Tuesday, April 26, 2005
New Labour 1997 Manifesto Introduction
When Tony Robinson first asked me to write this introduction to New Labour’s 1997 manifesto, well I can’t tell you how excited the National Executive Committee were. Here I was, “the foremost actor of any generation” (Sheridan Morley, The Times) giving my nod of approval to this marvellous new off-shoot of the Labour Party.
As many of you will know, the Labour Party started out as a reaction to Churchill’s stuffy so-called “bowler hat” policies of the 1920’s where he insisted upon the working classes wearing either a bowl or hat to work as head protection. Really! Who was he to dish out fashion advice when he continued to smoke cigars right the way through the humidor and cigarette-holder eras respectively. Anyway, it was their party and they’d cry “scab” if they wanted to.
Alas, cry “scab” they did and nothing really happened for years and years. Wilson and Co. had dalliances with being in Government, but it really didn’t fit in with the beer and sandwiches image so beloved of Messers Benn and Jenkins. In 1979 Mrs Thatcher finally put an end to all of the squabbling and led Britain into a long, glorious decade of success only sullied by a few local difficulties such as the Falklands and the coal-mining debacle. The Iron Lady soon retired with all of the good grace one would expect from her and we were left with the shambles that we find ourselves in now.
New Labour and Tony are here for you. Together we can take Britain back to the good old days; Nouveau cuisine, Colin Welland, Steven Berkoff and Erasure. Vote for Tony: you know what you’re getting really.
Love Alan Rickman
As many of you will know, the Labour Party started out as a reaction to Churchill’s stuffy so-called “bowler hat” policies of the 1920’s where he insisted upon the working classes wearing either a bowl or hat to work as head protection. Really! Who was he to dish out fashion advice when he continued to smoke cigars right the way through the humidor and cigarette-holder eras respectively. Anyway, it was their party and they’d cry “scab” if they wanted to.
Alas, cry “scab” they did and nothing really happened for years and years. Wilson and Co. had dalliances with being in Government, but it really didn’t fit in with the beer and sandwiches image so beloved of Messers Benn and Jenkins. In 1979 Mrs Thatcher finally put an end to all of the squabbling and led Britain into a long, glorious decade of success only sullied by a few local difficulties such as the Falklands and the coal-mining debacle. The Iron Lady soon retired with all of the good grace one would expect from her and we were left with the shambles that we find ourselves in now.
New Labour and Tony are here for you. Together we can take Britain back to the good old days; Nouveau cuisine, Colin Welland, Steven Berkoff and Erasure. Vote for Tony: you know what you’re getting really.
Love Alan Rickman
