The Wardman Wire

One of the more interesting political bloggers is Dizzy on Dizzy Thinks. But he’s not on form today.

Dizzy says (after Croydon Life) of Winston McKenzie, a potential London Mayoral candidate, in a post “Crossing the floor once is ok, but three times?”:

“I’m not sure a former Lib Dem who went over to Veritas then on to us is necessarily the sort of conviction politician that we need running London.”

Now, call me an engineer who guestimates, but I make that two, not three.

Hmmm, also I wonder who else crossed the floor that many times. Well, there’s a clue in the name “Winston”. Winston Churchill had this history:

• He was Conservative candidate in Oldham around 1899, and was elected on his secoind try.
• In 1904 he crossed the floor to sit as a member of the Liberal Party, and served in Government.
• He stood as an “Independent Anti-Socialist” in the early 1920s.
• He was elected as a “Constitutionalist” with Conservative backing in 1924.
• He rejoined the Conservatives in Parliament 1925.

How many crossings of the floor is that? And what did Churchill say?

“Anyone can rat, but it takes a certain ingenuity to re-rat.”

Churchill, however, had the stature to carry it off - does Winston McKenzie?

“Enver” Hodge

New Labour - on the other hand - is stuffed with previous Loony Lefties who turned their coats and crossed the floor while staying inside their own party in search of power.

In Margaret Hodge - the Barking MP - we had one on Question Time this week. When she ran Islington, she was known as “Enver” Hodge.

She looked wonderfully flabbergasted when the audience burst out laughing at her remark that the Blair government was trustworthy. I’ll see if I can find the video segment.

Tags: Crossing the Floor, Dizzy Thinks, Humor, Humour, LibDem, Margaret Hodge, Matt Wardman, Politics, Veritas, Winston McKenzie, London Mayor

[tags] Crossing the Floor, Dizzy Thinks, Humor, Humour, LibDem, Margaret Hodge, Matt Wardman, Politics, Veritas, Winston McKenzie, London Mayor [/tags]