Friday, October 06, 2006

Jack Straw: Firestarter

Not long ago, when he was a confident foreign secretary, little thinking he was about to be replaced by a none too bright caravan owner, Jack Straw entertained Condoleezza Rice in his Blackburn constituency. This was an odd thing to do but it did say, "Look at me!" For years, we had hardly noticed this man with his curiously bobbing head when being interviewed and his large-nosed, greyish features surmounted by that 1956 Angry Young Man haircut. Now he's shouting, 'Look at me!' again with his suggestion that the Muslim veil is socially divisive and his request that they remove the veil when discussing Blackburn stuff in his surgery. He prefers to talk face to face. That profoundly repellent slimeball George Galloway has, of course, intervened to interpret Straw's request as 'a male politician telling women to wear less' - as laughably transparent a manipulation of language as one would expect from a losing Big Brother contestant. But what is Straw up to? Of course, in a sane world there would nothing faintly controversial in what he said. In this neurotically short-tempered world, however, it is plainly a little match that could start a big fire. But whose house, apart from his own, is threatened?
4.14pm: Now he's said nobody should wear veils. This is definitely a Muslim macho match with John 'You'd better get that seen to' Reid. I propose everybody should wear veils and have done with it.

11 comments:

  1. I hope not ours! Perhaps one of the nice Diplomatic Protection Group officers sitting outside will decline to guard the Leader of the House on the grounds that Straw has offended his sister? Could he be putting a marker down for either of the two about to be vacant slots? Incidentally, wearing the full kit is not a fashion statement as disgusting George implies, but an act of defiance against secularism- including the secularism of most Muslim women. Do you know about the 'Cha-Dior' ladies in Iran?

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  2. I have, Cap'n, I have. Yes, I see that Straw is throwing his veil into the ring for, I presume, the deputy leadership - put up to this by Ghastly Gordo perhaps. This is plainly aimed at sensitive, poetry-reading Reid. How odd that Labour should find itself fighting over who's more macho about the Muslims. Straw is in the wind, but who knows where it blows?

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  3. I feel vaguely uneasy about the Straw stance. Can't see the point of stripping the veils.

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  4. Here we go again. Chips on shoulders! There'll rioting and effigy burning next. Sigh.

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  5. With regard to the diplomatic protection officer, is it not likely he was concerned that other muslims may attack him for defending the Israeli embassy ?

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  6. Well the ball is certainly back in the Pope's court. Though Straw would want to raise his game in fairness; Pope Benedict is making him look second-rate.

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  7. Ah yes, but what about John Reid. He'll be plotting as we speak, I can't see why the good Benedict would wish to be the depuity leader of the Labour Party, however.

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  8. You couldn't expand on that,Jamesee, could you?

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  9. "At age 78 Joseph Ratzinger became the oldest elected Pope and adopted the title Benedict XVI. Astonishingly at age 79, he also went on to become deputy leader of the British Labour Party. He has refused to rule out throwing his hat in the ring when Tony Blair makes his expected departure in the coming months."

    I don't see why not.

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  10. This is the kind of thing I've been warning about for what seems like centuries.

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