Late last night Twitter buzzed with the bad news that the Lords had rejected efforts to delay implementation of the Welfare Reform Bill, the austerity-led assault on the disabled being opposed by, amongst others, the fantastic #spartacusreport campaigners. For a detailed summary of what happened, both in terms of Ministerial speeches and the amendments, read Sue Marsh’s relatively optimistic report on it here.
The second thing Twitter buzzed with was word that Floella Benjamin had voted with her Lib Dem colleagues and against the disabled. Confirmation is here – disclose the Lib Dem section of those Not Content with the amendment to see the name Baroness Benjamin.
For some reason this particular voting decision stuck in my throat worst of all. Sure, it may be unfair to pick on her out of the 229 unelecteds who voted for this Tory agenda, but I grew up watching her on Playschool, and I feel personally aggrieved.
Floella – you were a ground-breaker, not just a rare and charming non-white face on our black and white TV but also the first woman shown properly pregnant on TV, apparently. You came across as such a kind and benevolent person, and yet last night you chose the Tory agenda over the needs of people with disabilities. Previously I might have looked at your twitter stream and thought it looked like the kind of anodyne and inoffensive stuff you might expect from a former childrens’ TV presenter, but today crap like this looks like a pretty sick joke.
The best childrens’ TV introduces kids to difference and helps them understand the diversity of society. I remember this including some fairly cack-handed efforts on the disability front (I do also remember that going horribly wrong in the early 1980s, admittedly) by Playschool and others. To discover that the lovely lady from the television helped to end DLA last night, and helped to push people with disabilities into poverty is just too much to tolerate. Tell me I’ve had a failure of perspective, but did the Dukes of Hazzard vote to hike up tuition fees? Did Ivor the Engine decide not to try and overturn his own privatisation? Did the Wombles do a u-turn on nuclear power? Did Dangermouse join the bloody Lib Dems?
#1 by Nikostratos on January 18, 2012 - 8:41 pm
Dangermouse he was Practically a Nazi
and as for Ivor the Engine created by that Oliver Postgate who was an anarchist he had those Clangers swearing their heads off on Children’s TV
and we all know about Captain Pugwash with his crew which included’ Seaman Stains and Master Bates’….
What damage that was done to us as Children by childrens’ TV well just look around us.
#2 by James on January 18, 2012 - 8:58 pm
Normally invoking Godwin gets one deleted round here, but I’ll let that one pass.
#3 by Alec on January 23, 2012 - 9:45 am
Postgate drifted around Quakers, and those who know will recognize a lot of Quaker Meetings in Bagpuss.
~alec
#4 by Observer on January 18, 2012 - 8:52 pm
Who would have thought Floella could be so nasty? That’s like John Noakes drowning puppies.
What in the name of Shep are the Liberal Democrats playing at? This Welfare Reform Bill is vicious & unfair. I am immensely disappointed that the Lords have caved in.
#5 by John Ruddy on January 18, 2012 - 9:41 pm
I think a lot of people, whatever party they supported, who saw her take her seat in the Lords, thought “now heres someone who isn’t a party apparatchik” – someone who wouldnt toe the party line on everything. A real breath of fresh air.
Instead, she’s just like all the other Lib Dems.
#6 by setindarkness on January 18, 2012 - 9:43 pm
“COMEDY legend Sir David Jason has revealed a soft spot for David Cameron” http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2911465/Sir-David-Jason-David-Cameron-is-my-pal.html
Cor blimey!
#7 by Indy on January 18, 2012 - 10:33 pm
Could anything more aptly illustrate what a crazy system it is?
I mean I liked Floella Benjamin as well BUT WHO ELECTED HER? Who isshe accountable to?
Bonkers.
#8 by Graham on January 19, 2012 - 12:01 am
“BUT WHO ELECTED HER? Who isshe accountable to?”
Answers on the back of a postcard. London SW1…
#9 by Ross on January 19, 2012 - 12:02 am
Reminds me of Mr Rogers
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/mrrogers.htm
At least his attempts at causing harm turned out to be a lie.
#10 by setindarkness on January 19, 2012 - 9:26 am
Interestingly this is how the LibDems are completely falling apart.
She is not following the “party” line but falling in on the Tory/LD line. members of this so-called democratic party are starting to notice what I noticed a year ago.
Articles like
http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-whats-happened-to-democracy-in-the-liberal-democrats-26666.html
are showing that whatever the LD members vote for are just being ignored by their representatives under the defence of “well this is a coalition, you know, can’t get everything we want”.
I lot of discontent. and I think it shows just how unprepared the LibDems were for this. If there was a party that should know how to handle a coalition it should be them, it was their mantra. But it just isn’t working.
Bit like their stance on Devo-Max/Home Rule/Federalism whatever – when you sit down and work out what it means, it doesn’t sound like it will work.
I’m pleased to note that Andrew Page isn’t the only sensible member of the ScotLibDems too — http://www.libdemvoice.org/opinion-no-is-not-enough-scottish-liberal-democrats-must-embrace-independence-referendum-26645.html
#11 by Indy on January 19, 2012 - 10:15 am
That is so true. I just can’t imagine how Lib Dems could be OK with what is going on in this bill. It just doesn’t make any sense, put against the other things they believe.
#12 by Robert Blake on January 19, 2012 - 4:39 pm
I was following the actions
More Labour than Tories voted (against, obviously), so the Tories couldn’t get their vote out
Crossbenchers voted overwhelmingly against it
It only passed because of the LibDem Peers. Seriously they were needed (apart from 2 who voted on the good guys side)
After all the devious lies and machinations from the Government, you would have thought the Liberal Democrat Peers would have pause
They really are the Tories patsies
#13 by Alec on January 22, 2012 - 5:59 pm
Has Darcus Howe got access to James’ log-in?
Ugh. Just ‘cos she is a West Indian does not make her a member of a homogenous non-‘white’ mass and, therefore, naturally sympathetic and devoid of malice or prejudice towards others.
West Indian culture(s) often tend towards the socially conservative – never mind having a vein of intolerance – as observed by Jade Knight when Diane Abbott told her voting Conservative wasn’t a ‘black’ thing.
(Forgive the Daily Mail link… I couldn’t find one to an approved newspaper.)
Huh? Female television personalities had been pregnant before, so any decision to show her in this state would have been taken by the production team based on current social attitudes which coincided with her pregnancy (unless there were efforts to conceal the pregnancy of someone like Lucie Skeaping).
She was appointed – due to achievments in her professional career, not ‘cos of which family line she was born to – to act as some sort of advisor in the second chamber of a bicameral Parliament. This is, imo, preferable to an elected chamber filled with just another bunch of hacks on the make; and a lot more common than you might think.
Besides, you might on principle have rejected as irrelevent the views of members of the Lords who opposed her, but I doubt it.
Her Party whip.
~alec