Monday 1 March 2010

Murphy’s ‘British nationalisms’ are outdated

In an extraordinary attack on Labour’s Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy the leader of Scotland’s Episcopal Church has called the Labour MP's attempts at trying to introduce religion into the forthcoming general election campaign as “flatfooted” and “regressive”.

The Right Rev David Chillingworth accused Murphy of doing a “grave disservice” to religion by trying to “shrinkwrap” it to suit Labour’s manifesto.

Rev Chillingworth went on to say of Labour: “They are regressive, inviting us to revisit outdated nationalisms, to pursue those whom we deem to be work-shy, to close our borders to the poor of the world on the basis of a ‘firm and fair’ immigration policy.”

The attack follows Mr Murphy’s recent public comments on immigration where he attacked those who were soft on immigration and stated that dawn raids were “unavoidable”. Murphy also suggested that the public ought to inform on those they suspected of being benefit cheats, with rewards being offered in return for such clandestine snooping.

However it was Murphy’s clumsy attempt at harvesting the votes of religious groups that has brought the most serious condemnation. The Rev Chillingsworth’s remarks follow those from Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of Scotland’s Catholics, who accused the Labour party of pursuing “a systematic and unrelenting attack on family values” during its time in power.

The ‘outdated nationalisms’ attack is particularly embarrassing for Murphy who has spent that last few months engaged in a one man campaign against the British National Party, a campaign that some have suggested owes more to the significant Jewish community within Murphy’s constituency than any real threat posed by the BNP.

Indeed some of Murphy’s recent statements on immigrants have been eerily similar to those from the far right. Murphy spoke about the system being abused or "queue-jumping" in the welfare state; he also insisted that there was “the need for new immigrants to accept core British values” and added: “It's in no-one's interest if new immigrants can't speak the world's most popular language when they come to live here.”

One wonders if Mr Murphy’s own family endured similar conditions when they emigrated to South Africa when it was still under the apartheid regime. In that instance the roles may well have been reversed with many of the indigenous non white South Africans having to adhere to and endure such a draconian system.

It remains to be seen what cumulative effect Murphy’s attempts at manipulating immigration and religion for political ends will have on the voting intentions amongst his religiously diverse constituents.

Funny though that the press have appeared reluctant to headline these attacks and to pursue Mr Murphy over his very clear error of judgement (remember those?) with regards to religion.

Oh, and while we're on Mr Murphy this ministerial statement from 23rd February was brought to our attention:
Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) provision for the administration of the Scotland Office will be increased by £1,200,000.
Seems that Scots (unlike the Welsh) are to be denied a referendum on their constitutional future because according to Labour it is a waste of money - meanwhile the Scotland Office are happy to spend the equivalent of the cost of a referendum every single year.  This follows on from the revelations in Newsnet Scotland over Jim Murphy's fondness for self promotion.

Finally:
If you really want a laugh then you simply must take a look at this article from The Daily Record CLICK HERE.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Had a good laugh at the Daily Record Article, yeugh!
The the first comment left me breathless as well, and they call people like me cybernats, at least we are not fools.

Anonymous said...

The Daily Record piece is priceless! Managing to get the National Trust for Scotland, Glasvegas and the Editors within a couple of sentences of one another is quite an accomplishment. I think there is a mistake in Jimbo's entry for Sunday. Shouldn't it read "I go to church canvassing"?

Anonymous said...

That wasn't even the first comment on the Record, anon. It just appeared. There was at least five comments at the start all against Murphy and all removed.

Just noticed another quite long and decent comment removed from Record article. Was absolutely nothing offensive about it. It just wasn't pro-Murphy.

As I read elsewhere - Murphy saying the "Facebook generation" are turning their back on the SNP, yet someone busy removing any SNP posts and negative comments about him.

What a complete joke!

Anonymous said...

Seems like we are a stone's throw away from The People's Republic of China with all the closing down and censoring of comments. Why would it be any different here, after all, with Scotland still rich in resources even more so there is a lot for the British Establishment to lose. The so called 'Scottish' media are being found out big time with their pravda like protection of New Labour' and their union. In light of what they are about they most probably pray for a Scotland defeat at football especially on the international stage to curb the feel good factor and possible nationalism that arises. How pathetic they are. What desperation by them, things must be bad for them...hence the daily onslaughts on the SNP and the rhetoric that spews from them. Maybe the finish line is in sight at last.

newsnet said...

Yes the BBC and the rest of the Scottish media have been caught cold and are very clumsily trying to divert attention from the Purcell story.

There are rumours circulating throughout the gay and lesbain community in Glasgow about Purcell but for obvious reasons I can't comment on them.

Any journalist with a nose for a good story may well be able to determine whether they have any merit.

Purcell's team have apparently made a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission about media 'harassment'.

Mr Jingles said...

I have posted this on Brian Taylor BBC Blog in response to the SNP being excluded from the "Leader Debates", I doubt it will be posted, but it was a good vent for my frustration.

"Dear BBC,

You know I have not paid my TV Licence for the past 2 Months, you have sent me 1 threatening letter saying I may be fined £1,000 if I do not pay soon.

In reply to this letter and any that many that follow, may I direct you to the "Communications Act 2003" - 320 "Special impartiality requirements" Section (1) The requirements of this section are—

(a) the exclusion, in the case of television and radio services (other than a restricted service within the meaning of section 245), from programmes included in any of those services of all expressions of the views or opinions of the person providing the service on any of the matters mentioned in subsection (2);

(b) the preservation, in the case of every television programme service, teletext service, national radio service and national digital sound programme service, of due impartiality, on the part of the person providing the service, as respects all of those matters;

(c) the prevention, in the case of every local radio service, local digital sound programme service or radio licensable content service, of the giving of undue prominence in the programmes included in the service to the views and opinions of particular persons or bodies on any of those matters.

You have failed and continued to fail on this part of the act on the main BBC TV,Radio,Teletext and Website services, as well as the token BBC Scotland parts of your service.

I will be sending a Legal Letter to you soon, so please do not worry if you think this is someone blowing off steam to get attention."

Yours,

Mr Jingles"

Just need to find a Solicitor with the balls to take this up.

CrazyDaisy said...

Newsnet,

great article, I took Herr Oberst Murphy to task on his blog for whinging about Immigration which I pointed out was a reserved matter for Westmidden. He makes the mess the SNP cleans it up with the ltd resources they receive. It was promptly removed and my ISP blocked!

I also told him he was acowardvfor not serving his National Service in Sud Afrika during apartheid. Yet he was happy to send soldiers to their deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Seems he had no sense of humouruch like the fact that he is bereft of a personality!

CD

Anonymous said...

Great article, thanks!

Murphy was asked how many meeting he has had with the Scottish Government, have a look at how he answered ...

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-03-04a.320375.h&s=jim+murphy#g320375.r0

Pathetic!