Never let it be said that leading Labour Hackney councillor and ultra party loyalist Luke Akehurst is unafraid to stick up for even the most unpopular of causes. Leaving aside his support for the current government, Cllr Akehurst has declared on his blog:
I am in favour of extraordinary rendition and Guantanamo Bay
Although, to be fair, we should point out that Luke does at least clarify that even he believes the US can sometimes go a little far, noting parenthetically –
(but not torture in Abu Graib) [sic]
It’s good to know even Cllr Akehurst can’t ignore all abuses of human rights.
Local Lib Dems in Hackney have condemned Cllr Akehurst’s mindless comments – here’s Cllr Dawood Akhoon:
The erosion of traditional British freedoms by the Labour government is a major concern to many people in Hackney. Whilst Cllr. Akehurst is entitled to his own opinion, he’s actually in favour of people being illegally kidnapped and tortured; of people being held for years with no charge or trial.
“This is someone who represents Hackney, one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, where nearly 50% of its population is from a BME background, and with a very substantial Muslim population. The kidnap and possible torture of individuals is an affront to the principles for which this country stands. Cllr. Akehurst should be ashamed of himself”
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6 Comments
I blogged about this last week.
People like Akehust have, I’m afraid, taken over the Labour party, and will say anything and do anything that they think will keep them clinging to power. He can’t see how disgusting his views are, and how they are turning people away. Comments on his blog are well worth a read.
This is my favourite:
As a loyal Labour Party member since the dark days of the 80’s who worked my butt off to get Tony Blair elected in 1997, I am thoroughly appalled both at the argument and the values exposed by this disgusting post.
If I had my way, sonny, you would be drummed out of the Party for espousing these crypto fascist views.
Try to dismiss me as an old Labour apparachick and I will personally come and shove my signed copy of the 97 Manifesto up your arse.
Let’s see if that extraordinary act renders you speechless.
What horrifies me most about this post, by this self-important knobhead who clearly believes in nothing but himself, are sentences like this:
“I also believe that the alleged use of extreme forms of interrogation at Guantanamo is wrong, not least because quite aside from moral objections to the methods used, it’s a useless way of getting information out of people because they just say anything to get the interrogator to stop.”
This sentence is worth repeating slowly and out loud to ensure the the full horror of all that it signifies, can sink in.
Arrogant, self-important, fuck-wit.
How any member of the Labour Party can utter such odious, pseudo populist clap-trap, is utterly beyond me.
But I am not at all surprised to hear that you earn your living from promoting things which kill and maim people.
You need to grow up quick, sunshine, get out in the real world and try and do some good with your life.
What has caused the deaths of innocent people in the war on terror is hate-filled,
unprincipled, illogical, nasty propaganda like this.
And I don’t hate you.
I just feel enormous pity for you and deep regret that my party is represented by such immature, narrow-minded and unquestioning fools.
It’s pointless trying to engage you in debate – like most Tories you appear to hold dear a litany of prejudices, dressed up in fatuous double-speak.
Go away, read some books, stop listening to your own voice, learn from some people who have endured real suffering and who have really struggled and then maybe, just maybe, you might be entitled to represent my Party.
The man is beneath contempt, his remarks over 42 days put him there.
The whole point about extraordinary rendition is that it circumvents domestic human rights legislation and exploits the lack of human rights in the target countries to which these people are forcably sent.
To support extraordinary rendition is to support torture, there is no other reason to use it.
Hackney Labour party and Luke Akehurst are now on trial. Lets see if any of them have any principles. The very fact that it is Hackney Liberal Democrats that are forcing the issue is not a good start as far as they are concerned.
Akehurst has probably behaved in this way because he imagines the public are behind his tough-guy poses. But when they realise he has no solution to the problems they face, like those US Republicans his party cuddles up with, he’ll be sent back under the rock he crawled out of.
Didn’t he have an acolyte that stood in New River ward who was equally as repulsive?
Are you sure you’re not thinking of Stoke Newington Central?