Monday, November 27, 2006

Breaking up is hard to do

Seems like the end of the road for Ken and Trev's relationship - they just can't seem to kiss and make up.

Ken Livingstone's long-running feud with Trevor Phillips, the outgoing chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, escalated yesterday when the London mayor refused to participate in the watchdog group's race convention.

Mr Livingstone explained his decision to boycott the event, which begins in London today, in an outspoken letter to Mr Phillips.

Is it me, or does anybody else find Livingstone's pathetic sulking a bit - well, childish? Isn't it about time he started behaving like an adult, not an over-indulged and spoilt brat

He claimed that workshops with titles such as "Rivers of Blood, did Enoch Powell get it right?" were designed to grab alarmist headlines rather than develop sensible discussion.

Well, Ken would know all about "grabbing headlines" - though I'm not sure he's quite so qualified to comment on what constitutes sensible discussion.

He said Mr Phillips's credibility had already reached an all-time low among those who had been the victims of racism.

Seeing how recent reports have indicated that white people are more likely to be victims of racism than any other group - I seriously doubt that. But to people like Ken, white people can't be victims - only victimisers.

The London mayor had been angered by Mr Phillips's own warnings that Britain was in danger of "sleepwalking to segregation". But Mr Phillips's supporters believe that the London mayor has been stuck in a 1980s time warp. "He thinks we should still be out on the streets shouting that it is all the white man's fault," said an ally last night.

It's always rather sad when a relationship falls apart - but not for the normal reasons in this case. Watching two arrogant and self-obsessed lefties bash each other up as they squabble over the crumbling remnants of their multi-culti ideology would be rather amusing if it wasn't for the fact that they are both very influential and powerful people and the even more significant fact that while they argue over who is more PC and "right-on" Britain and London continues to slide into ever greater depravity, chaos and distress.

One day our grandchildren will look back on these times and say "What the hell were you lot thinking?"

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Livingstone is a huge ego peddling his own agenda and pandering to the pathetic victim society instead of doing what he is paid to do, lookmafter London's interests.

I am somewhat of an admirer of Phllips who tries to address issues seriuously without the usual bias, the only leader of the CRE so far to actually make one think the organisation may have some merit. Unfortunately, any black man who does that, Bill Crosby is another example, soon becomes an Uncle Tom in the eyes of those whose power comes from playing the oppressed minority card.

Anonymous said...

Livinsgtone was right about the workshop title though. A sensitive subject needs to be addressed with as little sensationalism as possible.

Stan said...

I've never liked Livingstone - as you've probably noticed. I've never been sure what his appeal is.

Not sure about Phillips. He appears to be genuinely making an effort to rethink his position on multiculturalism and what it really means, but I find it hard to believe he really has changed that much.

In the meantime, though, I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I guess the workshop title you mean was the "Rivers of blood - was Enoch Powell right?" one? Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that. The title appears emotive because the lefties have made the Powell speech emotive with 30 year of featuring the "Rivers of blood" excerpt (which Powell never said - the correct phrase being "As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding; like the Roman, I seem to see "the River Tiber foaming with much blood." - a quote from Virgil's "The Aenid").

Bearing 7/7 in mind it seems to me like a good time to revisit Powell's prophecy.

Ken's idea of a good workshop title would be something like "multiculturalism - a brilliant success or just a great one?"