RIP Robin Cook

[Oneeyedvic]

The only labour politician with scruples has died.

[Zen]

Quite agree,although the only one ?
The only other one I can think of is Mo Mowlem who is very ill at this time.Worked wonders in Northern Ireland,I couldn't envisage Mandelson mincing into the Maze prison to talk to the inmates.

[j2buttonsw]

From BBC web site: " His split and eventual divorce from his wife - with Mr Cook revealing an affair with his secretary to his wife Margaret as they prepared to head off on holiday after a phone call from Downing Street - caused a welter of embarrassing headlines. "

Scruples eh?

[acw]

He arguably had political scruples though. 

I still think it's disgusting that we (or maybe I mean the media) force good politicians out of their jobs for having affairs when it happens every day of the week and business people don't get sacked for it.  I know politicians are meant to set an example, but people are generally so apathetic that I can't see that they'd follow in their footsteps just cos an MP was doing it!!

I was sad to hear the news, not because I particularly liked him, nor because I always agreed with his policies, but because I think that objectively, he was a good politician and a very smart man and a bloomin useful guy to have in the HofC.  Also felt bad because a man had died and his family have lost someone they love. 

[Peter Pedant]

Field I thought had scruples and lost his job as social servies secty as a result.

Harriet hrman went after being criticised by a judge on child protection - [she was on the protection side and breached some sort of confidentiality]

Sam Silkin as Attorney General went after he said you cant encourage the Clay Cross councillors to break the law and then indemnify them after you get to power. he only lasted 3 weeks after the labour govt introduced a bill to indemnify them

 

There ! There are three politicians with scruples -and there WE are thinking that the commons is filled with policiticians in the pay of large corporations and who are perjuring adulterers !

[bernardo]

Jeremy Corbin
Tony Benn
Bob Marshall-Andrews
Steven Twigg
and various others

[acw]

Also my ex's Uncle who stuck to his politics when the Labour party moved right, and ended up being dropped as a candidate for his constitutency, despite being the incumbent representative.  He then went on to win the seat as an independent - the first time Labour had lost the seat in years.  He has now formed his own party, which has growing support.  This is in Wales by the way, he is an MWA, not an MP, and the party is Forward Wales. 

I thought this thread was meant to be about Robin Cook anyway, not the scruples or otherwise of politicians past and present.  :-p

[mfewell]

I was particularly impressed by the way he abandoned his wife.

[THECORBYLOON]

The man has been dead for less than 24 hours-can we not have some respect for him and his family?  

[acw]

Thank you TCL.  :-)  Well said!

I really don't see why people give a damn about politicians having affairs anyway, as I said before.  It's not like kids will think it's ok to have affairs because MPs do.  More likely they'll follow the example of friends and family.  All this c.r.a.p about "setting a good example" and "standards in public life".  I think oneeyedvic was referring to political scruples, which, is all that was relevant to his job and the public anyway.   

Whatever your views on that, or your views on Robin Cook, it's still pretty rude to sl+g off the guy when he'd not even been buried.  It's not like he was Hitler is it!?!

[acw]

Sorry - it's not necessarily rude, but i do feel it's disrespectful. 

I totally appreciate that people have strong family values and that they do have a problem with those who have affairs.  I am inclined to agree with them. 

I just personally felt that perhaps a thread that is headed "RIP Robin Cook" was not quite the place to express those views.  It might be interesting to start a different thread debating the scruples of those in public life, so that this thread can be left for those who want to say somethig nice.  Like when Richard Whitely died.  etc,

My previous comment wasn't meant as a return to my old ways, I just honestly though "not the time and place". 

[wellhungjock]

RIP  Robin.Cook 

[luckyboy]

Very sad to hear of the death of a fine politician..

Re scruples, There are many politicians of all parties who have principals and are fine public servants, it's just never been fashionable in this country to point it out...if you disagree with a politician's position on a issue it's hip to slaughter the guy as lacking scruples because his stand is opposed to the persons viewpoint, and if you back a politico's line on something its because he has scruples..its rubbish..  

[Oneeyedvic]

He had scruples / principals call it what you want. He had the brass ones to resign - not many politicians on any side do that.

 

Maybe not the only one, but one of the few......

[libertie]

Yes, deeply sorry to hear about his death.  Met him several times (nothing to do with politics)! and always found him to be a very likeable man with a great sense of humour. A great loss to the labour party but an even greater loss to his family and friends.

[elgroucho]

Definitely one of the good guys and will be sorely missed.

Great sense of humour too, who remembers him on 'Question Time' when David Dimbleby called him Robin **** by mistake, in his reply Cook referred to David as Mr. Bumblebee!

 

P.S. A mention too for Claire Short as another Labour MP with scruples.

[luckyboy]

clair short has scruples yeah right, at least cook had the guts to resign straight away not like miss ditherer, the only thing she has in abundance is vindictiveness and hypocrisy to boot, she and robin cook come to think of it didn't worry about consulting the un when the us and britain rightly intervened in kosovo did they...her obsession with blair is embarrassing every time she calls for him to resign ends up strengthening his position...she ain't and never has been in the same league as cook.both as a politician or as a person..

[elgroucho]

Luckboy, Short thought she would be better placed to make her points to the cabinet from the inside, Cook thought otherwise. Two people, two ways of doing things, same goal.

[Andy008]

Thanks. And the question is?