When were you last inspired by a British politician?

[theclaud]

Mhairi Black tops the list

She is pretty cool.

 

[AndyRM]

She is pretty cool.

She's cooler than cool.

Knows how to eat chips too I suspect.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Lucas deserves another vote on here for this.

View: https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1650883352138862594

 

[slowmotion]

I've got a lot of time for Frank Field.

 

[newfhouse]

I've got a lot of time for Frank Field.

Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of yodelling?

 

[stowie]

Here might be an interesting question (or maybe not!).

Is there a politician you admire or respect even though they are in a party you don't vote for and/or have politics you don't agree with?

Or put it more bluntly, are there any Tory politicians (past or present) that us lefties respect or even admire or possibly even been inspired by?

Conversely any Tory voters on this board have the same for any Left wing politicians?

It is easy to admire / respect / be inspired by politicians with which you agree. I am finding it interesting to think about politicians that I have respected but had politics very different from mine.

 

[theclaud]

Here might be an interesting question (or maybe not!).

Is there a politician you admire or respect even though they are in a party you don't vote for and/or have politics you don't agree with?

Or put it more bluntly, are there any Tory politicians (past or present) that us lefties respect or even admire or possibly even been inspired by?

Conversely any Tory voters on this board have the same for any Left wing politicians?

It is easy to admire / respect / be inspired by politicians with which you agree. I am finding it interesting to think about politicians that I have respected but had politics very different from mine.

I'll tip my hat to Sayeeda Warsi.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Or put it more bluntly, are there any Tory politicians (past or present) that us lefties respect or even admire or possibly even been inspired by?

Conversely any Tory voters on this board have the same for any Left wing politicians?

Heseltine and Major, particularly on Brexit.

I also met Tony Newton, Tory MP for Braintree until 1997, professionally and was massively impressed by both his political antennae and flexibility and his capacity to chair meetings.

 

[BoldonLad]

I quite admired Nicola Sturgeon. Didn’t agree with her, and, not living in Scotland, no real opportunity to vote for her party. Hopefully, my admiration will not be tarnished by current events.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Encouraged, if not quite inspired, on Sunday on the Laura Kuenssberg Show. Ed Davey actually got the Proportional Representation question out in the open. If he manages to have the courage of his convictions and develop his 'closer ties to the EU' into full-blooded 'Join the EU' then he will inspire.

 

[theclaud]

I'm a card-carrying Corbynista, but having been to rallies and listened to several of his speeches, 'inspiring' is a bit of a stretch.

I've been reflecting that this comment was a bit churlish. He's not the greatest speaker in the world - I've been consensually bored at leftist rallies for most of my life, and he seemed to me to be continuing the admirable but not exactly riveting tradition of restating commitments and values that 90% of the room already holds. Not only that, but I felt actively demoralised by the 'They Go Low, We Go High' bullshit of 2019 when it was beyond obvious that going low was winning, and that we should've hit the bastards back with everything we'd got. Nevertheless he stepped up when it counted, and almost saved the Labour Party. If it were up to those of us who weren't afflicted with Labourism, there wouldn't have been anybody in the right place when it counted. I think about this piece quite often, and about the petty strops on Twitter about whether people 'should' stay in the party or leave. Having people inside and outside seems like a good idea to me, even if the prospects from within now look grimmer than ever.

I note in passing that Clive Lewis has distinguished himself as an open and trenchant critic of the monarchy, and that there has yet to be a knock on his door in the middle of the night...

 

[spen666]

I've been reflecting that this comment was a bit churlish. He's not the greatest speaker in the world - I've been consensually bored at leftist rallies for most of my life, and he seemed to me to be continuing the admirable but not exactly riveting tradition of restating commitments and values that 90% of the room already holds. Not only that, but I felt actively demoralised by the 'They Go Low, We Go High' bullshit of 2019 when it was beyond obvious that going low was winning, and that we should've hit the bastards back with everything we'd got. Nevertheless he stepped up when it counted, and almost saved the Labour Party. If it were up to those of us who weren't afflicted with Labourism, there wouldn't have been anybody in the right place when it counted. I think about this piece quite often, and about the petty strops on Twitter about whether people 'should' stay in the party or leave. Having people inside and outside seems like a good idea to me, even if the prospects from within now look grimmer than ever.

I note in passing that Clive Lewis has distinguished himself as an open and trenchant critic of the monarchy, and that there has yet to be a knock on his door in the middle of the night...

Recollections may vary

 

[theclaud]

Recollections may vary

Thanks for your contribution. Next caller!

 

[newfhouse]

I can think of a few, but Mhairi Black tops the list. Absolute legend.

Blimey, she’s good at this.

View: https://twitter.com/mhairiblack/status/1658489979113447425?s=61&t=IaNHN0MzKohAo3Ktl0DsFQ

 

[Hitchington]