RIP Michael Foot.

We have lost one the last one of the old school labour MP's when we lost Michael. This at a time when we need all the Bevan's, Foot's and Shurmer's and politicians of that kind.

What are we left with, Brown, Darling, Mandleson. These people were not fit to lick his boots yet there they were last night queueing up to praise a man they hadn't got a good word for when he was alive.

RIP Micky.

Phil

Michael Foot was one of the last of the trustable politicians. He was in some ways in the same vein as Margaret Thatcher. Even if you didn't like the Politics of either, you new what they said, they bloody well meant. SB

Michael Foot was brought up in a middle class politically active Liberal Family. It was whilst he was working as a shipping clerk in Liverpool as a young man that he witnessed firsthand the poverty that unemployment brought.

This had a profound effect on him and It was this that converted him to being a follower of the Labour Party, there can be no doubt that Michael truly believed in the principals of old Labour.

I met and spoke to him briefly a couple of times in the 60's, I always found him interested and willing to speak to youngsters unlike others who thought we had nothing to say and nothing worth listening to.

Phil

Phil,
In case you didn't hear him today, a recording of Michael Foot was on Radio 2 at 12:50pm on the Vine show.
He was very funny, this is probably the first time I have taken any notice of him.

You should be able to find it on the BBC Iplayer.

VM

VM

No I didn't hear it, but I will have a listen later. Michael Foot was a very underrated man, mostly because of his poor performance as the leader of the party. The thing is Michael wasn't that sort of a politician and I think he made a mistake in accepting the leadership.

I think at that time he only accepted it to stop others from getting it. Michael was a doer not a plotter. I always found what he had to say was meaningful and not stock trite that is trotted out by most politicians

Phil

In case anyone wants to listen to the clip and can't locate it......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00rf0ws

Skip through to the 51st Minute

VM

VM

Yes, very good when I looked the day you first posted about him. It hadn't been listed at that time. Most people forget how good and interesting a speaker Michael Foot was. What you could never forget was how passionate he was about those things he believed in.

Phil