I was disappointed to read that comedian Sandi Toksvig has dismissed rumours that 
she is standing as a Lib D
em parliamentary candidate in Cambridge; her colourful profile would have added some fun and attracted higher media attention for the election campaign.
She discounted this quite firmly in yesterday’s Times stating it was “nonsense†– for now:
“Sadly, that’s nonsense. But had it been in five years’ time, it might well be that I would have said, ‘Yes’. I want to retire from showing off but I don’t want to retire from doing something useful with my life. So I’m not saying it’s out of the question that I may have a political career in the future. Or I might work full-time for a charity.â€
When asked which political candidate she disliked intensely, the name Peter Mandelson passed her lips. I share her concerns about his considerable power and influence while being unelected:
“I’ve never met the man but I worry deeply that Peter Mandelson has been given so much power in this country but has not been elected to office. I worry that he seems to be the deputy prime minister, he wants to be minister of information, he wants to be foreign secretary . . . the last time I looked, the Labour Party was in favour of democratically electing those people who hold power. It wouldn’t have surprised me had it been a Conservative government but I am deeply shocked by Mandelson’s pre-eminence.â€
I find this extraordinary, and wonder why Labour MPs and Ministers not kicked up a fuss about it?
Meanwhile, feel free to pen Mandelson’s obit at Iain Dale’s.
Fortunately, the calling for politics eluded me, Ellee. I seriously wonder if anything authentic can be accomplished by people of goodwill anymore? And I apply this concern first to our own government here in the US. I feel at least here in the United States, we have all become very distrustful of politicians, sad as that is.
Michael, the same is here, there is a huge distrust of politicians. Unfortunately, our MPs have all been tarred with the same brush, even though they are mostly genuine and hard working and must now demonstrate this to win back trust.
I think the people are become very distrustful of politicians. They are not interested in the politicians as well as politics. I think the information presented will be useful to many people a lot.
So sandy says “It wouldn’t have surprised me had it been a Conservative government but I am deeply shocked by Mandelson’s pre-eminence.â€
What exactly is she basing this extraordinary opinion on? I can’t recall any Conservative govet.which has had any unelected minister in it who was remotely as powerful and influential as Mandy is today, much less any Conservative government whic brought back a TWICE disgraced politician to such a position of power
PaulM, yes, Sandi did shoot herself in the foot there!
She is perfectly qualified to be an English politician – she is an excruciatingly unfunny comedienne.
I see that the Lib Dems are living up to their nickname again of Lie Dems. Why do they do it?
They seem to have decent people yet they always have to lie. Is it becausr they have an inferior complex or are they just immature?
Strange – only a couple of weeks ago on the news quiz she revealed that she was not a British citizen but was trying to pass the citizenship “exam”.
Needless to say, can you inform me of the nationality requirement to stand as an MP in Cambridge?
Ta.