David Blunkett on news

[Dom Tuk]

Just saw David Blunkett on the regional news (South west) that follows the ITV 12.30 news today (10/3). In it he was shown opening some kind of hospital ward i reckon in Swindon. Tell me its a file shot. Under what capacity would he be allowed to cut ribbons to a ward on 10/3/05. he is a disgraced former Home secretary for gods sake.

[kick3m0n]

so what if the hospital asked him to open it, even after he stepped down?  Better him than some z-list "celebrity".  He's still an MP after all.   I just don't see what the problem was/is with Blunkett.   His 'misdemeanours' seemed very mild compared to some, and I wish him well.

[Hippy]

After a short time in the "wilderness" the Labour Party is wheeling him out again to rally everyone to vote Labour in the coming election.

His disgrace was to become infatuated and loose his grasp on reality. Not uncommon in human experience, but for him it was worse because of his job. As a Home Secretary, I think he was behind the times, he was more suited for a Thatcher adminstration, as his views combine and lurch to the right of McArthur, and Enoch Powell.

[keen2learn]

He's not disgraced in my eyes, just human, and all the better for it. Lots of people have got themselves in the kind of mess he has, but the fact that he's a well-known politician means that his humiliation has been public.

[robbieh]

Maybe he was invited to come and cut the ribbon by people at the hospital?

[ianess]

Must say that I'm pretty much in agreement with Hippy.  Blunkett's private and personal circumstances are a tragedy for all involved, but were in the main brought about by 2 consenting adults.

His value as a vote-winner at the forthcoming election must surely be at the very least questionable.  As Home Secretary he appeared to have lost his grip on sanity or reality and was becoming a very dangerous man.     Maybe he'd be better sticking to opening hospital wards and gala days and just getting on with being a constituency MP.

[RevShirls]

I agree with much that has been said here. I do not consider David Blunkett to be a disgrace at all. Yes, he's made mistakes but that makes him more human in my eyes. Many people are afraid to go into the public eye nowadays (particularly in politcs) because all their faults and foibles and past private misdemanours will be brought to the public attention for scrutiny.

Often I feel that it is the media that sets the agenda for the country. I have nothing against good reporting but I am aware (now that I live abroad - since 2002) that in the UK the media often creates the news rather than reports it. I watch sky news and BBC news 24 and read some British newspapers online. Here in Sweden, the media take a completely different approach and I find it quite refreshing. The Swedes were quite bemused when all the reporters came to Sweden to track down Svennis (Sven-G�ran) and even trespassed on to his parents property in a quiet little area in Sweden.

[SupaAbzyBall]

Blunkett had guts and said what he thought. In my eyes, he was the best in the labour cabinet, if not in the house of commons. He didnt mince his words and had a working class background. So what if he fast tracked a visa? Are you saying you have never done a favour for a friend, using your job? The nanny would have a got a visa anyway, he just speeded it up. I also agree with the fact that the media controls this country. They can make someone into a hate figure at the press of a few buttons. They pick out football and cricket teams too!

[secretspirit]

All publicity's good publicity? Maybe they chose him because he's been the reason why one hospital has been in the news so much because of the newspapers camping out waiting for his mistress to emerge!

[jno]

 'The nanny would have a got a visa anyway, he just speeded it up.' Sure, but in the process other people's visa applications were slowed down, and that's not fair. This happened to me - I was overtaken in the visa queue years ago by Zola Budd. I was not happy about it. Ironically, Budd's case for a visa (so she could go to the Olympics as a British runner while South Africa was banned - history lesson for young readers) was promoted by the Daily Mail, which was so piously assailing Blunkett for getting the nanny's visa. As far as I'm concerned, everyone in this case has behaved dishonourably, including Blunkett. If adversity has made him a better person, that may be a silver lining, but as far as I can see he's still leaking anti-Kimberley stories to the press (or getting 'friends' to do so) while claiming not to, so he's still the same dodgy politician. Their poor kids...

[josieann]

His only crime was to believe a woman he had fallen for.  What is the disgrace in that.  Most men would try to deny it not publicise it.