Friday 23 July 2010

Sic Virescit Industria?

Or, for that matter, Intento Animo?

Denis MacShane tells The Guardian:

"It is outrageous that something Lord Ashcroft has lobbied for has now been given to him on the DfID (Department for International Development) aid budget. This is an improper use of development money, there is no commercial justification, there are many remote islands in the world without airports, but none so close to Lord Ashcroft's commercial interests in the south-western Atlantic region. This is unquestionably payback time. In opposition, only a few months ago, William Hague and Andrew Mitchell were being flown around in Lord Ashcroft's private jet. Now he is getting his reward. It is a scandal of Pergau Dam proportions."

Now tell me, Dr MacShane, which of those "many remote islands in the world without airports" are British Overseas Territories inhabited by British Citizens? There are some. Explain to me what you mean by their being "no commercial justification". What have you done as a parliamentarian for the people of the British Overseas Territories in general and of Saint Helena in particular? And which community of British Citizens was benefited by the Pergau Dam?

Denis MacShane is a valiant campaigner against prostitution and against obscenity in the media. But he is a signatory both to the Euston Manifesto (old Stalinists and Trotskyists from the Seventies) and to the Henry Jackson Society (old hired help of Pretoria and Santiago from the Eighties). He is still banging on against David Cameron's Polish, Czech and Latvian allies who in fact deserve better British allies, allies from within the historic Labour tradition. And now this.

No comments:

Post a Comment