Rant: Blunkett's resignation and the flying biography
17 Dec 2004 by Paul Davies
Government Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong shocked the House of Commons yesterday as she hurled a copy of the new (and of course controversial) Blunkett biography across the room. Everyone present was noticeably taken aback by the sight – a girl who can throw.Ms Armstrong's impropriety was eventually overshadowed by another shock to the Commons system as Mr Blunkett grabbed his faithful Sadie by the collar and tearfully bid farewell to his privileged and too-easy-to-abuse position on the frontbench.
Amid the lack of any other real news, the scandal factor increased as the whole affair perpetuated through the papers on a daily basis. Mr Blunkett hung on for an unfathomably long time for a minister in crisis, leading many to think that no one had got round to explaining to him the 'Peter Mandelson Procedure' for dealing with unwanted revelations about one's actions.
Living up to his stubborn reputation, Mr Blunkett battled till the last, sneakily claiming he "did not remember seeing" the incriminating email that finally sunk him.
In providing the frontbench with a brash, northern, authoritarian, man-of-the-people without the disadvantage of being John Prescott, Mr Blunkett enjoyed widespread popularity. He became especially popular with Michael Howard following the release of the aforementioned flying biography, in which Mr Blunkett chose to praise the cadaverous creature while simultaneously insulting his own cabinet colleagues.
Jack Straw for one will "greatly miss him", presumably because the media is now more inclined to concentrate on making the foreign secretary look silly again.
New Labour needn't worry too much, however, as the Tories seem unlikely to seize the opportunity to win any more voters.
