By Rupa Huq
You’ll have heard the furore about Chris Grayling likening crime in modern Britain to the Wire, the “gritty” US drama. Not only has this man got no grip on reality (rather like Alan Duncan who seems to think MPs live on rations when the rest of us think £64k a year is good-going) but his remarks are not isolated. They are part of a pattern which suggest the shadow Home Secretary makes up policy while watching television. This kneejerk-ism is not befitting of someone who is aiming to be part of a government running the country. Consider the evidence:
“We have a growing ‘Jeremy Kyle’ generation of young men, alienated and drifting without a purpose in life.”
Chris Grayling, The Guardian, 11 February 2008
“But I think many parts of our society no longer know how to bring up children. We live in a country where in many places Frank Gallagher style parenting has become the norm and not the exception. Frank’s kids might have turned out alright but that was more luck than good judgement – and no thanks to him.”
Chris Grayling, Speech delivered on 14 May 2008
“The Wire used to be just a work of fiction for British viewers. But under this Government, in many parts of British cities, The Wire has become a part of real life in this country too.”
Chris Grayling, The Times, 25 August 2009
The Manchester Evening News’ David Ottewell quotes the real Home secretary Alan Johnson concluding that Grayling just wants to look “cool”. I agree: it’s as embarassing as a trendy vicar trying to get down with the kids. There’s a line in the Morrissey song “Reader meets author” this is remeniscent of that goes:
You don’t know a thing about their lives
They live where you wouldn’t dare to drive
Even Fergie, i.e. Sarah Fergusson, went to the place she was “improving” for the ITV curiosity “The Duchess and the Estate” rather than simply engaging in armchair criticism of it.
Chris Grayling might be good on on one of those TV quiz shows (on the subject of tv) airing at the moment on the BBC and Channel 4 but he really should get out more.
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And he's talking about the guy on Shameless? Grayling is further removed from reality than we thought. Surely it was neither luck nor good judgement, rather scriptwriting.
Anyway johnsmith: the furore went wider than just the formerly Fleet Street press. There was a big splash on it on the ITV "London Tonight" local news-show the day before yesterday. I think it is a legitmate topic to comment on... would-be trendy vicar clumsily flailing around at church disco in bid to be cool-and-trendy.
Dan; yes agreed there are a few more grey hairs since that pic. Will let you know when next around in photo-taking mode (when marking done for starters).
On the rations/ chickenfeed "joke", not funny, not big, not impressing anyone. I always liked the Evening standard cartoon when Terry Wogan's salary was revealed in the 80s and TW dismissed it as "peanuts". Two tramps are waiting out BBC TV Centre as he comes out and they say to him "spare a peanut guv".
As wuth Grayling it just goes to show... how theother half live.
I bet Guy's already ordered a copy so he can find out what I know that he doesn't.
Gonna be a bit late after John Redwood reviews it, or something.
Why don't you review the book for LabourList and donate the book as a prize?
But his "decisiveness" caused so many of his cabinet to resign that he "decisively" decided not to do what he had planned all along.
For further examples of Brown's decisive nature shall we reflect on the election he didn't call?
Priceless
Compared to the legacy Labour are about leave it was a golden inheritance
Nice use of the word ameliorate earlier. It has that rolling the tongue and slightly puckering quality about it like some good wines.
How do you propose to become more popular my punching and slapping the Tories down? Their is only one way for Labour to become more popular, and that is a clear out of Brown, Mandelson and Balls. As I have said on another thread, these three a toxic to the public.
Who can forget the bare-chested macho posturing between the both of them as to who was tougher?
Grayling is Pur-nell manque, both are intellectual lightweights pretending to be great thinkers. Both of them are sadly deluded, just loud-mouthed little pen pushers.
I recommend people read "Getting to Yes." This book steps beyond crude and cliche issues of positioning, the soft sell and hard sell, and gets to meat of negotiation. It's a very insightful book and more directly useful than 'The Plan'.
The Americans can have big mouths and rely on technology too much but they can also be very practical and have a love of learning. Based on research by Harvard University "Getting to Yes" provides a useful stepping stone to achieving and cooperating.
If Labour List do a review of this book I'll offer to pay for a copy they can offer as a prize. Send me an email and I'll mail the cheque. I hate liabilities hanging around so this offer is good for this week only.
Not being labour is a damn good start. Everything labour do has the exact opposite effect to their declared intention.
Rupa, do you think this what will get us re elected? Are we connectd to our electorate?
I'm curious because under both of George W. Bush's administrations in America the exact same thing happened only more so and in spades!
I invite any Tories out there to enlighten me as to how your Party intends to tackle and ameliorate these knotty problems.
There are parts of London with their records of crime and deprivation that I pass through on a train that I know are places I wouldn't go into without the need to spend a few hours walking about watching my back all the time to prove I don't want to go there.
Labour has presided over an increase in the underclass, dysfunctional families and innner city youth violence. Try and hide all this away all you can but omst people know exactly what you've done with 12 years in power.
That photo must be seriously old now. When are you coming into town next? I'll give you some new snaps.
But he has been found guilty in The Court Of Public Opinion!
More yoda impressions as circumstances allow
That made me chuckle from someone supporting a government that tried to hire Fiona Phillips and has Alan "you're fired" Sugar as a minister.