Alistair Darling - also goooooone

[Thor Sedan]

https://news.sky.com/story/former-labou ... s-13019561

[Slick]

Bloody hell, didn't think he was that old

[Biffer]

Blimey, didn’t see that coming.

[C69]

He "moved over" to a better place.

[Line6 HXFX]

No idea what his thing was aside from .stop Scottish independence.

All that power, all that priviledge..and used ut just to pour oil on anything that could possible change our society.

[dpedin]

Good guy and thank feck we had him in place when the shit hit the fan! Can you imagine some of our recent Chancellor's having the nous and wherewithal to have dealt with the shit he had to deal with? Like them or loath them, Darling and Brown probably saved the UK economy from really going tits up when the financial crisis hit. Shame to see him die so young.

[tc27]

RIP.

Maybe its the nostalgia filter but yet another politician who seems to tower over today equivalents.

[SaintK]

RIP.

Maybe its the nostalgia filter but yet another politician who seems to tower over today equivalents.

Quite
RIP

[Blackmac]

Met him a number of times. A really nice, unassuming bloke. Sad to hear he passed relatively young.

[Blackmac]

RIP.

Maybe its the nostalgia filter but yet another politician who seems to tower over today equivalents.

This.

[C69]

RIP.

Maybe its the nostalgia filter but yet another politician who seems to tower over today equivalents.

This.

Agreed, even though I disliked his politics he was bemothan compared to today's shower.

[Tichtheid]

RIP.

Maybe its the nostalgia filter but yet another politician who seems to tower over today equivalents.

This.

Agreed, even though I disliked his politics he was bemothan compared to today's shower.

I can't name one member of the government of whom I'd say, "I don't agree with them, but they are good at what they do and their motivation comes from the right place"

[Slick]

This.

Agreed, even though I disliked his politics he was bemothan compared to today's shower.

I can't name one member of the government of whom I'd say, "I don't agree with them, but they are good at what they do and their motivation comes from the right place"

I await the pile on, but I think Jeremy Hunt is the only one that comes close.

[Simian]

This.

Agreed, even though I disliked his politics he was bemothan compared to today's shower.

I can't name one member of the government of whom I'd say, "I don't agree with them, but they are good at what they do and their motivation comes from the right place"

Completely agree with you on this point. At least when I disagreed with politicians in my youth, in most cases I could at least see that they genuinely felt their stance was in the best interests of the country. That’s simply not the case (for len anyway) these days and it makes me sad.

[C69]

Agreed, even though I disliked his politics he was bemothan compared to today's shower.

I can't name one member of the government of whom I'd say, "I don't agree with them, but they are good at what they do and their motivation comes from the right place"

I await the pile on, but I think Jeremy Hunt is the only one that comes close.

Hunt was an appalling Minister for Health.
I could go on and on with examples of his incompetence and how unsuitable he was for the Health role.
That said he was much better than Hancock.

[robmatic]

RIP.

Maybe its the nostalgia filter but yet another politician who seems to tower over today equivalents.

There was a lot I came to dislike about the New Labour machine but Darling and his peers were at least competent and seemed motivated to serve the public - and they were not mental.

[Slick]

I can't name one member of the government of whom I'd say, "I don't agree with them, but they are good at what they do and their motivation comes from the right place"

I await the pile on, but I think Jeremy Hunt is the only one that comes close.

Hunt was an appalling Minister for Health.
I could go on and on with examples of his incompetence and how unsuitable he was for the Health role.
That said he was much better than Hancock.

Has there ever been one you liked? Serious question

[C69]

I await the pile on, but I think Jeremy Hunt is the only one that comes close.

Hunt was an appalling Minister for Health.
I could go on and on with examples of his incompetence and how unsuitable he was for the Health role.
That said he was much better than Hancock.

Has there ever been one you liked? Serious question

One what? Tory Minister or Health Secretary?

[weegie01]

I vaguely knew Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling and Robin Cook (along with several Lib Dems).

I'd bite your hand off for any of them running the country now. Brown was the one who compromised his principles the most for power, but having said that all of them had more desire to serve the country and do their best everyone than the current lot, on all sides of the aisle, seem to have.

[Slick]

Hunt was an appalling Minister for Health.
I could go on and on with examples of his incompetence and how unsuitable he was for the Health role.
That said he was much better than Hancock.

Has there ever been one you liked? Serious question

One what? Tory Minister or Health Secretary?

Health Secretary

[C69]

Has there ever been one you liked? Serious question

One what? Tory Minister or Health Secretary?

Health Secretary

Probably Frank Dobson and John Reid, Alan Johnson was ok I suppose. The biggest fuck up of new Labour was pushing ahead with PFI. It was and still is an unmitigated disaster.
The worst for different reasons were imho Andrew Langley and a young Andy Burnham.
Burnham's attempts to block the Mid Staffs inquiry results were a disgrace. He was wholly unsuited to the position.

[Slick]

One what? Tory Minister or Health Secretary?

Health Secretary

Probably Frank Dobson and John Reid, Alan Johnson was ok I suppose. The biggest fuck up of new Labour was pushing ahead with PFI. It was and still is an unmitigated disaster.
The worst for different reasons were imho Andrew Langley and a young Andy Burnham.
Burnham's attempts to block the Mid Staffs inquiry results were a disgrace. He was wholly unsuited to the position.

Cheers

[Yr Alban]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

[Slick]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

What a ridiculous post. Shame on you, frankly

[tc27]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

Jesus christ.

Making nationalism the core of your politics absolutely rots your brain.

[Tichtheid]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

Jesus christ.

Making nationalism the core of your politics absolutely rots your brain.

oh behave yourself, you silly man, your posts on Scotland are all about a British nation or British nationalism - or are you admitting to a rotted brain?

[tc27]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

Jesus christ.

Making nationalism the core of your politics absolutely rots your brain.

oh behave yourself, you silly man, your posts on Scotland are all about a British nation or British nationalism - or are you admitting to a rotted brain?

Firstly no they aren't.

But regardless I would never use such incendiary terms to descibe a politician I disgreed with. The fact its legitimised (and presumably you agree with it) is awful.

[weegie01]

The biggest fuck up of new Labour was pushing ahead with PFI. It was and still is an unmitigated disaster.

My recollection of PFI is that it was one of the many things that could have worked, and were implemented so badly they ended up as a terrible solution. I include water privatisation in that where the regulation is appalling.

Having seen financial sector regulation up close and personal in a previous life, and my wife having contrected for HMRC at a very secior level, this country is jsut too weak dealing with private sector interests. Again and again any public - private partnership ends up with the private sector taking the piss and acting in their own interests and sod the contract or the greater good. As a dyed in the wool capitalist I am appalled both by the performance of the Govt and the private companies in these situations.

[Tichtheid]

Jesus christ.

Making nationalism the core of your politics absolutely rots your brain.

oh behave yourself, you silly man, your posts on Scotland are all about a British nation or British nationalism - or are you admitting to a rotted brain?

Firstly no they aren't.

I see you edited your reply, but firstly yes they are, on the subject of Scottish independence you promote the political and cultural unity of the United Kingdom. That is British nationalism by definition.

But regardless I would never use such incendiary terms to descibe a politician I disgreed with. The fact its legitimised (and presumably you agree with it) is awful.

You should never presume anything, if you want to understand just ask the question directly.

[Slick]

I’ve never seen anyone else on here come close to expressing the sentiment above, to be completely clear and fair

[Yr Alban]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

What a ridiculous post. Shame on you, frankly

I’m afraid I’m not remotely ashamed. I didn’t like the man, and this is why. I’m sorry he’s dead, but I don’t see why I should pretend I respected him now that he is. You don’t agree with me and that’s up to you, but the fact that you dislike my post does not make it ridiculous.

[Yr Alban]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

Jesus christ.

Making nationalism the core of your politics absolutely rots your brain.

Says the man who resorts to abuse as soon as he reads something that he doesn’t personally agree with. If the way you see the world is so fragile that you can’t tolerate anyone disagreeing with it, then I pity you.

[Yr Alban]

Anyway: that was predictable, and why I don’t go near the Scottish politics thread. I won’t be back on this one either, so any further abuse will go unread. Cheerio.

[C69]

Well fuck me that was a bit of an over reaction.
Thanks for your input Yr Alban.
No need for the vitriol lads

[Slick]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

What a ridiculous post. Shame on you, frankly

I’m afraid I’m not remotely ashamed. I didn’t like the man, and this is why. I’m sorry he’s dead, but I don’t see why I should pretend I respected him now that he is. You don’t agree with me and that’s up to you, but the fact that you dislike my post does not make it ridiculous.

No, the undertone to that post was that if you don’t agree with your brand of politics in Scotland then you’re not Scottish and hate Scotland. It is becoming more prevalent and it’s morally and intellectually corrupt.

Thinking like that was why he was abused and spat at in the street and why his kids had to endure abuse from adults.

Its the internet and I rarely take it too seriously but i personally don’t think we are that far away from political violence up here and that narrative will undoubtedly stoke it.

[clydecloggie]

RIP.

On Scottish independence, my stance was (and still is) the exact opposite of his, but he led the No campaign with conviction and eloquence without resorting to Jim Murphy levels of smarm.

And as Chancellor under Gordon Brown, probably the last minister to date to competently save the UK from disaster.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

The only time I’ve ever voted for a winning candidate in a GE was for Darling, in Edinburgh Central in 2001.

Since 2014, I’ve wanted to take that vote back. I’ve rarely lost so much respect for anyone quite so fast. Darling was chosen as the acceptable face of the No campaign against Independence - someone who wouldn’t turn off the voters by being a Tory. His job was to stand up and denigrate and belittle his own country as much as he could, and by Christ did he do it with enthusiasm and gusto. There’s a word for someone who willingly sells out their own country, and I’m afraid that’s how I’ve felt about him since.

RIP anyway, and I feel sorry for his family.

Jesus christ.

Making nationalism the core of your politics absolutely rots your brain.

One need only look at the government in Westminster

[Uncle fester]

Well fuck me that was a bit of an over reaction.
Thanks for your input Yr Alban.
No need for the vitriol lads

We're getting to openflies levels of outrage for bojo getting slagged off.

[Slick]

Well fuck me that was a bit of an over reaction.
Thanks for your input Yr Alban.
No need for the vitriol lads

We're getting to openflies levels of outrage for bojo getting slagged off.

Or maybe don’t comment on what you don’t understand?

[C69]

Well fuck me that was a bit of an over reaction.
Thanks for your input Yr Alban.
No need for the vitriol lads

We're getting to openflies levels of outrage for bojo getting slagged off.

Or maybe don’t comment on what you don’t understand?

Well that's the forum fucked then