'Thrasher' swears at Copper

“Open this gate, I’m the Chief Whip. I’m telling you — I’m the Chief Whip and I’m coming through these gates.”

What a charmer. When they still refused, Mitchell allegedly responded:

"Best you learn your f***ing place. You don’t run this f***ing government.
“You’re f***ing plebs.”

Mitchell is also believed to have attacked the police as “morons”. Hat tip Labourlist

 

(Let us not forget.....see comments below made before "Thrashergate")

 

"Mr (Boris) Johnson said "If people swear at the police, they must expect to be arrested,"   

 "Not just because it's wrong to expect officers to endure profanities, but it's also because of the experience of the culprits.

 "If people feel there are no comebacks, no boundaries and no retribution for the small stuff, then I'm afraid they will go on to commit worse crimes."

 

“Tory MP David Davies, who serves as a Special Constable, said:‘This is a threat to law and order. When I trained in London four years ago, if someone swore directly at you – I was called a “f****** pig”, for instance –you would give them one warning, then arrest them if they refused to stop.

 

‘It is vital that you take action in such circumstances. The police should not have to put up with this behaviour.’

Hat tip Captain Swing. Check BBC report (update: photo )

Remuneration Committee "Racket"

Today I listened to Any Questions on Radio 4. There was a question about the outrageous 49% increase in the pay last year of the average FT100 director (about 10 minutes in).

Lib Dem Coalition minister Jeremy Browne
described the company remuneration committees who "set" the pay of such executives as being "a cartel... a real Racket". Tory MP David Davies also cheerfully admitted that it was all a big fiddle and stitch up. While Labour MP Rachel Reeves pointed out that it was not as if these bosses had added any value to these companies in the last year.

Despite accurately describing such pay arrangements as being akin to organised crime Browne failed to offer any solutions. Davies suggested allowing getting company AGM's to vote on individual executive pay rather than the whole executive package en bloc. This would be useful but is not going to change things.

As the TUC points out here why shouldn't there be elected employee representatives on these remuneration committees who would bring "directors a much-needed sense of reality". This seems to work in many of our European competitors such as Germany? Why in the UK is this seen as being some form of unBritish devil worship? This is the sort of dare I say radical but necessary change that Labour should pursue. It is good that Ed is on board.

Over the years I've banged about the subject here, here, here (last year's increase was 55%!), here ... (and elsewhere). Check out Tom's latest post as well.

By coincidence I have just submitted a branch motion on applying the principles of the "The Spirit Level" to company pay differentials.

Picture: Typical FT100 Remuneration Committee at work. The Chair of the Board is asking the committee if they are going to increase his pay...or sleep with the fishes. Well, something like that.

Labour Friends of Mauritius

A bit late but on 9th March there was a meeting of this group in Northumberland Avenue, Central London which was sponsored by UNISON Labour Link. I could not attend since we had the Housing Association Labour Link event at the same time in Parliament.

Pictures were taken by London UNISON branch secretary and Chair of the London Europe and International committee Ray Mouratsing. Pictured in college is top UNISON health activist Bill Beekoo, Keith Vas MP, and Glynis Kinnock with the Mauritius ambassador.

It was a good event and lots of good constructive ideas about mobilising the vote for Labour.

Half way through the event Tory ex-Shadow Home Secretary , David Davies,  came into the room, he apparently stopped, looked around him at the UNISON Labour Link posters and said “I think I am in the wrong room” and then scurried off. Of course such behaviour only serves to fuel my long held belief about Comrade Davies and make me wonder why he really turned up to this obviously Labour Party reception and who scared him off at the last moment.  Check link here

Brother Pearce and the collective ownership of the means of production.

Is the Tory candidate for the Royal Docks By-election, Neil Pearce, a militant far left entryist into the Conservative Party?

This question arose following the shock disclosure in local newspaper "Wharf" (no link) that he is also a Shop Steward for the GMB trade union (General Municipal and Boilermakers Union).

This major trade union is affiliated to the Labour Party and has in its GMB rule book (Rule 2.8) "aims" to help elect MPs and Councillors who

“are pledged to collective ownership, under democratic
control, of the means of production, distribution and exchange”.

Nice but dim Royal Docks Tory spokesman Anon claimed that they would report anyone who claimed that Comrade Pearce was not a true blue Tory to the Central Committee. While former Newham Labour Councillor turned Tory firebrand, Mike Law, is believed to have rejected any suggestions that Neil was part of a desperate plot by disheartened militant tendency supporters to infiltrate the Conservative Party.

Working class Tory MP and ex-shadow Home Secretary, David Davies (and grandson of revolutionary communists) is secretly pictured above with his Conservative Red Action supporters during his recent coup attempt to become leader of Conservative Party.

Nuff said?

“Self-indulgent stunt”

By resigning his seat without even the knowledge, (never mind the agreement of his Party leader) David Davies has obviously kept up his ongoing leadership campaign for the Conservative Party.

Luke (and during the BBC 10PM news tonight, presenter Nick Robinson), have suggested that a relative or victim of terrorism will stand against him rather than an official Labour candidate. Which is an idea I think needs examining carefully? Not least because the 42 day detention policy is very controversial but has pretty massive poplar support.

To think that the Tories in government would oppose such a measure that is recommended by the Police, simply just defies belief. Davies is just being hypocritical over this issue and is being exposed as a "grand chancer".

On another level, while trying to be a bit objective (probably unsuccessfully) does Davies actually realise how awfully smug and full of himself he appears in media interviews? I think not or else he would not act in this way. I think he believes his own publicity?

True friends of David Davies; please tell the want-to-be emperor that he has not that many clothes.