McDonnell on the leadership

fluffymike Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 06:19:46 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7539698.stm



Measured, reasonable, and talking sense as usual...



tags: , (all tags)

Display: Sort:
McDonnell on the leadership | 15 comments (15 topical)

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#1)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 12:49:31 AM GMT

...like when he said this?

"It's about time we started honoring those people involved in the armed struggle. It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table. The peace we have now is due to the action of the IRA."


Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#2)

by fluffymike on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 08:10:52 AM GMT

It takes a very short-sighted and biggoted individual to deny that the actions of the IRA in agreeing to ceasefires and subsequently in making their weapons inoperable were major contributions to the peace process, and that without the support of the IRA in those negotiations there could never have been peace.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#3)

by e10rifles on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 09:47:24 AM GMT

Indeed, it's factually correct.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#4)

by Sibboleth on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 12:48:28 PM GMT

It takes a very short-sighted and foolish individual to deny that there would have been no need for a ceasefire if various paramilitary organisations hadn't spent a quarter of a century blowing people up.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#6)

by Sensible Comrade on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 12:55:49 PM GMT

A bit of advice to McDonnellites, it would be pragmatic not to defend the IRA. Whatever your opinions about the development of the peace process in Northern Ireland it just makes you seem utterly mad.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#7)

by e10rifles on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 01:01:20 PM GMT

I'm a McDonnellite and, just for clarification, I was not defending the IRA above. I don't think John was in that statement either, but it may be a matter of opinion.

Anyway, John wrote a clarification in the Guardian after the event, so I'd advise people read that before commenting.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#10)

by NorthernMonkey on Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 08:33:07 AM GMT

They shouldn't have blowing innocent people up in the first place!

Try telling McDonnell's quotes to families of victims in Warrington, Birmingham etc. and see what they say.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#12)

by e10rifles on Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 09:53:25 AM GMT

He's got plenty of supporters in all those places.

You could also argue that Britain had no business being in Ireland in the first place, and there would have been no bombs if they weren't, but you might want to start another thread...


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#5)

by Sensible Comrade on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 12:53:46 PM GMT

I'm not a member of the McDonnell fan club, and I must admit I was engaging in this sort of leftie-baiting around the time of the leadership 'contest', but with hindsight it is pathetic. This kind of intra-party sectarianism can really turn people off politics. Considering how unpopular the government is and how few members the party has I think we should try to lay off hating each other and concentrate on turning our fortunes around.


Anyway, just about every politician has sprouted crazy shite at some time in their career! We wouldn't get anywhere if we constantly dug up old quotes to attack our colleagues whenever they voice opinions. 


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#8)

by doctordunc on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 03:08:53 PM GMT

Good point, and as such I shall not do the bit of reciprocal tit-for-tat quote trading I was going to engage in!

Incidentally, the quotation mentioned was one of a few carefully selected by the Sun after John gave the Bobby Sands Memorial Lecture some years ago.

John actually regularly praises the government's record re: the Northern Ireland peace process.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#9)

by otware on Tue Aug 05, 2008 at 03:44:54 PM GMT

Yes, I remember him saying that N. Ireland should be Blair's legacy, and that what had been achieved was fantastic.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#11)

by NorthernMonkey on Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 08:37:28 AM GMT

I'm entitled to say when I think Labour MP's say grossly offensive things - this is one of those.

He was wrong to say it and should apologise for his comments really.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#13)

by e10rifles on Wed Aug 06, 2008 at 09:53:42 AM GMT

And already has done, since they were many years ago.


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#14)

by fluffymike on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 09:29:21 AM GMT

If the families of Bloody Sunday, Enniskillen, and all those tragedies that occurred across the Province on both sides can work towards peace, and of Paisley and McGuinness can move on and work together towards a better future, how come you can't grow up and move on from your whining?

Do you somehow feel their pain more than they do that you can keep the sectarian pot boiling whilst they move towards reconciliation and the future?


[ Parent ]

Re: McDonnell on the leadership (#15)

by otware on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 03:24:41 PM GMT

Don't forget that the official position of the Labour Party, at least in theory, is in favour of a united Ireland.


[ Parent ]

McDonnell on the leadership | 15 comments (15 topical)