Friday, April 17, 2009

Who's the biggest New Labour arse?

I spent a large part of yesterday staring at a picture of James Purnell. Like catching a glimpse of the Medusa he'd turned me to stone with rage.

The proposal to cut the benefits of unemployed alcoholics... words just fail me.

What a fucknut.

Any opportunity to propose greater human misery in the world and he'll take it. However, he is not alone. There are other Labour figures that are vying for the position of "Largest Labour arse".

Here is my shortlist;

  • James Purnell - for service against the poor.
  • Phil Woolas - for service against migrants.
  • Derek Draper - for service against bloggers.
  • Hazel Blears - just for being her.
I do try not to personalise politics - but sometimes, well, it's difficult to avoid.

Vote in my poll (right hand column) now. It's essential this question is settled once and for all.

17 comments:

ModernityBlog said...

Spot on Jim,

I think I heard it on the radio a day or 2 a go, something like:

"We'll find out who is an alcoholic, send them on a treatment course, and if they don't go we'll cut off their benefits"

which means that a lot more alcoholics will be left on the streets or die of neglect. as a direct result of new labour's policies

honest, these new labour arses don't think anything thru

oh, where is that social exclusion unit now??

Joseph said...

You are absolutely right Jim. New Labour has some of the most despicable people imaginable in its ranks and on its front benches in particular.

When many members of the Green Party Trade Union Group went to the rally at parliament organised by the Public Services Union, we were told that Labour and Tory MPs who were sitting on the committee examining the Welfare Reform Bill were mocking and laughing at the experience of those giving evidence, some of whom must have been very vulnerable people.

Every time I see Hazel Blears on television I feel physically ill. She was the one who spoke about people in her constituency opening their doors to her in their pyjamas because they were unemployed and just sat around all day. Well, her constituency is Salford, which is one of the poorest. And what the f**k has her government done over the last 12 years to create real long term employment in places like that?

No, far easier to punish the poor and Purnell's welfare measures are truly ghastly and a reinvention of the Victorian Poor Law model of welfare. And to introduce it when 3 million are likely to be unemployed? Is it any wonder that many of us think that those running the country need to be lobotomised.

Adam Marks said...

Douglas Alexander - for impersonating Robin.

Strategist said...

Interesting question Jim, but I think we need more in the way of definition of terms.

An arse is not (necessarily) a (complete) cunt, if you get my drift*.

(* please don't anyone construe this as gender-hate terminology...)

I see an arse as someone with the saving grace of being absurd rather than being only evil. Draper and Blears clearly have this; Purnell might just be evil only??

Nevertheless I'm voting for Purnell. However, for me the answer to the question is clear: Gordon Brown.

Jim Jepps said...

Douglas Alexander? But he's so cute! I can imagine ruffling his hair and pinching his cheeks in an affectionate manner. No - he's not on the list.

In fact there are a couple of people I thought might "distort" the poll making it far less, um, scientific and that - so I left them off.

Mandelson for instance. Brown is another. Jackie Smith a third.

What these four do represent are the four who I have the strongest gut reactions to when I see their vile faces.

I see what you're saying Strategist about arses being foolish rather than evil - but as my Mum might read this I'd better stick to that level of language (although I did describe Purnell as a fucknut so I'm probably not being very consistent).

Ben S said...

I work in benefits advice so fully understand what a dreadful human being Purnell is but Woolas just brings out something visceral from the depths of my guts; every time he come son the telly I cannot hear a word he says because I suddenly find myself shouting obscenities.

Strategist said...

Fair enough Jim, let's leave it there.

Hi, Jim's Mum!

Strategist said...

Coming back to arses, if I may, I think this one is a belter:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/cartoons/2008/07/02/bell020708.jpg

Robert said...

Here is one, drug addict told you will go on a rehab course he did, three days of being told drugs are bad for you, the course should have been six weeks, no kidding it was cut due to funding cuts.

he did the three days and now has benefits.

Adam Marks said...

Old, but... John Reid, for headbutting crime IN THE FACE.

Adam Marks said...

Douglas Alexander, star of Liquids on a Plane.

Jim Jepps said...

Argh! Robert - that's such a good point I was going say and forgot. Government courses are universally crap box ticking exercises that do more to demoralise the unemployed than help them.

Anyone who refuses to go on one of these things should be given a pat on the back.

Anonymous said...

" I work in benefits advice so fully understand what a dreadful human being Purnell is but Woolas just brings out something visceral from the depths of my guts; every time he come son the telly I cannot hear a word he says because I suddenly find myself shouting obscenities."

Here, here. Woolas is utterly awful and I feel depressed for the human species as soon as he opens his mouth on TV...

Aaron said...

Phil Woolas turns my stomach to think of the new laws for international students studying in the UK.

I thought the quote from someone who said "the upside to rising sea levels is that Hazel Blears will drown first" was amazing.

But I voted for James Purnell. He disgusts me whenever I think of him.

Aaron said...

And I'm reminded of when the student threw a vegan pie at Phil Woolas. Get in!

Charlie Marks said...

IIRC, Woolas called for a Muslim woman working as a teaching assistant to be sacked because she wore a veil - this was in the middle of an ongoing dispute between her and her employer! As Kinnockio would have said, "a Labour party! A Labour party!"

James Atkinson said...

Can I once again canvass for your votes to go to Phil Woolas...

The result so far is shocking...Why does dear uncle Phil have only 19% of the vote? He's even useless at being an arse...