It was not
simply a matter of offering their services for money, openly stating what they
could do and how best they could do it but equally important, when later
confronted by journalists about their conduct, true as victims of a set-up,
their attempt to justify their behaviour as wholly innocent and within the law.
And certainly worse still, in the case of Malcolm Rifkind his extraordinarily
rude and arrogant behaviour towards reporters.
Both secretly
recorded interviews have already gone down in legend and both for equally
delicious but different reasons as a brilliant journalistic exposure of the
damnably greedy conduct of two out of a large number of British
Parliamentarians later claimed to be as many as two hundred! Let’s take Jack
and Sir Malcolm in turn so we can enjoy the antics of both to the full and
truly shameless antics they are!
Labour’s Jack
had a long political career as Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary and Leader of
the House of Commons. While Tony Blair’s boy in the Foreign Office he became
known as Iranian Jack, alternatively Ayatollah Straw, for his many trips to that
country and open friendliness towards the Iranian Holocaust Denying Regime, at
the time said by many to be the world’s main international sponsor of
terrorism. Later at the Home Office he attempted to outdo the reactionary
policies of Michael Howard a Tory predecessor at the political helm of the
criminal justice system with his tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime
views. Later still he became Secretary of State for Justice. Perhaps with such
legal experience in mind he not so long ago in a well publicised interview
condemned as stupid those politicians who allowed themselves to fall into
the trap of being secretly being set up in interviews where they volunteered to
take money in payment for asking questions in Parliament. This was at the time
of the huge cash for questions scandal that made the news big time not long
ago. Yes, said Straw, such Members of Parliament were stupid… deserved all they
opprobrium they got.
With that in
mind let’s take a look at what Wise Man Jack said in his own little interview.
Leaning back in his armchair and presenting himself suave and relaxed in his
House of Commons private room Jack immediately made it clear that he was
shortly retiring from life as an MP but that there was a strong possibility
that he would go to the House of Lords where he could continue to lend his
extensive experience to political matters as he had already done previously in
the Commons. Wise, experienced man that he was, he let them know that it was
always best to do such private work for business interests under the radar as it
were and had done such work in the past which had been very beneficial for a
company local to the Blackburn area which he represented as MP.
A quite
wonderful choice of words by Jack… under the radar. The kind of work
he’s done in the House of Commons before. Very privately. Secretly. Without
anyone knowing he was asking questions or making enquiries on behalf of some
commercial interest for cash. Because that’s what the phrase actually means.
Secretly! Confidentially… without anyone knowing he was acting on behalf of a
third party’s for his own financial benefit! The big question is whether such
conduct is actually legal because if it was why would he use such a phrase to
describe it, and so openly, giving the person with whom he was engaged in
discussing his services that it was potentially dodgy. And that for doing that
sort of thing he was asking five thousand a day, his going rate! Earlier, referring
to his previous services, he mentioned work he’d done in the food industry,
assisting a processing company in the Ukraine and conveying a most positive
impression of competence. A man with extensive political experience able to
provide a whole number of services.
In the interview
Jack Straw makes it clear exactly what he is selling. It’s not just a matter of
his personal political experience, in other words his reputation, but what that reputation allows him to do
in the political sphere to further their interest commercially. That’s what
they’re paying him for. To put it crudely, for using his political experience
and contacts to make them a buck. In addition he added, he could provide an
additional personal benefit. When the head of their company came over from
China he’d be able to give him a personal tour of the House of Commons. And
with this simply tantalizing offer of such personal largesse, demonstrating all
the influence he had, the eminent Jack Straw took his leave!
Further to all
the publicity the man came out fighting. He’d done nothing wrong whatsoever he said
repeatedly in interviews, using all that standard political phraseology to
justify being caught with his pants down. Nothing wrong whatsoever! He might
have put this or that differently but he’d done nothing at all in offering his
services. As he’d said, any work that he’d have done would have waited till
he’d retired from the House of Commons. Alas, others saw it differently. Within
24 hours he’d been suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party, the reasons
only too clear enough. With public memory of the only too recent dirty big
stink of the Parliamentary Expenses Scandal, Jack Straw being caught doing
something smelling equally bad was plain unacceptable. With a General Election
only weeks away something that Ed Miliband and Labour viewed as intolerable.
Something so damaging to Labour that despite Straw’s suave protestation of
conduct was tantamount to pissing in the face of the public. Something not only
arrogant but also obscene. So it was hit the road Jack… and hopefully no reward
for his highly questionable political career of being rewarded to entry into the
House of Lords.
For Malcolm Rifkind
what was revealed in the interview was breathtakingly delicious. He came over
as a man who despite his various political duties was someone with a great deal
of time on his hands to do the kind of private political consultancy work being
offered. Yes, despite doing a lot of reading and a lot of walking he definitely
had time on his hands. He really wasn’t tied down by too many personal activities.
Wasn’t tied down by too many things. He didn’t earn a salary. Was independent
of any regular commercial interests and his various political roles didn’t take
up too much of his time. In short he was free to act in their interest! His
fee? Well between five and eight thousand a day depending on what he did!
Seeing him on
tape here was a man who was utterly blasé. No question at all in his mind that
he might be doing anything that was in any way wrong. Because of his extensive
political career during which he’d served as Foreign Secretary he knew many
people. He could get them an introduction to many Ambassadors! And at the end
the same demonstration of his influence and largesse. Likewise the offer of a
personal tour round the House of Commons! Now just think of it for a moment. A
former British Foreign Secretary promising them his own personal tour of the
Commons. Just think of the impact it might make on one of these business types
from China! A real taste of oak paneled British Democracy! Well whoopy fucking
do! How terribly important, how terribly impressive was that! And meanwhile
some newspaper journalists, thank heavens for our free press, are setting Mr
Greedy up for a sting!
When the
journalists came clean in the street Malcolm Rifkind came out more than
fighting. Not quite that he’d sue them and do them in best Essex style but
close. He’d done nothing wrong. Had absolutely nothing to apologise for. He was
using his experience as he thought to promote important British trade with
China. An entirely legitimate commercial activity. In fact it was their conduct
that was deceitful.
Later when it
was pointed out to him that he was employed and did earn a salary as an MP
he excused it all as a slip of the tongue. He’d done nothing wrong. His
position as Chairman of the important House of Commons Intelligence and
Security Committee and all the secrets he held were in no way compromised. The
interview was entirely unconnected with his Parliamentary role and duties as an
MP. His manner with the journalists was at best brusque verging on arrogant. He
saw no reason whatsoever to resign from any of the posts that he held. He was
consulting various persons in connection with the disgraceful behaviour of the
journalists and implicit in his remarks were threats of legal action.
Alas! Poor
Malcolm! Others at the head of the Conservative Party saw things differently.
Viewed his uncompromising defence at
being caught with his pants down in public with an eye on how it might seem to
the British electorate so close to the big election in May. In a word they saw
it in purely political terms. As a ghastly attempt at self-justification and in
consequence totally unacceptable. Indeed politically unpardonable. The man had
to go. On the same day as Straw was suspended from the Labour Party, Rifkind got the boot
from the Tories.
Alas, much worse was to follow! Early morning just a day later poor Malcolm was stripped from his Chairman’s Role of the Intelligence and Security Committee and forced to resign from his safe Parliamentary seat at Chelsea and Kensington. Of course, he wasn’t pushed! Joke-joke! To journalists interviewing him in the street he still managed his famous Rifkind watermelon smile. But that only came later after a seriously bruising early encounter with a hapless journalist who only asked whether he was resigning. Here the man once again showed his true colors in public, in a brief short sentence as seriously damaging to the Conservative Party as the only few days past HSBC and Inland Revenue Taxation Scandals…
mind your own business… Rifkind rasped out before hurrying on. It was a fair question from a journalist. A matter of public interest with a journalist doing his job. One of public responsibility that he’s paid to do. And what he got was a piece of pure arrogance. An arrogant and contemptuous politician who’s been found out. Gloves off and go fuck yourself.
Mind your own
business! Well actually Mr Rifkind what you and other MPs do IS the business of
the public. The electorate that votes for any of you anywhere. What you politicians do is our business.
And in case you didn’t know it it’s
called democracy. Fragile as it is and as fragile as people like you make it.
We have a right to know and a right to hold you in check and accountable. And
it’s something the British people have worked so long and hard for. That’s why
you’re out on your arse Sir Malcolm along with Jack Straw.
After your last
exposure of political arrogance you can both kiss the peerage goodbye. No
political soft landing for either of you. That’s what you get for taking the
piss out of the public and thinking you could do it in secret. No matter how
high you rose in politics you were still public servants. Such a shame that you
came to think that you were better than everyone else!
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