You know I have a sneaking sense of admiration for our local MP, Matthew Offord (AKA Souperman & Captain Useless). Unlike most of his rather bland colleagues, he knows how to let his hair down and have a bit of fun. He has many marvellous qualities, the best being that he stands his round in the pub.
He seems to enjoy a drink, which as a half Irish/half Australian, is not a problem to me. He doesn't mince his words. According to the Daily Mail, the following exchange took place between Offord and Labour MP's.
According to witnesses, it started when
senior Labour MP Dave Watts cast doubt on the Tories’ record on defence
in a question to Sir Peter. Mr Offord, 43, a former BBC executive, said: ‘I’m not having that. ‘You lot have blood on your hands because you sent our troops into battle without the right gear.’ Mr
Watts retorted: ‘You’ve had too much red wine.’ The Tory MP shot back:
‘Gobshite!’ Labour MP Russell Brown waded in, ordering other MPs close
to Mr Offord to ‘quieten him down’.
Now although there are many things Captain Useless has done which I would take issue with in his long, illustrious career, none of his supposedly drunken rampages bother me at all. He is right about our soldiers being sent into battle with crap gear. Sadly this isn't just a problem with Labour, but good for him making the point. He also got into bother a couple of years ago for "allegedly" thumping a Tory whip after a few too many sherbets at the Tory conference. As far as I'm concerned that's no reason to dislike someone.
There are many things Offord has and hasn't done in his Political career which I think affect his suitability to be an MP. Given that he's not the only one to like a drink and I'm sure he's not the only one to use unparliamentary language when he's had the odd beverage over dinner, I cannot see what all the fuss is about.
I do however think it is outrageous and he should be sacked for not saying a dickiebird about the way Barnet Council have hiked parking charges for his constituents. I think he should be sacked for saying nothing about the One Barnet program, which puts every Council tax payer in Barnet at huge financial risk, if it all goes wrong. I think he should lose his seat for being part of a Government that has lead us into a needless double dip recession. I think he should be sacked for being part of a Government that has British troops in a pointless war in Afghanistan, where everyone knows we'll pull out sooner or later and let the place decend into a bloodbath, having achieved nothing for the loss of hundreds of soldiers lives. I think he should lose his seat for saying nothing about a chief whip who calls the Police plebs. I think he should lose his seat because he doesn't stand up for the hardest hit people in Barnet, preferring to ask parliamentary questions about the plight of cod in the north sea.
But should he be in hot water because he calls another MP a gobshite? Nope. And I am just a little sickened by all the mock outrage at the story
Here's the Daily Mail story.
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