Total number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan = 265
Suitable words of regret have been said by the Mail on Sunday for last week's serialisation of my new book. One headline was an outrageous insult to my fellow MPs. Some of them still feel angry because they may believe that headline represented my view. It did not. It misrepresented them.
The paper asked me tonight whether I had a row with one of the MPs attacked by them on Sunday. I had a very civilised conversation with Bill Etherington. It was claimed in one paper that he does not make a major contribution to the work of the Council of Europe. This is untrue. Bill has been powerful advocate of the environmental agenda for many years. His views are widely respected.
The second excerpt will be published this week. It will include an account of the worst moments of my life. It was very difficult to write. But it would not be a complete auto-biography without a description of the event that changed my life profoundly. There will be a lot of letters from people who have shared similar experiences. I welcome them and I will reply to them all.
Two launches have been arranged for the 'The Unusual Suspect.' . The first is in the Ffrwrm Arts and Crafts Centre in the High Street in Caerleon Newport. It will be at 6.30 on Saturday 6th March. The Commons launch will be of the 7th March at the Thatcher Room Portcullis House at 6.00 pm. Entry is from the Riverside entrance of Portcullis House. The book will be published on Monday next St David's Day.
Only about a dozen people have seen advance copies. I was touched today when Dr Russell Rhys of Caerleon said how much he appreciated the tribute in it to the Newport Councillor Walter Waters who died recently. Russell and I knew him as fellow councillors. We are both anti-boxing. The sport that was Walter's life. But he took a principled stand against it at a mature age. Walter's place in the book is because he is an example of an un-sung hero and one of the many admirable councillors that I have worked with over the past 40 years.
Rebounding insults
Nigel Farage miscalculated the impact of his carefully prepared base insults.
Crude mindless name-calling created sympathy for his target. The football hooligan was loose in a forum of civilised debates. The reputation of this country for courtesy is damaged.
Farage has got his publicity. He might even be excluded from the Euro-parliament for a week or two. That is probably his intention.
Could electors be sufficiently stupid to vote this preposterous exhibitionist into Westminster? Surely not.
Liam's Babel Fish
One of our regular class witnesses at the Public Administration Committee Liam Byrne delighted us today. His knowledge is encyclopedic, he is seductively persuasive and he has a neat line in humour.
But today called for special congratulations. He addressed us in simple English. Previously we have mocked his incomprehensible jargon stuffed management speak. He probably had a Babel Fish is his mouth. I commended him. 'I have had my bullsh*t detector on full power for an hour now, it has not alerted me once."
Sadly Tony Wright's reign as the committee's distinguished Chairman will end with this parliament. A fascinating idea is that final meeting should summon him as our only witness. We could cross-examine him on the value of the committee's work under his chairmanship.
What a good idea.
"The football hooligan was loose in a forum of civilised debates."
Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?
"The reputation of this country for courtesy is damaged."
As much as projectile vomiting after getting drink on champagne?
Posted by: Kay Tie | February 25, 2010 at 11:12 PM
Oh Paul... your local launch kicks off at the same time as the Dragons v Munster game.
Now if you brought a few books along to Rodney Parade Hall on your way home...
Posted by: Gareth | February 26, 2010 at 01:17 AM
Paul, off topic, but do you know that your old website old.paulflynnmp.co.uk is demanding a password now? I hope it is still going as it contains some of your first "blogs" from 1997 and 1998.
What prompted me to look was a Guardian story that British Library "UK Web Archive" is planning to archive some MP's website. Since you are possibly the first MP onto the internet/web, I wonder if you should write to Lynne Brindley reminding the library of this, and offering the complete archive!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/25/uk-web-archive-british-library
The British Library is also looking for a Copyright law change to allow them to archive websites with fewer hassles - I'd back that.
NB In a previous comment, I noted some very old posts:
Paul Flynn was I think the first MP to use the internet to communicate with voters in a blogging-type way. A 1997 post is still online even though the datestamp has been lost. In 1998 Paul described himself as a "fully paid-up nerd"!
http://old.paulflynnmp.co.uk/commonsdetail.jsp?id=219
http://old.paulflynnmp.co.uk/commonsdetail.jsp?id=53
Posted by: rwendland | February 26, 2010 at 01:31 AM
Thanks Gareth. The date of the launch was moved from Friday because it clashed with a Women's Dinner in Caerleon. It's impossible to find a time when nothing else is happening. I'll pop in to Rodney parade on my way back to witness the final triumph.
Posted by: Paul Flynn | February 26, 2010 at 10:38 AM
How many Democrats will stand up for freedom of speech when they try to enact the 'Fairness Doctrine"?
How many will stand of for our right to freedom of speech even though the views talk radio voices are not yours. Isn't freedom of speech more important than quieting the opposition?
Even Clinton was talking about it yesterday, saying it was a good idea.
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