A paler shade of Hazel
Last week a hugely amusing and enjoyable 50th birthday party took place for Keith Vaz MP, so well known in particular in the Asian community, and latterly new best friend of Shilpa Shetty. The Lord Chancellor Charlie Falconer teased Keith (known sometimes as Vazeline) for being on the campaign teams of all seven candidates for the deputy leadership of the Labour party.
Perhaps it is now eight, since the Labour Chairman Hazel Blears announced her candidature. She has had to go on television repeatedly of late to explain the latest Government fiasco and to her credit she has looked cheerful and enthusiastic, no mean feat.
However, I have a certain experience to report. When the Government sought so obsessively to regionalise the police forces there was uproar in Suffolk as elsewhere. A group of MPs from Suffolk went to see her and all we heard about was Manchester and Salford. She had dragged in some toadying Chief Constable who told us how desirable it would be. The meeting showed she had no clue about life outside the big cities. But my biggest regret was not being able to tell the Uncle Tom policeman what I thought of him and the oleaginous drivel he spouted. Happily, the idea which Hazel and the Chief Constable were so eagerly promoting was dropped, and thank goodness for that.