Tom Harris' Confession

On 30 November 2009, former New Labour Minister, Tom Harris, said this on his own blog:

"This post from Alex Smith of LabourList has caught my attention...

'THE LABOUR PARTY HAS EMBRACED AN IDEOLOGY THAT ACTIVELY UNDERMINES THE BELIEFS AND CULTURE OF ORDINARY WORKING PEOPLE. IMMIGRATION, WHILST THE MOST TOPICAL, ISN’T THE ONLY BATTLEGROUND. One by one, it seems that THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL OUTLOOK OF MANY IS SCORNED UPON BY AN ELITE WHO, WHILST LAUGHABLY PAINTING THEMSELVES AS ON THE SIDE OF THE ‘OPPRESSED’, CHOOSE TO STUDIOUSLY IGNORE THIS PARTICULAR SUBJUGATION.

ON ISSUES RANGING FROM SCHOOL/PARENTAL DISCIPLINE (’CHILD ABUSE’), TO CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (’BARBARIC’), TO PATRIOTISM (’LITTLE ENGLANDER’), TO EURO-SCEPTICISM (’XENOPHOBIC’), TO IMMIGRATION (’RACIST’), TO MORALITY (’BIGOTED’) – ACROSS ALL THESE ISSUES AND MORE, THE GENERAL BELIEFS OF VAST SWATHES OF THE ELECTORATE ARE DEMONISED AND RIDICULED BY AN ELITE INTERESTED ONLY IN SECURING THE DOMINANCE OF THEIR OWN PARTICULAR WORLDVIEW.'

He clealry (sic) has a point... And although Merrick talks of immigration as just one of the pressure points, it’s clearly near the top of an awful lot of people’s agenda today.

A few weeks ago... I was forced to concede by commenters that LABOUR HAD, IN THE PAST, BEEN GUILTY OF ATTEMPTING TO SHUT DOWN DEBATES ON IMMIGRATION BY SHOUTING 'RACIST'... IT WAS STUPID AND WRONG...

Knocking on doors in my constituency on Saturday morning, I once again had to try to defend the government’s policies on immigration. This is a very regular occurrence these days, particularly in so-called 'solid' Labour areas. These people are not racists by any stretch of the imagination, but THEY ARE WORRIED. AND THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS NOW BECAUSE IT’S ONLY NOW THEY FEEL THEY HAVE 'PERMISSION' TO DO SO...

More often than not, the people expressing the concerns are the people least likely to have benefited directly from Britain’s economic growth to 2008. And they have as much right to have a say in this area – and to be listened to – as anyone else.

I DETECT A HUGE AMOUNT OF SNOBBERY FROM SOME ON THE LIBERAL LEFT TOWARDS SUCH PEOPLE AND THEIR VIEWS...

And WE ARE WAY, WAY PAST THE POINT AT WHICH WE CAN SNEER 'RACIST' AT GOOD PEOPLE FOR DARING TO HOLD A VIEW WITH WHICH WE’RE UNCOMFORTABLE."

I wonder why Tom Harris is saying this right now? Does he imagine that he can hang on to his seat by baring his behind, the 'stupid and wrong' one, a few months before the election? Does he think he will be forgiven for 12 years of saying nothing, for saying it now, when the immigrant horse has well and truly bolted?

Actually, that’s not quite right, is it? He did say something. He was one of those who, by his own admission, sneered ''racist' at good people.' He was one of those who stood by and applauded whilst the 'liberal left' were directing their PC bile 'towards such people and their views.' And all the while those we did not want here kept piling in.

All the sneering and the nasty name-calling and the forty-odd year betrayal of those your party was formed to represent will never be forgotten, Tom.

You will at some point, be called upon to explain your traitorous behaviours. However, as the frank confession may help, eventually, to put things right, you may be one of the few who gets to keep his head.