the power to stop it? Someone who has previously shown they won’t?

The Left must surely comprise of a basic idea that humans are equal, that systems that negate this and impose inequality, alienation and injustice must be changed, that there is a kinship with others and our environment, not a cut throat competition to win at all costs. Torture is that win at all costs extreme (and of course fatally flawed unless we accept the purpose we engage in it is to create further enemies to rationalise further warmongering), it is a total rejection of a shared humanity, it is the adoption of an absolute separation from a person who is being profoundly abused under your power. It is a tactic where there is no society, only individuals judging outcomes, of enlighten(ment?)ed self interest, it is an extreme of selfishness.

David Miliband has repeatedly acted to cover up and protect perpetrators, every time he instructed government solicitors and barristers to fight in court he took a side, every time he let a captive be ‘interrogated‘ abroad he was turning a blind eye. Which shows not a momentary lapse of judgement but repeated reasoned decisions to allow torture and to protect perpetrators. The Pope must be wondering why he gets all the protests.

There are lines you don’t cross and expect to lead a party of the left that has to be fighting for an equal and just Britain in the face of the most vicious onslaught of class war since before WW2 (I mean, the IFS, hardly a fucking hard left think tank, will Clegg call them Marxists next, get some Teabagger/TPA juice going?). David Miliband crossed that line, he showed when push comes to shove he is of the right, he is of the establishment that crushes its target du jour without mercy. And no, that does not make him an ideal leader and Tory basher, it makes him another Blairite betrayal in waiting. The means are the ends, time we learned that.

Labour needs a new leader not another fucking war criminal.

David Miliband gave MI6 the green light to proceed with intelligence-gathering operations in countries where there was a possible risk of terrorism suspects being tortured, the Guardian has learned.

During the three years Miliband served as foreign secretary, MI6 always consulted him personally before embarking on what a source described as “any particularly difficult” attempts to gain information from a detainee held by a country with a poor human rights record.

While Miliband blocked some operations, he is known to have given permission for others to proceed. Officers from MI5 are understood to have sought similar permission from a series of home secretaries in recent years.

Today, 24 hours before the Labour leadership election closed, Miliband took the unprecedented step of returning to the Foreign Office to study files relating to three British citizens who were tortured in Bangladesh and Egypt while he was foreign secretary. After spending almost two hours examining the papers, he issued a statement in which he said the documents contained no evidence that UK ministers were asked to grant permission for any of the men to be detained, and said that it would be wrong to suggest that he had ever sanctioned torture. The statement does not address the possibility that intelligence extracted under torture was later received by the UK authorities.

…

As foreign secretary, Miliband fought an unsuccessful legal battle to prevent the public seeing part of a court judgment that showed MI5 was aware Binyam Mohamed was being tortured in Pakistan before one of its officers was sent to interrogate him. He also resisted calls for the publication of the secret interrogation policy governing MI5 and MI6 officers, on the grounds that to do so would “give succour to our enemies”. Since then he has been sensitive to questions about the role he played in authorising counter-terrorism operations.

Miliband declined to answer a number of questions put by the Guardian 12 days ago about his role in granting MI6 permission to proceed with such operations, and his assertion that he always struck the correct balance. As a consequence it was unclear whether he knew that people were being tortured. He also said he was unable to say how often MI6 asked for permission to proceed with such operations, and how often he refused. Earlier this year, Bangladeshi authorities told the Guardian that during 2007-08 they investigated around 12 British nationals resident in Bangladesh at the request of British intelligence officers. One senior counter-terrorism official in Dhaka said that the question of whether any of these individuals posed any risk to the UK “could not have been dealt with by British law – because of the question of human rights”. The official declined to elaborate. There is evidence that at least two British citizens have been tortured in Bangladesh during the last 18 months. Miliband said today that the files he scrutinised contained no evidence of ministers being asked for permission to detain those two men, nor a third Briton detained and tortured in Cairo in July 2008.