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gasp - do i *like* Alan Johnson

26 replies

InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:14

he was rather reasonable on tv this morning - not ranting about the opposition not changing the question with a deft " well the thing is,..." spin tactic.

I liked him

DO i need help

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:15

oh adn he is out and proud as an Atheist

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:21

oh NO he was the one who got all hissy about the drugs guy

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foxinsocks · 12/11/2009 08:22

he reminds me of someone from Star Trek

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:37

is he nice or am i erring on the dark side

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BecauseImWorthIt · 12/11/2009 08:51

He comes across as 'salt of the earth' type - honest, straightforward and not duplicitous in any way.

But he's still a politician ...

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:52

he has a son who is not a WIlliam Hague a like iirc

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:53

oh HOLD on
he was a nob about that Asbergery spy kid being extradited

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ellipsis · 12/11/2009 08:57

You seem very conflicted InterruptingKid. He's a politician. Therefore the whole point of him is to make people like him and think he is a reasonable sort.

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 08:58

i am
I feel like I am part of the lyrics to Ebony and ivory

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Talkable · 12/11/2009 09:04

Know him. Love him. Don't love all his politics but think he is better than most.

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Swedes2Turnips0 · 12/11/2009 09:06

I can't stand AJ. I can't believe he's an MP, let alone a senior Minister - I think he completely lacks the required intellectual rigour.

Apart from the recent Nutt fiasco, he voted strongly in favour of ID Cards and student top-up fees. He also voted strongly in favour of the Iraq war and Labour's anti-terror laws, and strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war.

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 09:07

ah i knew someone would put me right
i dont knwo what came over me.

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Swedes2Turnips0 · 12/11/2009 09:08

And as for the resurgence of the possiblity of him replacing Brown as Labour leader. Noooooo. He didn't even come first in the deputy leadership contest.

I think Ed Miliband is really impressive. More so than his brother.

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Talkable · 12/11/2009 09:09

Of course he did Swedes. Those are Government policies and he is a Cabinet Minister. Had he voted otherwise he would have lost his job.

Just say you hate the current Government. Don't blame AJ.

And I have briefed him and can guarantee that he is a lot more intelligent than many other politicians I have tried to brief.

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Swedes2Turnips0 · 12/11/2009 09:12

I'd be pleased to accept him as my postman though. And I'd probably tip him at Christmas so long as didn't keep putting next door's post through our letterbox like the postman before last.

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Talkable · 12/11/2009 09:16

How patronising.

Let the working class bloke deliver our mail not run our country.

I repeat. He is not stupid.

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Swedes2Turnips0 · 12/11/2009 09:29

Talkable - I didn't say he was stupid. I said he lacked the necessary intellectual rigour to be a senior Minister. And the fact that you "guarantee that he is a lot more intelligent than many other politicians I have tried to brief" doesn't really tell us anything. But I don't doubt it's true.

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onebatmother · 12/11/2009 09:36

What talkable said but without the knowing him bit.

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Swedes2Turnips0 · 12/11/2009 09:39

Talkable - And it's not unknown for Minsiters to resign their post in order to vote with conscience and true beliefs. They don't lost their job as an MP (which should be their job first and foremost in any case) just their ministerial position.

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onebatmother · 12/11/2009 09:40

oops only read first 5 posts or so! Sorry.

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Talkable · 12/11/2009 09:50

Should being a constituency MP be his priority?

That is a really interesting question and one that I am honestly not sure how to answer. Our system of Government means that Ministers are mainly drawn from the ranks of MPs (and a few Peers). It is Ministers who decide policy and have most responsibility for how the country is run. They are the Executive. If every MP prioritised his constituency over his Ministerial job would that be to the detriment of the quality of Ministers and their commitment to their brief? If it was more common for Ministers to resign whenever Gov policy strayed from their own beliefs would it (a) reduce consistency in Departments and (b) reduce the Gov's ability to make hard decisions and provide strong leadership/ Or would it mean the Government acted more in line with voters' wants. And are voters' wants always the best guide when it comes to individual policies (even Today Programme listeners voted for a shoot on sight Bill for burglers when given the choice to sponser any piece of legislation)?

Its an interesting one.

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Talkable · 12/11/2009 09:51

(that was in response to Swedes' last post).

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Swedes2Turnips0 · 12/11/2009 09:55

Talkable - I'm very clear about that. Otherwise the legislature's vote is entirely lost in favour of the executive's in instances where a serving MP is a Minsister. That results in a democratic deficit for a whole constituency. That's wrong.

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VulpusinaWilfsuit · 12/11/2009 10:03

Generally, I think he has been an excellent, communicative and principled politician. But I have got right off him too over his doggedness over the Nutt affair.

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InterruptingKid · 12/11/2009 10:46

he can fend off the lightweight heavy political interviewer that is Penny " mad as a box of frogs" Smith bery deftly

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