Disrupting sport: 99 years of proud tradition
Posted on Wednesday 29 February, 2012
Filed Under New Labour, Society, Trade Unions
EMILY Wilding Davison famously threw herself under the King’s horse at the 1913 Derby, in order to publicise the suffragette cause. She died in hospital a few days later. I truly hope her bravery will be suitably commemorated on its centenary next year.
But even at this distance in time, her name lives on, Emily’s List – the New Labour women’s network that helped around a dozen shoulder-padded Blair Babes make it to Westminster – chose the appellation at least in part in Ms Davison’s honour.
Back in 1970, a radical young Liberal activist called Peter Hain initiated the Stop the 70 Tour campaign, which threatened to disrupt a series of test matches between England and an all white South African team. The tour was duly cancelled, an achievement that many people consider to be the comrade’s finest political moment. Hain became a hero to the left, and ended up a New Labour cabinet minister.
Yesterday, Unite leader Len McCluskey told the Guardian that the union was considering peaceful civil disobedience at this summer’s Olympics. The defence of the NHS strikes me as being an issue of the same order of importance as votes for women and opposition to apartheid.
Yet his words have been condemned across the spectrum, from Baroness Warsi to Ken Livingstone. Even Ed Miliband has tweeted his outrage, branding McCluskey’s call as ‘unacceptable and wrong’.
It’s a good job Twitter wasn’t around in 1913 or 1970, I guess.
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Yes Jimmy, battering immigrants is still a favourtie pasttime of the corrupt West, a place where those with the most have too little and those with the least have too much.
A product of your filthy colonial past and present.
Death to the West!
The immigrants do get their own back. Kriss Donald young school boy had the audacity to befriend an Asian girl. Tortured, killed and set on fire in Glesga of all places. Colonialism rubbing off on the natives AQO!
Yeah, like the poor of the Third World all go to bed with full bellies at night, and they all sleep in satin sheets while the rich rub aromatic ungurents on their bruises and wounds and pay for their children to visit Disneyworld. I DON’T THINK SO.
James Glasgow:
“The immigrants do get their own back. Kriss Donald young school boy had the audacity to befriend an Asian girl. Tortured, killed and set on fire in Glesga of all places. Colonialism rubbing off on the natives AQO!”
This is beneath you. Much as I have disagreed with you in the past, I never thought you would be so crass. “The immigrants” – be serious. Shameful, even for a right-wing Labourite.
Pinkie. I am left of centre Labour but change to right of centre when I am being crass.
I see the Stalinists of Stalinist Unity having persuaded themselves that they are correct in supporting Assad’s bloodbath and have passed a worth resolution to that effect at the Stalinist Wankers Coalition have moved on to more pressing matters and are happily chatting about their love of The Monkees.