Hilary Benn in Oxford – 27/01/05

Why is this talk only open to people living in Andrew Smith's consituency. There are, after all, 2 MPs in Oxford (1x Lab and 1x LibDem).

This smells like a puff event to boost Andrew Smith's pre-election campaign - and it wouldn't be the first time a Government Minister has been wheeled in to speak to 'friends' of Andrew just before an election!

So this is how they spend our taxes!

I'd be interested in a transcript if anyone is going.

Benn didn't say anything we didn't know already...

He spoke a lot of what people on the ground were doing (concerned constituents, trade justice campaigners, activists etc.) were doing and the pressure that was being put on the government for trade justice, debt and aid but never COMMITTED to anything.

When asked about trade liberalisation (being that it was trapping developing countries in poverty) he quickly turned it into another question about what was meant by trade liberalisation.

Andrew Smith was being suitably unctuous (wow - snail trail!) and saying how he was looking forward to receiving more letters from concerned Oxford citizens (bless).

To sum it all up - a big bag of bollocks - you're more likely to put the world to rights at the pub then in the company of one of the government's trusty free marketeers.

I was there but did not take the transcript. There were Labour party questionnaires on every seat.

The Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon, Tom Lines, was there, but the chair did not allow a question from him. A pity.

A dispiriting experience all round: New Labour set-up, all part of the latest spin to present them as caring, sharing and concerned about the world's poor and climate change - right up until the day after the general election, when business as usual will resume.

That, of course, is why none of the advertising actually said who organised the meeting. If it had been the churches or Christian Aid or someone similar, as most people seemed to think, they would have said so.

Ah well!

Tom Lines

there were people from all over oxford (not just oxford east) there and it's not like they were trying to hide who organised the event, seeing as how they put their questionaires on all the seats. i thought it was quite interresting to hear what hillary benn had to say and it's always good for government ministers to be exposed to (and hopefuly persuaded by) our arguments!! maybe after hearing those questions he will go back to the government and stop trade liberalisation (well we can hope!!)

love EW

p.s. shame hillary benn isn't more like his dad isn't it??? ;-)

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