But do we understand why? What can we do about it? And do we properly recognize the minority of
politicians who buck the trend and have in fact some moral fibre?
Labour politician Austin Mitchell was in the
headlines last week with an attack on drug companies. He is a one of the
very few Labour politicians I have had any time for …..He was an academic before being elected in the late 1970s for a fishing town after the tragic death of the sitting MP - Labour’s
Foreign Secretary of the time Anthony Crosland.
Anyone making the “Case for Labour” in a Penguin Special in 1983 (as Mitchell then proceeded to do) when the party was tearing itself apart had to be very special. The state it was then in was the major factor dissuading me from fighting the parliamentary seat in my home town when it was then offered to me (it didn’t stop Gordon Brown or Tony Blair, however, both of whom took their seats in the General Election of that year)
Anyone making the “Case for Labour” in a Penguin Special in 1983 (as Mitchell then proceeded to do) when the party was tearing itself apart had to be very special. The state it was then in was the major factor dissuading me from fighting the parliamentary seat in my home town when it was then offered to me (it didn’t stop Gordon Brown or Tony Blair, however, both of whom took their seats in the General Election of that year)
Mitchell went on serve
Parliament and constituency well (at one stage actually changing his name to
Fillett as part of a campaign to save the fishing industry) and to write
several books. One of these – How to succeed in politics without being Really Trying - is reviewed here by one of the other “originals”
left on the Labour benches - Paul Flynn
Mitchell was bright and
articulate – and party bosses don’t like that – so he never saw Ministerial
office. Last month Mitchell announced his intention to stand down from Parliament
after 40 years’ of service. His maverick style led too many to dismiss him. But it is such originality, energy and commitment
that Parliaments everywhere need!
People like Austin Mitchell
threaten the bosses who groom candidates for office – on the basis either of
their family or other connections.
I became and remained a
successful candidate for office simply because I cultivated my constituents –
the people who lived in my area……
And, in my lifetime, I have
seen the power shift into the hands of the political bosses – particularly in
Britain where the generally unassailable position of Prime Minister gives dangerous
power of patronage.
But it is more than just the
power of the political parties – generally with their state funding. The media
are also responsible – for giving coverage only to the leaders of parties – as
are their readers who encourage the triviality with which politics is dealt
these days.
So forgive me for celebrating
some of those who, in their day, gave us reason to proud to be democrats – and with
persevering with the question of how we might retrieve the situation.
I wrote recently about John McIntosh who was my tutor in the early 60s – a time I was picked out to visit the home
of Hugh Gaitskell, Leader of the Labour opposition until his tragically early
death. In 1970 I was election agent for left-wing Norman Buchan – who was a
real treasure – never really surrendering his quiet schoolmaster style.
Through Norman and my growing
status in the Scottish Labour movement I met quite a few MPs in the 1970s….
including Willie Ross, Donald Dewar - both Leaders of the Scottish Labour Party
at different times – as well as John Smith, Leader of the British Labour Party,
until his tragically early death in
the 1990s.
Donald Dewar – who was a
great Labour Whip - also died when he had just attained the office of First
Minister of the newly established Scottish Parliament.
So many brilliant and
committed people cut off in the prime of their lives (also John McIntosh and Robin Cook) – compared with such
useless dross which survives into their dotage….
Jo Grimond – the Leader in
the 1970s of the Liberal Party – was also a Scottish MP with whom I had close
contact for a few years by virtue of his support for a community project with
which I was associated. And then, of course, Tony Benn who died in January at the grand age of 88….
All were greats……People such
as Tam Dalyell and Dennis Healey (in their 80s and 90s), Tony Wright, Chris
Mullin (in their 60s) are all retired now.
These are the MPs I
respected……. Healey, of course, was one of the greatest – the other 3 in that
list had decided at an early stage that they did not “have what it took” to
achieve major Ministerial office (that being, variously flattery; stupidity;
ambition) and decided to concentrate on other (generally better) aspects of
parliamentary life…
So amongst all the cynicism and whinging - let us pay proper tribute - and do more to ensure that these are the sort who get credit......
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