Trading Tales with Tories
My marching orders have not arrived for the Blair/Brown rally - somewhere in the Manchester area. I have belatedly asked if I can take along Farhat Khan, THE Farhat Khan, asylum seeker. But one way or another I don't have the data to know where to set off for. Tony Lloyd MP is not going. He thinks it might be Bolton. And he offers a canvassing session in Moss Side. I respond that I'm there tomorrow evening already and will head for Dimbleby recording instead. "A wise choice" comes the text back.
Partner hustles me into the car, headed for Cheetham Hill Advice Centre Management Committee. I call Ben, one of Dimbleby's researchers and tell him I can make it after all. That I'm 10 minutes away. It's a done deal.
I have been here before. Last time was for a really live Health debate with John Reid during Labour Spring Conference. Huge bombs at Atocha Station and elsewhere in Madrid are still top of the news - so the show is split with Terror and War getting the lion's share over Doctors and Nurses.
On that occasion one war question makes the warm up, and my health question - about an appallingly put together piece in the poor and now I think defunct Men's Fitness dubbing Manchester Britain's Fat City - didn't make the cut either.
What can I do to improve my odds? Keep my hand up through most of the show ready to ask either Nationalist leader a question within any topic seemed the only way. And hope Ben has assigned me one of the hot seats high and in the middle block which Jonathan tends to prefer.
The "Green" Room is in fact full of Plaid, Tory, Lib Dem and Labour. The Scots are elsewhere. Probably on the motorway. There are a few freelancing one topic specialists like that SPUC woman over there. I help a series of hapless guests work the hot drinks machine. And I spot an Open University pin and strike up a conversation. It's a young Welsh Tory from Cardiff. Working in a call centre and studying something or other with the OU.
We quickly get to the conversation that Tory folk and Labour folk seem to have whenever found together in such social situations. The complete unreliability of this third party. This "real alternative". He can have a beer or a coffee happily with Labour people he says but he cannot abide the Lib Dems. I empathise and say I wish the Tories would organise properly in Manchester.
Let's be clear. I wouldn't want them being elected in any great numbers but I think generally when you read a Tory leaflet you can work out what you're in for if you vote for them. And ditto a Labour leaflet. With the Lib Dems it is a complete mystery. In Trafford we have Tories. In fact they have control. And in Salford there are a handful of Tories - making a comeback - and a handful of Libs.
In Manchester we have Lib Dems and isolated Greens. It is many years since the Tories had a single councillor. And most of the ground they take here is Tory ground.
How can they address poitics in writing when their electoral support includes tactical Tories, tactical ultra-left, old school Liberals, new Libertarians, protests from Labour socialists, and of course a rather socially conservative, economically labour, but rightfully thoroughly anti war series of distinct but united asian communities?
Gradually we are herded through security checks and into the studio were the best laid plans have gone awry. Every one is supposed to have a marked seat. Quite a number of names are missing. Mine included.
Partner hustles me into the car, headed for Cheetham Hill Advice Centre Management Committee. I call Ben, one of Dimbleby's researchers and tell him I can make it after all. That I'm 10 minutes away. It's a done deal.
I have been here before. Last time was for a really live Health debate with John Reid during Labour Spring Conference. Huge bombs at Atocha Station and elsewhere in Madrid are still top of the news - so the show is split with Terror and War getting the lion's share over Doctors and Nurses.
On that occasion one war question makes the warm up, and my health question - about an appallingly put together piece in the poor and now I think defunct Men's Fitness dubbing Manchester Britain's Fat City - didn't make the cut either.
What can I do to improve my odds? Keep my hand up through most of the show ready to ask either Nationalist leader a question within any topic seemed the only way. And hope Ben has assigned me one of the hot seats high and in the middle block which Jonathan tends to prefer.
The "Green" Room is in fact full of Plaid, Tory, Lib Dem and Labour. The Scots are elsewhere. Probably on the motorway. There are a few freelancing one topic specialists like that SPUC woman over there. I help a series of hapless guests work the hot drinks machine. And I spot an Open University pin and strike up a conversation. It's a young Welsh Tory from Cardiff. Working in a call centre and studying something or other with the OU.
We quickly get to the conversation that Tory folk and Labour folk seem to have whenever found together in such social situations. The complete unreliability of this third party. This "real alternative". He can have a beer or a coffee happily with Labour people he says but he cannot abide the Lib Dems. I empathise and say I wish the Tories would organise properly in Manchester.
Let's be clear. I wouldn't want them being elected in any great numbers but I think generally when you read a Tory leaflet you can work out what you're in for if you vote for them. And ditto a Labour leaflet. With the Lib Dems it is a complete mystery. In Trafford we have Tories. In fact they have control. And in Salford there are a handful of Tories - making a comeback - and a handful of Libs.
In Manchester we have Lib Dems and isolated Greens. It is many years since the Tories had a single councillor. And most of the ground they take here is Tory ground.
How can they address poitics in writing when their electoral support includes tactical Tories, tactical ultra-left, old school Liberals, new Libertarians, protests from Labour socialists, and of course a rather socially conservative, economically labour, but rightfully thoroughly anti war series of distinct but united asian communities?
Gradually we are herded through security checks and into the studio were the best laid plans have gone awry. Every one is supposed to have a marked seat. Quite a number of names are missing. Mine included.
posted by Chris Paul at 8:45 PM
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