Bob Crow Dies | Breaking News

[LazyGun]

Bit of a shock, given his high profile.

[ChillDoubt]

In a Paddy Power-esque manner, I was going to go for embolus/PE following his recent flight, but it appears to be an MI if LG's post is correct.

[keyplus90]

Death does not check profiles.

[campbellking]

As Sqad said, prime candidate for a vascular episode due to obesity, fondness for cigars, obvious lack of physical fitness...
Sometimes the 'champagne socialist' lifestyle will let you down

[LazyGun]

Not sure I understand your point, Keyplus?

[redman41]

Mr Crow died of an aneurysm and a heart attack, according to LBC radio station.

[bazwillrun]

hated the man with a passion...but i wouldnt have wished it on anybody dying at such an early age.

[jno]

fought tooth and nail for the constituents who elected him... if only MPs would do as much.

[Quizmonster]

Sad news, indeed. One of my heroes and a man who did his utmost for the members of the union he represented. Nor did I ever have even the slightest objection to his living in a council house; it had been his and his family's "home" - not just a "house" - for several decades.

[campbellking]

Jno, surely he was elected by union members rather than 'constituents'?
was he fighting 'tooth and nail' whilst on his 2 week £10,000 pound holiday?
There are some M.P.s who do a decent job, my friend found Dennis Skinner massively helpful when he had a problem .
I'm not sure that what he did justified his £145,000 a year wage, and I'm never sure if those who elect union leaders ever actually realise how much they earn

[LazyGun]

"I'm not sure that what he did justified his £145,000 a year wage, and I'm never sure if those who elect union leaders ever actually realise how much they earn"

I doubt the members of the RMT would agree with you.

"Jno, surely he was elected by union members rather than 'constituents'?
was he fighting 'tooth and nail' whilst on his 2 week £10,000 pound holiday?"

The union membership was his constituency, who elected him. And was he not entitled to a holiday?

[ToraToraTora]

I'll stick up for Bob against some of the bellyaching above. His "constituents" are the union members, I know what jno means. Also QM is correct his council house was more than a bricks and morter it was his family home. Salary £145k is small change for running an organisation like the RMT and everyone deserves a holiday. As for his politicis I never agreed with him at all but I don't begrudge anyone the above. Never thought I'd be sticking up for a socialist !

[ToraToraTora]

sorry LG started typing before I saw your post.

[jno]

as LG says, his constituency was his union. And even union members are allowed holidays.

[ToraToraTora]

...and I know it's Mortar! ok

[campbellking]

Must state that I am a member of my own union, and understand that they have an important role to play. But can you really justify forking out a salary out of union funds for a leader that is massively in excess of what the average worker earns?
How can you keep living in a council house when you earn that sort of money rather than freeing up essential housing stock for those in need (bearing in mind his partner is also a wage earner)?

[LazyGun]

no worries, 3T. Cross-posting happens :)

[jomifl]

The UK prime minister has a salary of £145k but without the free rail travel.

[jno]

he's onto a hiding to nothing about his home... the media would say "speaking from his council house" or "speaking from his union-provided house" or "speaking from his comfortable suburban home", wherever he might have lived... he'd be damned if he did, damned if he didn't, because the (very comfortably paid) media are always eager to insist that trade unionists should live in poverty and eat from skips. He was sensible to stay in his long-time famiy home, and I'd have done exactly the same.

[LazyGun]

@Campell King You are talking to the wrong people, in a sense. I dislike massively inflated salaries as much as the next person - but 145K represents around about 6 times or so the average wage, and certainly for many of the RMT their salary package was pretty decent - 40K or more with salary and bonuses. In that context, 145K does not seem too iniquitous.

If you are going to complain about massively inflated salaries and bonus packages, it seems to me you should be directing your ire at the salaries being paid in the boardrooms of some of our biggest companies.

I do agree with you on the council house though- I hear what QM has said earlier, but it seems to me that Bob Crow should have left his council house, freeing it up for more needy clients.

[ChillDoubt]

To me he was nothing more than a hypocrite. He followed the edict of 'squeeze the rich until the pips squeak' and defined rich as "anyone earning over £100,000" per annum.
How does that work when your salary is £145 grand?
Just another champagne socialist IMHO, plenty more about.