The lofty Vera is currently splashing round a swimming pool in Kampala in between discussing Ugandan matters; a welcome change from trying to hustle work as a humble ‘door tenant’ or ‘Barmaid’ at the prestigious Tooks chambers. She used to be a full board member of Mansfield’s prestigious chamber. She used to be Solicitor–General. Then again she used to be the MP for Redcar.

However, since Redcar decided that it didn’t want to be represented by the Redhead Vera, and picked Ian Swales as its MP, its fortunes have been reversed. Last night he oversaw a deal with the Thai company Sahaviriya Industries which will see the furnaces relit at the Corus steelworks.

The people of Redcar could not forgive Vera for her handling of Corus’s difficulties, which ultimately ended with a lone bugler playing the Last Post over the dying embers of the furnace whilst Vera pontificated on the Jeremy Vine show about how ‘Labour had done its best’. She didn’t have the courage to stand alongside the workers as they said good-bye to their historic – and apparently ‘outdated’ employment.

Vera said: “It is time to move our labour market assumptions on into the modern era.” whilst calling for flexible working to become the norm and an end to the outdated assumption that the 40/40/40 model – where we work forty plus hours per week, for forty plus weeks, over forty plus years.

Ian says, “The cast-iron backbone of our area is in place again. This means more jobs and a better economy – it is a huge boost for everyone locally.

“It was clear when I was elected to serve the people of Redcar last May that finding a way to reopen the mothballed steelworks was a key priority for the area.

“This was a tremendous responsibility, and having campaigned tirelessly with others to find a way forward it is fantastic to finally see the deal done.

“As Redcar’s MP I have used my time in Parliament to get Ministers behind the deal and they have given strong support when needed. Since being elected I have been pushing in any way I can to keep the deal moving.

“I am immensely proud that everyone involved has shown a relentless determination to reopen the plant. I want to pay tribute to SSI, Tata Steel, the Coalition Government, steelworkers, unions and local people for working together to put Redcar back on the map as one of the leading producers of steel in the world.”

What a difference an election makes!

Livewire February 25, 2011 at 20:59

Has Vera been incontinent in the swimming pool and driven everyone away
?
Where’s the anger ? We want our country back. We want the last five
minutes of Braveheart given verbally to politicians until they flee to
Venezuela.

TS6 February 25, 2011 at 15:54

I held the door open for Vera on polling day. She marched through
purposefully – took her half a dozen steps to remember her manners, half turn
and say thank you. She didn’t get my vote, but that was a foregone conclusion
long before polling day.

The Penguin February 25, 2011 at 12:50

My goodness me, she is one ugly woman. Alright, so beauty is only skin
deep, but ugliness like that goes right down to the bones….

The
Penguin.

Engineer February 25, 2011 at 14:24

It’s the ugliness between the ears that’s the real problem.

Andrew February 25, 2011 at 12:40

“1st time out of hotel since election”? Has she been hiding in it ever
since then?

Cascadian February 25, 2011 at 17:47

More likely she is referring to this

http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12263&Itemid=59

Like all good socialists, upon receiving her walking papers she would
immediately be deemed suitable for various lucrative consultative make-work
jobs probably financed by socialist international or UN (pretty much the
same organization).

You can be sure that for a few hours of “work” overseeing “free and fair
elections” that our Vera would be ensconced in four star luxury and first
class travel for the best part of a month. Courtesy of the tax-payer of
course.

You would not wish ex-MP’s to survive merely on their gold-plated
pensions, that would be cruel.

But enough of Vera, the real story is the tremendous effort of Ian Swales
against seemingly overwhelming odds.

Tacitus February 25, 2011 at 11:58

I doubt she will be missed by many. She epitomised all that was wrong with
New Labour and all the party now has to do to reclaim the right to represent
the working class

Gildas theMonk
February 25, 2011 at 11:42

I wonder if they have suitably robust and helpful 25 foot crocodiles in
Uganda.

Caedmon’s
Cat February 25, 2011 at 17:30

Even crocodiles have their standards…

Caedmon’s
Cat February 25, 2011 at 10:54

Mrs Baird epitomised New Labour values – which just happen to be
diametrically opposed to the interests of the working people that Labour
purportedly used to represent. A stark contrast to Ashok Kumar – her (sadly
deceased) and respected fellow Labour MP for neighbouring Cleveland, who was
dedicated to the people he served and respected by people of all political
persuasions. Gold sinks; organic brown statements float…

PT February 25, 2011 at 10:45

Here’s hoping it’s the start of a trend. British workers producing not
financial “pseudoproducts” and services but actual stuff the rest of the world
will buy offers a glimmer of hope for the UK.

gladiolys February 25, 2011 at 10:43

Tell that to workers of Sheffield Forgemasters.

JuliaM February
25, 2011 at 10:41

Will the voters of Redcar learn from this? Or will they slip back into
their old ways?

It’ll be interesting to find out, won’t it?