Sunday, August 17, 2008

Tamsin opts out of Crewe and Nantwich

Never nice to see a former colleague fall on hard times - and I've almost forgotten about the nauseating strategy she adopted in Crewe and Nantwich earlier this year, when she and her party ran a reptilian campaign against Edward Timpson, who won the seat for the Conservatives. But it was a sad little piece in Mandrake's column in the weekend Telegraph concerning former AM, Tamsin Dunwoody.

Tamsin is reported to have decided not to put her name forward for consideration as Labour candidate for the General Election. The reason she's given is that since losing her seat on the Assembly, she's not been able to find a job, and simply cannot afford to move herself and five children from her home in Pembrokeshire up to the constituency. Guido Fawkes was much more scornful.


Dunwoody Still Unemployed

It is nearly five months since Tamsin Dunwoody lost the Crewe & Nantwich by-election. Apologists for politician's troughing ways claim that the taxpayer needs to pay three times the national wage to MPs to attract high calibre candidates. Guido argues that there is no shortage of candidates, vacant safe seats attract hundreds of ambitious applicants, the market price for wannabee MPs is clearly lower, demand already far outstrips the available supply of constituency seats.

MPs and their apologists claim that they could earn far more in comparison doing other things - to which Guido retorts if they are in it for the money, they should do something else. The modern political class largely comprises of ex-party HQ staff, SpAds, spin merchants with a smattering of lawyers, ex-trade union officials and polytechnic lecturers. Life-long political insiders since their university days with little real world experience outside politics do not have great skill sets for the private sector (outside becoming lobbyists). It is no surprise therefore that Tamsin is still unemployed

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Guido makes some very good points. What sometimes angers me is that WAG, which is run by the elite AMs often doesn't listen to rhyme or reason. It is not a case of doing what is good for Wales, but what suits their mind set, which is very narrow at the best of times.

Take the position of the Welsh economy - BOTTOM of the British economic league tables - this after 10 years of WAG.

WAG's response? Make owners of newly constructed business buildings pay tax when empty. Result: there will be less speculative build ... c/o WAG.

Anonymous said...

hard times, the woman is a slef cifessed millionaire!! unemployed rightly so, she was a muppett!! Conservative you may be glyn but would have preferred you in the cainet to her

Anonymous said...

Come off it Glyn, there's hardly a more scornful desciption of Tamsin Dunwoody's campaign than "nauseating" and "reptilian".

Such people deserve to fall on "hard times", as you put it.

Exactly what has she done that deserves good times?

Glyn Davies said...

Not Moira - I had nothing but contempt for her C and N campaign, but I always thought Tamsin herself was hard working and ok company. I don't suppose a candidate in such a high profile election has that much say in the campaign strategy.

anon 2 - If I'd been in the Cabinet, with responsibility for education, I'd have launched a spelling initiative!