Hazel Blears attacks George Monbiot in the Guardian

This Tuesday, campaigner George Monbiot wrote what I consider to be a fair article on the problems with our democracy, claiming that measures which might encourage greater participation have been postponed, and that a MoveOn.org campaign for the United Kingdom would help.

It was published in the Guardian on Tuesday.

Aside from having a go at some of the New Labour frontbench, calling Jack Straw, Geoff Hoon, Alistair Darling, Hazel Blears, Peter Mandelson and John Hutton "political ghosts", there was nothing offensive about the article.

Today saw an angry response from Hazel Blears, calling the article "cynical and corrosive commentary" and saying she found it funny that someone who had never stood for political office called her a coward.

It's not that risky to stand for political office: £500 deposit and the possibility of a sex scandel being exposed, that's about it. It's risky to write columns attacking governments and major players, and stand up for what you believe in.

Incidentaly, George Monbiot was once attacked by security guards, who stuck a spike through his foot. He's also been shot at and beaten up, according to his books. Has Hazel Blears been shot at?

The idea that only elected politicians take risks is crazy. Blears also makes personal references to Monbiot's family:

I might have had more respect for his views if he had followed in his family tradition of service to the Conservative party, rather than joining the "commentariat" - wielding great influence without accountability.

As if people who read Monbiot don't consider his political leanings.

More people standing for office, Hazel Blears' solution, will not solve the problem.

What will is reducing the salaries of MP's and removing their other little perks (or most of them), as well as considering alternative voting systems such as proportional representation.

Hazel Blears can criticise George Monbiot's article all she wants, but I felt her response was personal, slightly hysterical and against the debate she claims to want to encourage.

It has a "how dare someone who never stood for election attack me" feel, and I don't like the way New Labour politicans use hyperbole and hysterical denoucements to defend their actions. This comment by Shazzbot sums it up.

Consider Margaret Beckett on George Osbourne:

I heard on the news George Osborne had said this was a harmful thing to say, I can not believe the cheek of this man who has done nothing except make negative remarks and try and talk Britain down.

George Osbourne's job is to oppose the government when he thinks they are wrong.

The claim that a shadow chancellor of the exchequer has tried talk Britain down also implies he is partly responsible for the recession.

And describing a recession as a depression is going to hit the markets.

These kind of responses seem to show a panicking government.

George Monbiot's reply to Hazel Blears in the Guardian on Tuesday 10 Feb, which looks in detail at her voting record.