'Calling Matthew Parris a "Prominent left-wing figure" just about sums the man up. He is either ignorant or more likely writing for effect - like the rest of his trash'.
I can't believer that you have ever read any Parris, or seen him on TV, Ichkeria. Your remarks are an unpleasant libel against a journalist who, in my experience, has always argued well and lucidly, has seemed well-informed and, above all, shown transparent honesty. I was delighted to find that he was a regular contributor to The Spectator when I subscribed to it four years ago. My early memories of Parris are of his taking over from Brian Walden as presenter of Weekend World. Not a role he was very good at: he was no patch on the excellent Walden.. But, a lot later, I read an article he wrote in the Times about the Ron Davies scandal in which he described a cruising adventure of his own on the same common. Others might have seen this as cheap sensationalism - writing "for effect"; I chose to regard it as brave, honest and sympathetic defence of a fellow homosexual.
Here is Paris again, this time embroiled in a famous controversy. It is the only instance I know of the saintly Jeremy Paxman acting basely. But it confirms every prejudice I ever had about the odious Peter Mandelson.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/the-truth-was-out-and-so-were-the-knives-1088357.html