New Comment on Tom Harris’ blog

In response to: http://www.tomharris.org.uk/2010/04/07/reality-check-2

You’re all in the gutter now, Tom.

This is going to be the dirtiest, nastiest, most personal, most scrutinised election in UK history.

I’m lucky in as much as I’m not involved so can amuse myself with a cripple-compliant armchair and a bag of popcorn.

I almost pity you poor fellas out there as unless you lived in the immediate post-Foot era Labour party, the ferocity and vindictiveness of what’s about to unfold will utterly destroy you! My father was, you see, so I grew up post 74, as a wee child, seeing just how nasty politics can be.

But I say ‘almost’ pity as all of you MPs/PPCs go native in the end, if you haven’t already navigated Byzantine Party machines to squeak through to an actual candidacy in constituencies with which you probably have only a passing acquaintance. And a load of you will rebel against the platforms you are elected on for reasons not disclosed to the electorate on a Ballot paper, unlike your Party affiliations and the implied manifesto of promises therein. These reasons will usually be religious.

So really, even though I like you, Tom, as a human being and even (shockingly) as a politician because you are an engaged and honest and seemingly pretty decent, guy of a type I personally found pretty widespread during my time at the Glasgow end of the central belt, I have to say that you, collectively, as the current 646, have largely brought this awfulness upon yourselves.

Nevertheless, the best of luck!