Outgoing MP, Clare Short is “Profoundly Ashamed” of the UK Government

By Mary MacElveen

There are times when listening to talk radio in foreign countries; I realize that we are not so different. Even Parliament leaders from Great Britain show us that we are all very much the same. I was just listening to the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 as he was interviewing outgoing MP Clare Short.

She has accused Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the Labor Party as a whole moving too far to the right. Does that sound as if she were talking of how some Democrats have moved closer to the right in this country?

In a Times Online column, they reported that she, “launched a scathing attack on Tony Blair and new Labour.” It even goes onto state, “that she was profoundly ashamed of the Government and that Mr. Blair had dishonoured the UK in supporting American foreign policy.”

In her interview, she even suggested that the government of the UK look to countries such as Scandinavia as role models in which to govern instead of the United States.

One has to admire when the reason for her quitting Parliament is, “in order to campaign for political and electoral reform” We have heard similar comments coming from those within the United States and it proves that others around the globe are feeling the same way about their government as well.

Ms. Clare has echoed what many of us have been saying of the Bush/GOP led government which our civil liberties are eroding and not following the rule of law.

I have to say that I love her spunk as she laid into her government for pandering to the media and being incompetent. Now, where have we heard that before?

This gutsy woman even stated this of Blair, “He has dishonoured the UK, undermined the UN and international law and helped to make the world a more dangerous place.” The world needs more voices like Clare Short that are willing to tell the truth concerning both Bush and Blair.

As many Americans feel a disconnect with our government, this is what Ms. Short had to say on the BBC Radio 4 “Today” program that she, “thought the political system was in deep trouble, with an increasing gap between policy-makers in Westminster and the general public.”

She has even blasted number 10 Downing Street for their “arrogance and concentration of power” and again, where have we heard that before? Many have called the Bush White House the imperial presidency and the same can be said of Blair. She also lashed out at Tony Blair for his incompetence and a foreign policy that is “exacerbating the problems of the world.”

She mentioned that the “political elite are departing from the country." And as one looks around our country, the very same can be said. One only has to look at our domestic agenda that our concerns as a people are not Washington’s concerns. The Bush/GOP led government has a propensity to spend our tax dollars elsewhere and not to our benefit. Ms. Short even mentioned that some were being laid off of the health system. One wonders if Tony Blair is allocating those funds to help Bush in the war in Iraq.

I was having a discussion with a friend the other night and we both thought just how can your average working stiff support this elitist Bush administration that does nothing to help better their lives. So, they Bush administration plays upon our fears be it terrorism or morality. If Osama is not out to get you, the Gays most certainly are.

There are times in which I want to ask these fundamentalist Christians that support Bush, just how are Gays responsible for the increase of my property taxes and utilities? How is Osama responsible for any increase in my mortgage? You know, I would really love to hear their answers, wouldn’t you? Then again, it would give me a headache. Pass me the Tylenol please.

As I read this statement coming from Clare Short, “If we had changed our leader before the last election, we could have renewed ourselves and correct[ed] what had gone wrong” you could have sworn she was talking of our presidential elections of 2004.

One almost wonders if there is the same intimidation that goes on within Parliament when she stated, “I am standing down so that I can speak the truth and support the changes that are needed," She then went onto say, "Sad to say, it is now almost impossible to do this as a Labour MP." Could their political leaders find themselves in the precarious position of representing the special interests and not the people? Judging by her statement, that is what I am finding. One only has to look in our country as Al Gore who has all but left the party structure is free to speak out even if it goes against the special interests that our elected officials are beholden to. He was not afraid to speak out against Bush right from the start of the Iraq War while many Democrats also called DINO Democrats approved of Bush’s handling of the war. Gore also spoke out angrily against the Patriot Act while every single senator voted for it minus one and that was Senator Russell Feingold.

To my readers, you owe it to yourselves to listen to the Jeremy Vine broadcast in order to hear a brave and independent woman speak out. She even claimed that some within the Labour Party think that Tony Blair walks on water, and it amused me when someone called into the show stating, “Tony Blair does not walk on water, but he should drown in it” I bet you anything that there are many that have that same feeling concerning George W. Bush. I wonder also if our media would even let a caller state that of Bush. Nah, who am I kidding?

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