Remind you of anybody?

[stokoe]

How Blair and Mandelson Hijacked the Labour Party.

byHARRY BLACKWOOD

I'm a man with a very good constitution, so there's not very much that makes me feel nauseous. But if I cast my mind back to the victory celebrations following Labour's 1997 election success, I'm guaranteed to come over all bilious.

The sight of Podgy Prescott dancing with his tarty wife was nauseating enough and the sight of Mandy, Prince of Darkness singing along to "Things Can Only Get Better" had me reaching for the sick bucket. But what really did it for me was all of those 'genuine, ordinary hardworking' Labour supporters worshipping at the feet of Blair like he was some sort of Messiah. Oh yeah Messiah, at criminal, murderer and money grabbing con man.

It still boils my p**s to this day thinking back how smarmy Blair arrived in the former mining village of Trimdon (just a few miles from my front door) and started glad handing local party members as he laid on his best acting to ingratiate his way into getting one of the safest Labour seats in the country.

It was truly sickening to hear local party chairman John Burton regaling people with the story about how Blair had turned up at his house one night and there was European football on the television "Tony sat and watched the match with a can of beer and we didn't talk politics" or some such bollocks was what Burton used to tell people ad nauseum. What Burton failed to realise was that Blair would have drunk horse p**s filtered through a shitty sock and watched reruns of Crossroads if it meant he'd secure the nomination.

As history shows only too well, the stupid buggers fell for it hook line and sinker.

I remember a journalist pal, Phil Hickey (RIP), who was working freelance in the area getting some work from Blair when he first moved into the Sedgefield constituency. Blair had just bought his house Mirabella, and Phil went round for his introduction and briefing as to the PR work Blair was looking for.

Naturally, I was interested in Phil's views on Blair, so when he called at my house later that week I asked him. As usual with Phil I got a no-nonsense appraisal. I can remember it word for word. "He's a very clever bloke but he's a total f***i*g con man".

His condemnation of Cherie was even worse. "Poisonous bitch who looks like she's caught her face on a nail".

For the pair of them he reserved this truly prophetic analysis. "They're both totally obsessed with money". Many years later when the Carol Caplin dodgy flats deal was going on, I thought of that. He couldn't have got it more right. More so now.

And while Blair was brown nosing his way into the hearts and minds of Labour party members in the Sedgefield constituency, his chum Peter Mandelson was doing the same just a few miles down the road in my home town of Hartlepool.

I was deputy editor of the local newspaper and got a call one morning from a local businessman called Leo Gillen. The Gillens were one of the wealthiest families in the area with a chain of newsagents, general dealers, pubs, a fish and chip shop and even had their own church hall (I kid you not). The Gillens had been intrinsically linked with the local Labour Party for many years and were seen as fixers.

I'd known Leo for donkey's years. I'd worked as a paper boy in his dad's first shop and as his old man and mine had worked together at the local steelworks we'd kept in touch. Leo was excited on the end of the phone. "Do you know Peter is in town?" he was almost squealing like a teenage girl at a Boyzone concert. At first I wondered who the hell he was talking about and then it clicked: Leo had fallen under the spell of the Prince of Darkness.

It didn't take long for me to work out what was going on. The editor of the Hartlepool Mail at that time was a larger than life character called Chris Cox. A cracking journalist but he made no secret of his politics. He was a Tory through and through. He'd even spent a short time working for the Conservative party.

Mandelson had quickly established Coxy's political leanings and realised he was on a loser there. If he couldn't get to the top, he'd try the next bloke down.

So it was that I arrived at the Gillen Arms (the pub they'd modestly named after themselves) one evening for my first of many dozens of encounters with the most evil, manipulative bastard ever to enter British politics.

Mandy, picked at his fish and chips (the Gillen's chippie was next door to the pub) and tried to be an urbane, down to earth, ordinary bloke. He failed miserably. It would have been easier if I'd pretended to be the Archbishop of Canterbury.  The fish and chips in a pub was the same tactic Blair had employed with the can of beer while he watched the footy. It might have worked with John Burton and his cronies. It didn't cut the mustard with me. I saw through Mandelson from day one. Of course I didn't let on.

In the intervening seventeen years, I've watched a succession of chancers, bullshitters, posh boys, middle class intellectuals and con men infest the Labour Party. The takeover is now complete. Ed Miliband. Posh, middle class intellectual bloody freak show and he's leading the Labour Party. If you ever wondered how the hell that happened I guess you know now.

As we approach the 2015 election, I laugh when left-leaning voters suggest that a vote for Labour is essential as anything is better than the Tories. Such stupidity and gullibility leaves me aghast.

When Blair and Mandelson hijacked the Labour Party all those years ago their agenda was simple: they wanted to feather their own nests and create their own version of the Tory Party. Job done.

So, if you think the 2015 election is going to provide you any choice then think again. Tory, Liberal Tory, Racist Tory or Tory Lite. You takes your ballot form and you takes your pick.

Alternatively you could do the sensible thing and take the first steps to destroying a corrupt system that allowed Blair and Mandelson to take hold. DON'T VOTE. IT ONLY ENCOURAGES THE bas**ar*s.

FEEL IT? LOVE IT?... THEN SHARE IT!

[john riddle]

Thank the Lord for that. True journalism is not dead.

[stokoe]

I put this up because this is the way your labour councillors are acting in this town.not the true labour is it?

[john riddle]

Mr Blackwood is a right wing political lightweight, he was removed from the MAIL for the right reasons.

He should not be allowed to use these pages to vent his spleen, he offers nothing in the way of solutions.

So Mr. Blackwood is right wing and he should not be allowed his opinions? Isn't that censorship? Solutions? Well I don't see any coming from anywhere.

[mk1]

Blackwood just thinks he has all the answers and everyone else is wrong. A mirror image of the SCABs. It is not 'right or left' we need protecting from rather those who believe they know what is best for us!
Now I know Brash has  been re-invented in many peoples eyes but he did  bend the system to get Mandy the Freedom of the Borough.
They are all the same at the end od the day.
Talking of Brash I must congratulate the member who outed his fake  ID here. Briliant move-now we can no longer get an insight into his tactics.
I often pick up on the SCABs when they start posting but would never dream of telling them they have been rumbled. It is only when they move on that I might mention it.

[Lord Elpus]

Great to see you on here H.  I remember 11 years ago when you first told me about High Tax Hartlepool site.

The Mail has never had an editor of your quality and I doubt they ever will again.

Booked up for the Tour De France at Leyburn in July, I'll be wearing the yellow mankini.

Mandy (the Freeman) and Blair have both proved to be nowt but self serving bent carpet baggers. 

Pete the Parsnip sends his regards.

[DRiddle]

Mr Blackwood Sir, I love the blog. I understand the whole 'don't vote' mantra..... but.... in Hartlepool nearly 7 out of 10 people already don't vote.

Look at the situation that's led to.

We have a benefits administrator running the town on the strength of 895 votes. We had a woman who is in court tomorrow, for god knows how many offences, in charge of hundreds of thousands of pounds on the strength of 822 votes. We have Carl Richardson waddling around the council chamber grunting incoherently to himself because 737 people who live in the Victoria Ward were deluded enough to think a bloke who hasn't had a job for decades is best placed to help a town crippled by unemployment.

I've literally seen school kids poll more votes than that to become Head Boy or Head Girl in their college.

If the situation we have now is this bad, and it is, it's absolutely shocking, how bad could it get if even LESS people vote? Jesus, if any less people in Hartlepool do vote we'll end up with a situation were even Allan Barclay can get elec...... aaaaaahhhh I see your point.

[mk1]

We had a woman who is in court tomorrow, for god knows how many offences,

Not 'in court'.

She will report back to the Police Station where:

A) She will be told 'NFA' (no further action) and she is free to leave
B) She will be charged.
C) She will be given a new date to come back as investigations are still ongoing.

only 'B' will result in her ending up in court.

[DRiddle]

Apologies.

[steveL]

If Harry Blackwood was still at the Mail I doubt if there would ever have been a need for this site. The cynicism that is at the core of this site is what keeps us asking questions and if the Mail had the same approach it would command a lot more respect.

[Facebook]

If you and Mr Blackwood spent time on your local decision making council you would probably see that it is indeed challenging, as odious as Mr Wells is you must have respect for his bravery and the fact that he is within territory neither of you have dared to tread.

[mk1]

If you and Mr Blackwood spent time on your local decision making council you would probably see that it is indeed challenging

Indeed it is.

In the SCABs case:
How do we get a result that makes us look as if we know what we are doing. Cost is no object.

In Wells case:
How do I get a result that helps my mates and reinforces my reputation as a 'fixer' .

as odious as Mr Wells is you must have respect for his bravery and the fact that he is within territory neither of you have dared to tread.

Now you have me. Show me this Wells 'bravery'.

[Inspector Knacker]

, as odious as Mr Wells is you must have respect for his bravery and the fact that he is within territory neither of you have dared to tread.

.....has he been through a real minefield....? Won a medal.....? Do enlighten us.

[steveL]

If you and Mr Blackwood spent time on your local decision making council you would probably see that it is indeed challenging, as odious as Mr Wells is you must have respect for his bravery and the fact that he is within territory neither of you have dared to tread.

I have no idea what this post is supposed to be telling us. Bravery? Wrong noun. Try Self Interest.

[HarryBlackwood]

Kipperdip. Many thanks for that generous and fair summing up.

I tried to get everything right. I didn't. I'm human. But I got 99% of the decisions right and I ALWAYS gave people a voice whether I agreed or not.