Any body watching BBC Parliament

[bigbrother05]

Alan Simpson speaking on Terra Bill in England, HE said if we are going to go after Chavez, we also have to go after the Christian Coalition in America. Because we don't believe in assanations.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. 'If we are going to go after Chavez'?

Huh? I didn't realise anyone in Britain, even Blair or David Davis, was proposing "going after Chavez". What on earth could Simpson have meant?

[bigbrother05]

2. He was making lite of the whole situation

Blair is following Shrub to closely. Going after people for their beliefs, such as hating the West.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Are you sure it wasn't "if *they* are going to go after Chavez"

ie a reference to Pat Robertson calling for Chavez's assassination - because he founded (still heads?) the Christian Coalition. In the context of the Terra Bill, he would be inciting terrorism.

[awoke_in_2003]

6. well

it just goes to say, if we go after Chavez our loyal lapdogs, the Brits, will be right there beside us. You know, I don't always like things the French do, but i will give them this: they do what they want when they want and don't worry about whether we will like it or not. I can respect their spirit. Vive la France (sorry, probably misspelled).

[Greeby]

4. To put a little more context

This is a bill to outlaw 15 Islamic fundamentalist groups. Simpsons objections were that this was just dumped on the house with no scrutiny, and that it was focused on Islamic groups, but not Christian fundamentalists including the Christian Coalition. Although, cringingly he refers to Pat Robertson as Pat Buchanan.

I'm liking this guy better than Galloway, at least this guy will actually turn up for more than 12% of votes in Parliament.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/alan_simpson/nottingham_south

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/george_galloway/bethnal_green_and_bow

[bigbrother05]

5. Thanks, I was flipping channels, and heard Simpson

speaking, made alot of sense.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

7. Alan Simpson was my MP while I was at Uni

I first saw him in a pre-election Q&A session with the Tory & Lib-Dem candidates and he absolutely shone. From his concern (& work) for the underpriveledged in Nottingham (his constituency) to his global outlook on issues such as globalisation (someone asked the panel a question about the GATT & he was the only one who even knew what it stood for).

Then after 9-11, I arranged for him to come and give a talk on campus about the so-called 'War on Terror' & the soon-to-be war in Afghanistan (which he was against). Although the crowd was small (around 30) he held everyone's attention for a good hour.

I left Nottingham 3 years ago & I only very occassionally catch him being interviewed on the TV or radio which is a shame because he's got a lot to offer. In fact he gets most TV slots in his guise as tennis advisor to the Minister of Sport. As a poster above commented, I'd much rather listen to him that someone like Galloway.