[Closed] a trustworthy and likeable MP..............

Gordon Prentice, Labour, Pendle

Dennis Skinner would be my shout.

I'll be so slated for this, it's William Hague for me.

A top favourite is/was Tony Benn, obviously not now.

Isn't it a contradiction in terms?

Has to go to somebody with no power and never likely to have any, since power corrupts, so yes Vince is a good choice 😉

Edit: I agree with both bunnyhop's choices.

I have been struggling with this one a lot recently and found it hard to come up with any really - even including MSPs

Ken Clarke is at least an honest scoundrel.

Anabel Goldie has played a limited hand well at Holyrood but I don't think I could ever trust her

Malcolm Chisholm is about as close as I can get I think.

Hi Ton, ive spoke to Harry the spider and i will use your entry for hit the north, you want me to send you a cheque??

Billy Connolly got it right when he said

'The desire to be a politician should automatically exclude you from ever being one'

When you think about it, it does make sense

Yeah I've always like William Hague and Ken Clarke too other than his involvement with a tobacco company.

teamyeti - Member
Hi Ton, ive spoke to Harry the spider and i will use your entry for hit the north, you want me to send you a cheque??

no mate, have it on me.........but
i hope you win like i was gonna do......... 😉

David Davis for throwing away his front bench position to have a by-election over civil liberties.

will be doin my best mate.

I'd have to agree with Dennis Skinner

Past MPs who I believe have been decent & trustworthy are
Tony Benn
Eric Heffer
David Davis

Based on my known knowns, I reckon Vince Cable but I'll be honest, it would hardly raise an eyebrow from me if that turned out to be wrong (or a known unknown)

I can think of only 2 people in recent years who have put their money where their mouth is, and stepped outside the molly-coddled tent to piss in instead

Robin Cook
David Davies

Skinner likeable ? lol

I used to think David Davis was a bit of a tit, esp with respect to the by-election, but after hearing him on Desert Island disks last year and learning a bit more about him, he went up in my estimation a lot.

/EDIT
FAO mods. The word tit, as in blue tit, great tit and long tailed tit should be 3 asterisks, not 4 🙂

+1 for Robin Cook
and regrettably Ann Widdecombe

David Davis - that was a cynical ploy for party political gain that failed - not some great idealist move. he is a slimebag.

In the past there did seem to be more.

Trustworthy and likeable is a hard combination - Skinner for example was hardly likeable I think. A real dogmatic and singleminded person

Skinner likeable ? lol

you've obviously never spoken to him

[i] he is a slimebag.[/i]

What makes you think that?

David Davis - that was a cynical ploy for party political gain that failed - not some great idealist move.

If we're talking ex-MPs, then Tam Dalyell?

...actually if we're talking ex-MPs (though in his case still a current politician), then I have to mention the ex-Welsh First Minister, Rhodri Morgan - the only MP I've met in a totally social sense (his daughter shared a house with mrs aracer).

Iris Robinson? oh sorry, i thought the question was who is derelict of all positive attributes....

"None of the above" always gets my choice...

Ian Munro - Member

"he is a slimebag."

What makes you think that?

Have you heard him speak? did you follow his resignation over the supposed matter of principle?

he clearly did that for political gain not idealism nd he failed miserably. He is thick and he tell lies = slimebag in my book.

I am not being party political on this I just find it hard to fins any politicians who are both trustworthy and likable. The trustworthy ones tend to be monomaniacs at best - Skinner / Dalyell et al. The likable ones tend to be rogues

I think TJ is quite wrong about David Davis but as he's a Tory then I expected not less 🙂

So what do you reckon to Hague then, TJ?

I think TJ is quite wrong about David Davis but as he's a Tory then I expected not less

Your opinion allthepies - note aracer agreed with me.

It really was a cynical ploy and he suckered loads of people - you included it would seem

Nothing to do with any party allegiance - I lauded a couple of Tories further up and of all current politicians Annabel Goldie the scots tory leader is probably the one I have most respect for for playing a very poor hand well. She has made the labour party in Scotland look small minded, petty and an irrelevance despite having very little representation.

The problem with ALL politicians locked into a 4-year cycle process, is that they always unavoidably operate via short-term solutions whilst trying to solve long-term problems. That's why nothing ever seems to get better.

A permanent, benevolent meritocratic dictatorship would probably be the way to go, but who'd have the nerve?

aracer - Member

So what do you reckon to Hague then, TJ?

Better than the average. Decent chap, believes he is honest but too close to Ashcroft for safety. He is a bit thick tho.

He is a bit thick tho.

TJ, enough about Ashcroft, how about Lord Paul? Non-Dom, up before the beak for some very dodgy expenses claims and one of Labour's biggest donors.....

Oh, and Hague being a bit thick? First at Oxford, MBA at INSEAD. Of course, only thick people can get that, can't they?

Anyway, my two penn'orth here;
Hague and Clarke appeal to me as they really do seem to say what they think.
Tony Benn, in a way, is someone I respect as, once again, he seemed to say what he realy thought. The way he and his family have handled a land access dispute around their estate has rather soured this, though.
Robert Key, Salisbury MP, always seemed bery good on local issues, which counts a lot for me.
Cleggy - Odd to say it, but I really do value the way he has taken up the cause of the armed forces at PMQs recently.

[i]Have you heard him speak? did you follow his resignation over the supposed matter of principle?[/i]

I have, which is when I thought he was a tit (and i'm sure there are forum threads from that time, when I said as much), then I discovered more about him and changed my mind.

Thick in the "nous" sense rather than booklearning - hence some of the stupid things he has done - like wearing a baseball cap for a photo op or boasting about the amount of beer he drank. getting so close to Ashcroft rather brings his judgement in to question as well.

Ah, fair enough. "Thick" in the same sense that Gordon is thick then.

TJ, are you also going to say that Gordon Brown is thick because of his recent "6 pints a day" claim? Or perhaps his banana diet? No? Well, how about [i]getting so close to Lord Paul rather brings his judgement in to question as well[/i]? Hmm. No?

CFH - Lord Paul has not lied nor caused his party to lie - that is the difference.

Ashcroft will be proven guilty soon enough. He is corrupt thru and thru.

anyway - why deflect criticism of your favourite party by criticism a party I have no allegiance to? You clearly have no reply to the truth about Ashcroft. He has put the tory party in a really awkward place as they cannot survive without his money but they know he is a corrupt liar and has not done as he has pledged - and what he has done is against his own parties policy.

If there was nothing wrong they would come clean and you know that

Bah, now I'm being discredited by CFH agreeing with me 😉

Brown is thick in that sense for sure - probably more so that Hague. I have little time for Brown nowadays as he is dragging the labour party down and appears unable to see this.

Lord Paul is not in any way comparable to Ashcroft - the difference is in the honesty. We know Paul is non dom He has not hidden this and he has not lied about his staus.

bump for the glitch

Anyway, enough TJ baiting (Ashcroft already well covered elsewhere)

I forgot two I have a lot of respect for;
Kate Hoey and Frank Field. Both of whom are willing to stand up to the party machine and speak their minds. I think that's really important, for anyone. Alongside being a good local MP on local issues, I think the ability to really say what you think and believe is vital.

You mean yuo have no way of defending the indefensible that is Ashcroft apart for attacking others?

Kate Hoey I give you - Field - no - a very nasty piece of work and very egotisitical.

It really is a thin field - trustworthy and likable

Douglas Hogg, anyone with the balls to claim money for moat cleaning gets my respect.

Hague : Cannot understand anyone wanting that drip to represent tham at any level under any circumstances. Would love to know why others would though.

Tony Benn : Good
Mo Mowlem : Good
Lord Carrington : Good
Michael Hesletine : OK
John Prescott : OK

As of now struggling to think of any others worthy of a space at the trough.

[img] [/img]

The Hon. Member for Cambridge. 😈

Not many men/women of state worthy of respect these days (regardless of political views), imo - although the likes of Cable bear scrutiny.

As for Hague: next time the Tories get into a righteous lather about the treatment of HM Forces, somebody should ask him about his old mate (& fat porker) Guy Hands and the [url= http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080616/debtext/80616-0002.htm ]piss-poor[/url] MOD love-in with [url= http://www.terrafirma.com/annington-homes.html ]Annington Homes[/url].

Cromwell may have been kind of honorable until undertaking the killing of a few hundred thousand in Ireland...

Sorry, did someone say Cromwell? Seriously? Try looking up a little bit about his treatment of people fighting for their freedom in Ireland (as tribalchief) has pointed out.

Evil evil man.

[i]Try looking up a little bit about his treatment of people fighting for their freedom in Ireland[/i]

Gotta love STW politics redux 🙄

Being of anglo-Irish descent, I am more than aware of Cromwell's bloody record in Ireland (which I do not exonerate by the simple act of posting his face on a STW thread - FFS). But, frankly, that does not extinguish the importance of his role in English (and parliamentary) politics.

God forbid that things can be complex, eh? I mean, my grandmother's family changed sides [i]three[/i] times during the [English] Civil War. 8)

god, wish i had never opened my mouth. 😉

no such creature, ALL are lieing cheating b+-&%$£s 😡

Gotta love STW politics redux

Nice attempt there. But hey, no problem. It's just that the title contained the phrase "trustworthy and likeable". I mean if it had been "mass murderers who achieved good elsewhere" then yeah, post his picture. We Irish eh...long bloody memories.

You know, how about these two...they're MPs aren't they? Lets forget about one of them being the ex Commander in Chief of the PIRA shall we? As for the other one....
[img] [/img]

They almost look quite cuddly there.

i thought the bloke on the left was a man of god.......... 😉

DD - come off it.

[i]"You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"[/i]

Anybody with half a brain understands why Cromwell gets repeatedly invoked in current discussions about MPs. Since he has been dead (and dug up, and reburied) for a while now, he is not the current hon member for [i]anyone[/i] or [i]anything[/i]. His appearance in this thread is for the sake of historical context (and, yes, [i]whimsy[/i])- lest those who represent duck houses and second homes forget that Parliment can indeed be shaken off her shiny arse.

If others want to turn this into a debate over the Irish question, that's up to them.

Well noteeth, you stuck his pic up onto a thread that was asking for "likeable and trustworthy MPs"...so you know, I don't mean to upset you by calling into question your judgement.

I'm simply pointing out that while he, no doubt did much for our dear parliamentary democracy, I can't separate his actions out from the massacres.

i don't know if he's an mp anymore but years ago... dave nellist (i think he was ousted by labour for being to honest and wanting to represent his constituants, don't want any of that in the house of commons!)

[i]I can't separate his actions out from the massacres.[/i]

Fine. I mean, I can't separate out the beauty of Roman engineering (underfloor heating! aquaducts!) from the murderous actions of the Legio II Augusta... but I understand the historical process involved. 😉

I'm certainly not making light of Cromwell's Irish campaign, but that does not remove from his pivotal role in English politics. It may be impossible to separate out a man from his actions, but history ain't a single-faceted thing.

As for your cuddly pair, I can't separate either of 'em from the bloody turmoil of the last few decades. But things have to move on - surely all can agree on that?

Michael Hesletine : OK
John Prescott : OK

Michael Hesletine??? Are you having a laugh? Do you remember the smug, self satisfied way he announced the pit closures? Likeable, hardly. Trustworthy? Only as long as I could see him and both his hands.

Ah, honest John Prescott, the peoples polititian. The environmental crusader who used one of his many Jags to drive 500 yards from the hotel to the conference venue. The grass-roots labour man who lorded it up at Dorneywood at every opportunity. Trustworthy John who slammed his secretary over the desk as soon as his wife's back was turned. All that without even digging into the *unproven* allegations of inpropriety over authorisation for planning permission.

I am honestly struggling to think of even one who is both likeable [b]and[/b] trustworthy.

I'm certainly not making light of Cromwell's Irish campaign

Grand job.

As for your cuddly pair, I can't separate either of 'em from the bloody turmoil of the last few decades. But things have to move on - surely all can agree on that?

Indeed they do and indeed we can.

noteeth - have you completely missed the point of this thread? It's not about historical context (if you carry on insisting it is, I'll suggest a certain late 20th century female MP as a candidate).

If only John Smith hadn't come to such a premature demise, how different things might have worked out... 🙁

I am honestly struggling to think of even one who is both likeable and trustworthy.

If only John Smith hadn't come to such a premature demise, how different things might have worked out...

so unless they're your constituency MP

Dave Watts. Posesses neither quality. Personality bypass too.

Indeed they do and indeed we can.

Amen to that.

have you completely missed the point of this thread?

No - have you completely missed the bit where I said that [i]"the likes of Cable bear scrutiny"[/i]?

No - have you completely missed the bit where I said that "the likes of Cable bear scrutiny"?

aracer, to be fair to noteeth, it was my elephantine Irish memory that started off that little storm-in-an-STW-teacup.

I just saw a likeable and trustworthy MP by my house standing in some rocking horse shit and trying to sell hens teeth!

[i]So apart from that bit you missed the point?[/i]

Erm, no. Like some kind of incredibly gifted Shakespearean playwright, I introduced the ghost of Cromwell for a bit of light relief - i.e perhaps our current MPs would like to run thru their expenses with the New Model Army, or something.

I then accepted that Vince Cable [i]seems[/i] to be both "trustworthy" and "likeable" - i.e. he bears scrutiny.

FYI, the post followed the following format:

Rubbish joke.

Answer to OP.

HTH.

headfirst - Member

If only John Smith hadn't come to such a premature demise, how different things might have worked out...

Indeed - the best prime minister we never had and I am sure he would have got the majority - to say it was Blairs doing that he got a majority is simple historical revisionism. A pint of sour milk could have been labour leader at that point ans still got a majority so hated, weak and disorganised were the tory party

[i]the best prime minister we never had[/i]

Buried on Iona and still widely admired. For Bliar's religious fervour, I doubt he'll ever match that.

OK, I'll nominate Tim Boswell the MP for Daventry, as an honest and likeable decent constituency MP. He lives locally, he supports and is knowledgeable of local charities, worked hard for mental health support, didn't even get tangled up in all the expenses row. He's a deeply blue conservative, but had a couple of very interesting chats with him regarding equal rights and the Human rights convention. He's stepping down this year, and it's our loss TBH.

Ah, honest John Prescott, the peoples polititian......Trustworthy John who slammed his secretary over the desk

It is in fact the slamming his secretary over his desk thing that I admire him for, that and the fact that he has always been a man with human frailty unhidden. So yep I do tend to trust someone like that rather than some shiny twunt with a constructed image which is only ever going to end in disappointment.

Personally I tend to judge my politicians on a "let him who is without sin cast the first stone" basis. Far less disappointing that way. Even then I can still only think of 3 with 2 poor runners up in my entire lifetime.

[img] [/img]

Unleashing his human frailty... 😀

No matter how much the press tried to drag Prescott into the gutter with them (and he gave plenty of opportunities all by himself), I still liked him. He had to stand up in the parliament we all hold so dear while entitled, inbred cocks on the other side shouted "gin and tonic steward" at him. That's still the "backbone" (like the tories really have one anyway) of the Tory Party - that's what most of them are really like to me.

Charles Kennedy and the sadly departed John Smith.

I like Charles because he's a real person. Who wants to be governed by perfect people when we ourselves are imperfect. I want to be governed by those who understand human frailty.

we ourselves are imperfect

I applaud this remarkable show of modesty on STW 😀

I like Charles because he's a real person

Indeed. Compare his nervous but endearing appearance on HIGNFY - compared with, say, the horror that was Alan Duncan.

prescott is thick as pig shit and only got anywhere as he brought the unions with him