Just another bite-sized post about Paddy O'Connell's apparent propensity to panic when someone picks on the Labour Party...
This morning's Broadcasting House saw our Paddy egging on one Conservative MP, Richard Benyon, to attack another Conservative MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (for attacking the Environment Agency's Lord Chris Smith). Paddy let Mr Benyon absolutely slate Mr Liddell-Grainger without demur or interruption, but the second Mr Benyon began criticising the actions of the last Labour government in came that firm yet nervous 'OK' from Paddy that always arrives the instant Labour are criticised. If Mr Benyon hadn't moved straight off Labour again, there's no doubt in my mind that an intervention would have followed within seconds to stop him in his tracks and steer him away from Labour.
I think my reflexes are even more attuned to this sort of thing than Paddy. The instant I heard Mr Benyon begin his criticism of Labour, I tensed up and sensed that Paddy would start fretting...as, a second or so later, he did.
It's another of life's inevitable things. Paddy doesn't like people attacking Labour. Never has, never will.
