It had been raining outside all morning, and the ground was covered in puddles. David and the Outlaws had been playing pirates, but it got too wet even for them so they all sat in the barn and waited for the rain to stop.
"Gosh, I'm jolly bored", said David, "Let's play a game!"
"What a good idea!" said Ed.
"Too right!" echoed Andy and the other Ed.
"Uh oh", said David. All four of them looked around, for into the Labour barn marched Diane Elizabeth Abbott.
"I want to play too" she squealled. The Outlaws all looked down. They had played with Diane before and none of them liked it. If she didn't get her own way she would go running home to her father, Mr. Neil and he and her Uncle Michael would box their ears.
"Well, erm, see the thing is..." began David
"I'll scream" said Diane. "I'll scream and scream and scream, 'till I'm sick"
"Oh alright" chimed the Outlaws. Even if they knew Diane would not win, they might just enjoy running circles around her.
This may in itself be a rather bad mimic of Richmal Crompton's great work, but it betrays a serious point. Labour are bleating on about the fact that they need Diane Abbott in the leadership race for the sake of a true debate.
I see it slightly differently. If Diane Abbot was denied a place in the debate by the PLP, they would never hear the end of it. More, she has a platform and has in the past been happy to criticise her own party from the This Week pulpit.
By putting their support behind her, the other leadership contenders are effectively forcing her into the debate. They need it to appear like it is a real contest, with grass-roots Labour selecting the leader. They will also have the opportunity to geld potentially one of their fiercest critics by using the opportunity to destroy any credibility she has *cough* children at private school *cough*
Labour are not having a real debate. It would only ever be a real debate if the woman in the contest actually had a chance.
*Update* Even David Miliband himself is now nominating Diane for the contest. Could it be any clearer now that it is the front runners who need her to stand so that she doesn't quip from the sidelines about how the PLP blocked a real contest.
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If Diane Abbott (note the correct spelling of her name) actually makes it onto the ballot, then she stands as much chance as anyone under the rules of the electoral college and the AV voting system employed.
ReplyDeletevarious (credible) reports that she has made it.
ReplyDelete