Friday 2 April 2010

Once Bitten, Twice Bitten

Tom Harris has gleefully flagged up Lib Dem councillor, and PPC for Liverpool Wavertree, Colin Eldridge, falling publicly and hilariously on City Talk Radio for an April Fool story in the Liverpool Post.

I don’t know what’s the best bit – his gullibility, his excruciating sign-off (yeah, right – you were in on the joke all along, were you, Colin?) or the fact that he thinks that spending £142,010 on road signs written in Mandarin Chinese “has got to be worthwhile”.
I'd pinch the three minute sound file if I could, but you'll have to pop over to Tom's place for that. Do so though because, believe me, it's worth it.

Why should that concern we lifestyle liberty lovers, you ask?

Well, not only is Colin gullible enough to believe this story, he has also been hoodwinked by anti-tobacco into thinking that giving films which contain smoking scenes an 18 certificate will stop kids taking it up.

He spoke about exactly that subject at the 'Politics and Prohibition' fringe meeting in Bournemouth during the Lib Dem conference in September. I was there to hear his nonsense.

Colin Eldridge from Liverpool was the target of most of the post-debate questions. Not surprising considering he is a proponent of the move to give films an 18 certificate if they contain smoking scenes. He put up a spirited defence, with such vigour that, large guy that he is, he must have partaken of a tray full of Red Bull before sitting down, though this attender (not attendee, it's just wrong) wondered if his message would have been tailored differently to a less libertarian audience. His motive was, of course, to protect the chiiildren. What's more, the kids asked for it and were in no way whatsoever guided to that point of view. Not at all.
He's a nice guy, is Colin, but it's clear that he is far too easily led to be an MP.

Actually, scratch that, being easily led by quangoes and state-paid fake charities is a pre-condition for the job, isn't it?


No comments: