Absolutely Infamous
Phil Woolas - Immigration Minister in the last Labour government - is famous for being ambushed and verbally mugged by Absolutely Fabulous start - Joanna Lumley.
Joanna was the famous and glamorous - yet very committed - figurehead of the campaign to bring a sense of justice and humanity to the Labour government's treatment of Gurkha soldiers.
Joanna gave an award winning performance as she confronted the minster - forcing Phil Woolas effectively to change government policy on live TV - in another vital sign that Labour really had lost its way.
Phil Woolas has now been booted out of office as an MP - after a special election court ruled that he knowingly made false statements about hi Lib Dem opponent in May's general election.
The court's two judges gave a devastating verdict on Woolas's behaviour - the first of its kind in 99 years - but instead of accepting the outcome Woolas says he will fight the ruling by seeking a judicial review.
Predictably, Woolas has been dumped by Labour - in a effort to distance the party from any criticism or responsibility - yet the vile leaflets that Woolas distributed during the election campaign were not the work of one man.
The local agent and the local Labour party should be investigated - because lost of people were involved in an attempt to win an election - by spreading smears and lies about their opponent.
Tribal politics - which has a firm grip on many parts of the Labour party - is a world in which the ends justify the means - where any tactics are acceptable, so long as you win.
Phil Woolas was accused by his Lib Dem opponent of fighting a "dirty and dishonest" campaign full of "lies, smears and totally false allegations" - whose lawyers argued that:
"Mr Woolas, believing that he was going to lose the election, resorted to terrifying white voters into believing that there was an extremist militant Muslim element in Oldham, who were in cahoots with Mr Watkins. He wished to convey the message that a vote for Mr Watkins was a vote for extremists."
Pamphlets sent out by Mr Woolas also falsely suggested that Mr Watkins was receiving illegal funding from abroad and had lied about where he lived, it was claimed.
The court decided that Phil Woolas was found to have breached the Representation of the People Act 1983, in which it is an offence to "make or publish any false statement of fact" about an opponent.
So the court has finally held Woolas to account for his behaviour - rather than Labour putting its own house in order - which is why tribal politics is such a nasty business.
The right thing to do would be for Labour not to stand a candidate in the forthcoming by-election - while the party has a long look at itself in the mirror.
Joanna was the famous and glamorous - yet very committed - figurehead of the campaign to bring a sense of justice and humanity to the Labour government's treatment of Gurkha soldiers.
Joanna gave an award winning performance as she confronted the minster - forcing Phil Woolas effectively to change government policy on live TV - in another vital sign that Labour really had lost its way.
Phil Woolas has now been booted out of office as an MP - after a special election court ruled that he knowingly made false statements about hi Lib Dem opponent in May's general election.
The court's two judges gave a devastating verdict on Woolas's behaviour - the first of its kind in 99 years - but instead of accepting the outcome Woolas says he will fight the ruling by seeking a judicial review.
Predictably, Woolas has been dumped by Labour - in a effort to distance the party from any criticism or responsibility - yet the vile leaflets that Woolas distributed during the election campaign were not the work of one man.
The local agent and the local Labour party should be investigated - because lost of people were involved in an attempt to win an election - by spreading smears and lies about their opponent.
Tribal politics - which has a firm grip on many parts of the Labour party - is a world in which the ends justify the means - where any tactics are acceptable, so long as you win.
Phil Woolas was accused by his Lib Dem opponent of fighting a "dirty and dishonest" campaign full of "lies, smears and totally false allegations" - whose lawyers argued that:
"Mr Woolas, believing that he was going to lose the election, resorted to terrifying white voters into believing that there was an extremist militant Muslim element in Oldham, who were in cahoots with Mr Watkins. He wished to convey the message that a vote for Mr Watkins was a vote for extremists."
Pamphlets sent out by Mr Woolas also falsely suggested that Mr Watkins was receiving illegal funding from abroad and had lied about where he lived, it was claimed.
The court decided that Phil Woolas was found to have breached the Representation of the People Act 1983, in which it is an offence to "make or publish any false statement of fact" about an opponent.
So the court has finally held Woolas to account for his behaviour - rather than Labour putting its own house in order - which is why tribal politics is such a nasty business.
The right thing to do would be for Labour not to stand a candidate in the forthcoming by-election - while the party has a long look at itself in the mirror.
