When I was still up at my senior school, I worked (when I had the time) with Sir Harry Legge-Bourke who was our local MP.
Sir Harry was a good tried-n-tested politician who worked tirelessly for his constituents, but was ousted when a 'CELEBRITY' candidate stood against him. Clement Freud (a radio personality) defeated him in 1973. The incoming Liberal Democrat MP (Freud) did little for his constituents or for his country. He soon faded into obscurity (politically), and his constituents were left without proper representation.
What were those voters thinking!
In more recent times, the one-time-leader of the Lib-Dems, Nick Clegg (left above), who was MP for Sheffield Hallam, was ousted by loud-mouth Labour candidate, 41 year old Corbyn supporter, Jared O'Mara (right above).
O'Mara hardly showed-up at Westminster (he quit after 2 years), but managed to claim a very healthy sum in 'expenses' whilst there. He was caught, and is now up before the Judge on 8 counts of fraud; the money allegedly went to pay for his copious Cocaine habit. Strange that the BBC has failed to highlight this in the same way that they harp-on about far less interesting Tory stories. The short-term Labour MP created a fictitious charity called 'Confident about Autism SY', through which he claimed about £30,000 to fund his well-known drug habit. In court the prosecutor said......
"O’Mara had used fraudulently claimed money to enable friends to hang around his flat, getting drunk and snorting lines of coke, all paid for by you, ladies and gentlemen, the hardworking and honest taxpaying public”.
The above comes from The Guardian, and not The Daily Mail, as some might suggest.
I was never a supporter of the Lib-Dems, but I think Nick Clegg was a well-meaning (if slightly ineffective) politician, but why he should have been replaced by someone of O'Mara's ilk is a total mystery. Given the choice; who would YOU have voted for?
Many will remember that Clegg's major 'flagship' policy was to put a limit on University fees. As soon as he became Deputy Prime Minister under David Cameron's coalition government, he immediately abandoned the policy. A massive U-Turn which made him very unpopular with younger voters.
But even with that in mind, what on earth were the voters of Sheffield thinking! O'Mara's atrocious behaviour makes Boris's al fresco No 10 meeting seem almost innocent.
Be warned, these things could happen again.
I suspect that labels are in part to blame - the Lib-Dems had lost credibility and Conservatives were not flavour the month, so whoever had the Labour label was pretty much a shoo-in. After all, it was said that you could pin a red rosette on a monkey and it would still get elected in Hartlepool for Labour.
ReplyDeleteIt does beg the question as to how he ever got to be the Labour candidate in the first place?
DeleteThe Labour Party failed to account for the stupidity of the electorate in Sheffield Hallam, he wasn't expected to win. When he won he was chucked out of the party, it's all very sad.
DeleteNo doubt he'll now end up 'at the king's pleasure'.
DeleteNot much chance of that. I'm surprised they took it this far. 90% of the buggers are fiddling and a large percentage of those are either drunk or under the influence of narcotics. Terrible people are politicians.
DeleteIt is easy to be wise after the event. I live in the Sheffield Hallam constituency and voted for O'Mara because I always vote Labour and perhaps naively believed that Labour would not put up anyone who wasn't suitable but it turns out that O'Mara was and is a bloody moron! Thankfully he has been replaced by a great new Labour MP called Olivia Blake. Of course I regret voting for O'Mara - it was the one occasion when I should have voted for the Green candidate instead.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm pleased that you acknowledge your mistake. I didn't know you were in a Sheffield constituency. Good that you now have a better MP.
DeleteI told him.
DeleteHe accused me of trolling and made his blog a bubble through comment moderation. He's always good for a laugh.
I would be interested on Cro's view of a 'Teacher' called Lucy Preston and her classroom proclaimed view that only 'a good Tory or Lib Dem is a dead one'.
ReplyDeleteNot the Weaver of Grass or many others type of teacher.I hope.
It's not the language used by Conservatives; they have better manners. But, sadly, this type of unpleasantness is very common amongst the Socialists. Some of the worst being at a recent Conservative Party conference, where their insults and behaviour was appalling.
DeleteIt's a sign of despair when they have to lower themselves to such behaviour.
Off topic: Since you are so very interested in royal shenanigans I am amazed that you omitted to mention, ever so modestly, that the Legge-Bourke you worked for was also the paternal grandfather of Alexandra; known as 'Tiggy' Legge-Bourke, nanny and later companion to Princes William and Harry, and personal assistant to the then Prince Charles. That I remember the name just shows you the importance of having a memorable name even if, in the scheme of things, you were just one of many royal staff.
ReplyDeleteU
When I worked for Sir Harry, Tiggy was still not even a twinkle in her mother's eye. I wasn't exactly 'staff', he just liked me!
DeleteOne of these days, in order to avoid any chance of being misread, I shall buy one of those scales specifically designed to weigh gold, indeed every uttering of mine as to its potential to be taken for something I don't mean. I was talking of "royal" staff (Tiggy) which clearly you weren't. Neither do I doubt that he liked you. Who'd work with those one doesn't (given the chance)?
DeleteU
Often, politicians say what they need to say to get elected. Once elected many become unscrupulous. There has to be a better vetting system and/or the public needs to have full background checks on past performance. Honesty seems out of style.
ReplyDeletePoliticians always say what they think the electorate want to hear.
DeleteO'Mara's case is very sad as the poor chap is Special Needs. He was well known as a bit of a thug but physically harmless, he is so incapacitated he struggles to put his own clothes on.
Sheffield Hallam is a bit odd, civilised on the surface but majority populated by students and public sector employees. Neither should be expected to have a mature and developed grasp of discrimination.
When I read your post this morning I almost fell out of bed laughing. Sheffield Hallam voters frequently wish Tories dead or serious injury to befall them.
ReplyDeletePhew. I was getting worried for Cro.
DeleteI was trying to balance the slurs. The Socialists would have us all believe they're angels, and the Tories devils.
DeleteWhat atrocious comments.
ReplyDelete'Atrocious' is fine; 'unwarranted' is not.
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