I had been entertaining myself tonight with the lighter side of politics - browsing through the new website of the Liberal Youth, formerly LDYS. However on reading some of the profiles of the people involved it has worried me a great deal about the type of person getting involved on the organisation.
The new Chairman, Mark Gettleson, claims he most wants to be like Chancellor Palpatine - the eveil Emperor in the Star Wars films, who committs mass murder and genocide. He plunges the universe into an imperialistic state and dominates by force. Hmmm, not exactly a Liberal icon?
The Campaigns Chief, Adi Smith, chooses his historical hero as Nikita Khruschev - I'm not even going there with this one, but this seems a bizarre choice for anyone, let alone an aspiring LibDem MP.
And then there is the "hilarious" Jon Massey who idolises Papa Smurf ... please do not let this man near any actual political power.
Bearing in mind that other members of their Exec chose Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, David Lloyd-George, Roy Jenkins, Gladstone or Elizabeth I then it shows that decency does have its place in Liberal Youth!
Now, I'm no old fart and I know that political youth organisations will contain people who are a bit wacky, but these choices made in a public arena must make you question their judgement. And the fact that one of them is Chairman makes it worse.
If I were the LibDems, I'd want this brand new organisation sorted out from the beginning - or its gonna make for some bad headlines for Nick Clegg, who has personally associated himself with them.
3 comments:
Could it go the same way as the Federation of Conservative Students in the 1980's? - closed down by Norman Tebbit for being an embarrassment (something about the "hang Mandela" posters).
Have wondered if any of those student politico's ever made it in "grown up" politics
..and one of them is the oldest looking "youth" I have ever seen in my life!
I note Chair Gettleson has now changed his entry. You are an opinion former Antony!
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