BBC Online is reporting that Government minister Margaret Hodge told a meeting of the Fabian Society that the Iraq war was Tony Blair's "big mistake in foreign affairs". "I hope this isn't going to be reported," she is said to have worried but the remarks are being reported and she is now denying having made them. Such disloyalty to Government policy should be rewarded with the sack but such is the hostility to the Iraq war on Labour's benches and such is the weakness of Tony Blair's leadership that she is pretty certain to stay in post.
Meanwhile the Heritage Foundation's Nile Gardiner is warning that Britain must not retreat from Iraq:
"An early withdrawal of British forces would boost al-Qaeda, risk civil war in Iraq, and severely strain the Anglo-U.S. relationship, to the detriment of the war on terrorism and global security. While the Prime Minister is right to reject calls for a British withdrawal from Iraq, his decision to increase ties with Iran and Syria is a serious strategic error that would do no more than embolden these rogue regimes."
The Heritage's full paper can be read here.
So basically she is admitting to being a hypocrite, in that she has been happy to back it thus far and probably a shameless opportunist looking to court public favour without any consideration for what is in the best interests of the people of Iraq.
She has shown poor judgement and was largely responsible for a localised surge in support for the BNP by a set of earlier remarks, really she should be sacked from the government and de-selected as a candidate.
Posted by: Yet Another Anon | November 17, 2006 at 14:30
Blair should peremptorily fire Hodge and then read Fraser Nelson in today's Spectator before repairing to the library with a randy and his father's revolver
Posted by: TomTOm | November 17, 2006 at 14:47
with a randy
he might find a brandy a better choice
Posted by: TomTom | November 17, 2006 at 14:48
The Heritage Foundation are against a British withdrawal and they are also against the allies talking to Iran and Syria.What they omit to say is what they are in favour of us doing? Or do they really feel that the status quo is a good option?
What they also omit to say that should we withdraw and a full scale civil war emerges in Iraq it is likely that the Shia (backed by Iran and therefore by far the most powerful group) would probably drive Al-queda from Iraq.
That Margaret Hodge is both a hypocrite and a liar is not news.She has been both consistently during her career as an MP and as the leader of Islington council.
Posted by: malcolm | November 17, 2006 at 14:48
Ah, the Fabian Society ... their badge is a wolf in sheep's clothing, see it here:
http://www.freedom-force.org/freedomcontent.cfm?fuseaction=fabianwindow&refpage=issues
although that isn't mentioned on their website, as far as I can see:
http://www.fabian-society.org.uk/int.asp
At present they're especially keen on pushing residential property taxes around the developed world. Because taxation of their income has failed to prevent some people accumulating wealth during their working lives, the plan now is to tax that wealth directly and re-distribute it. If retired people are driven out of their homes as part of that process, that's actually seen as a bonus.
Posted by: Denis Cooper | November 17, 2006 at 14:52
"shameless opportunist looking to court public favour without any consideration for what is in the best interests of the people"
Isn't that a good definition of many career politicians? How many politicians that you know always act on principle? Compromises are inevitable in a party system.
Was she speaking under Chatham House rules? If so, the disclosure is digraceful.
I've not had much time for Margaret Hodge in the past, but in some ways I admired her candour about the rise of the BNP in her constituency. It is only by recognising unpalatable truths that you can begin to tackle issues. Sweeping things under the carpet would only have made things worse in the long run.
You could argue she "advertised" the BNP and thus helped them. I, on the other hand, think it was a first step in telling alienated voters that at last Labour recognised that they too had concerns to be addressed.
Maybe there's a message there for us too?
Posted by: Martin Wright | November 17, 2006 at 14:56
It would have been more newsworthy if Margaret Hodge had announced that Iraq was Blair's one big success in foreign policy.
Hodge/hypocrisy, bears/woods, Pope etc etc
Posted by: William Norton | November 17, 2006 at 15:03
BBC PM is so right=on PC that they spoke of Miss Hodge which must have upset her husband Mr Justice Hodge - why didn't they call her Miss Oppenheimer if they don't want to reveal that she is married ?
Posted by: TomTom | November 17, 2006 at 17:44
It's rich for Margaret Hodge to criticise Blair for pushing his values and morals on to the Iraqis.
Like Blair, Hodge is a Fabian and Fabians have been foisting their communistic Marxist ideals on the rest of the world for more than a 100 years.
However they do it subtly, by permeation(consensus) and infiltration. Fabians are named after Fabius Cunctator the 3rd Century BC Roman general the 'Delayer' who wore out his enemies by gradualism and terror during the 2nd Punic War.
Fabianism is a "mixture" of Fascism, Nazism, Marxism and Communism all bundled together.
The only difference between the Fabian Socialism and Communism is it is much more clever. Communists take your house directly
sending in the secret police to knock your door down - Fabian Socialists do the same by gradually taking your rights away -increasiong property taxes and rates until when you can't pay them they send in their 'regional tax inspectors' to take your house away.
There are around 200 Fabian Socialists in Parliament including most of the Cabinet.
Fabians created and they still control the modern Labour Party.
Posted by: Robert Theobald | November 18, 2006 at 08:13
"Fabian Socialists do the same by gradually taking your rights away -increasiong property taxes and rates"
..and trying to suppress free speech, undermine jury trial, destroy the constitution etc
Posted by: Martin Wright | November 18, 2006 at 08:46
Hence their badge, the wolf in sheep's clothing, which is depicted on the stained glass window from their original HQ that was recently re-discovered and installed at the LSE - a picture and description of it, with Tony Blair, can be seen here:
http://www.freedom-force.org/freedomcontent.cfm?fuseaction=fabianwindow&refpage=issues
Posted by: Denis Cooper | November 18, 2006 at 09:06
Tories are also Fabians can't you pick them out?
Hence vote any of the LABLIBTOR'S you end up in exactly the same Fascist state just wearing more expensive suits!
Posted by: sally | June 30, 2008 at 14:42
Fabian New Labour and Common Purpose are part of the plan for a Communitarian society.
Communitarians want to create a post-modern, post-democratic feudal society run by a small number of rich and powerful people with everyone else working as peasants. In order to achieve their objectives they must destroy the middle class and the nation state.
More about this evil and dictatorial philosophy here:
http://www.stopcp.com/cpphilosophy.php
Posted by: Stop Common Purpose | November 16, 2008 at 21:27