Tuesday 2 June 2009

A look back at Jacqui Smith's tenure.

A quick look at Jacqui Smith's time at the Home Office.
She hasn't suffered the same level of anger from her constituents as Julie Kirkbride did from hers. Both were popular MP's but somehow JS seems to have escaped the wrath that forced Kirkbride to quit. Quite how Jacqui manages it I have no idea. The "Timney" letters were enough to discredit her completely in my eyes a long while back. Since then she has soared ever lower.

Still she was the first UK female Home Secretary. A place in the history books assured. Even if only as a perfect example of the Peter Principle in action.



4 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:51 pm

    She hasn't suffered the same level of anger from her constituents as Julie Kirkbride did from hers. Both were popular MP's but somehow JS seems to have escaped the wrath that forced Kirkbride to quit.

    The fact that Respect and Mark Thomas were beating the drum of wrath towards Kirkbride seems to have been missed by most commentators.

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  2. But Jacqui has a campaign against her in her constituency as well. It doesn't seem to have received the same support.But its early days.

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  3. cosmic8:56 am

    The fallout from these things is never even. The BBC have been selective in their reporting. That bloke with the duckhouse has really been caned, when there are worse offenders getting away more lightly.

    After Mackay stepped down how could Kirkbride stay? The Respect astroturfing campaign did her a lot of damage. The petition was one thing, but the publicity it got was quite another.


    In Smith's case, the few quid for the old man's porn films seems to be creating more interest than the dodgey housing claim.

    Looking back, one of the most incredible things is that Major's government were pilloried for sleaze. Then, from the minute they got in, Labour were involved in far worse and got away with it.

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  4. Jacqui's grip on her constituency will turn out to be less strong a grip than her chicken-strangling husband. If she fights it at all, it's because Gordon has told her not to expect a peerage.

    I can't be arsed to find out who the prospective Tory for Redditch is, but if whoever it is can get himself dressed without help and avoid being pictured in Nazi uniform, he's got it in the bag.

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