Ian Macwhirter on John Reid

The Herald and Sunday Herald journalist Ian Macwhirter on John Reid in Comment is free:

Most didn't notice, but in his farewell speech Tony Blair set out Reid's leadership prospectus by saying that Labour should attack David Cameron for being soft on criminals and too anti-American. This was a direct appeal to Reid as the only man willing to take on the Tories from the right, rather than the left.

Tony Blair was extravagant in his praise for Reid conference speech, the opening bid in Reid's campaign for the leadership. But if Labour installs him as its leader, the party will complete its transition to an authoritarian party of the populist right. It will mean riots at home; new wars abroad. There will be imprisonment without trial, a massive increase in police powers, curbs on immigration.

This must not happen. If Reid becomes leader, I will be voting for David Cameron.

This is the man who two months ago threw Britain's airports into chaos, disrupting the travel plans and wrecking the holidays of tend of thousands, not because there was any real immediate thread, but just so he could play the role of the strutting he-man.

This makes me glad I live in a Liberal Democrat held constituency (Cheadle). Having come of political age during Thatcherism, and suffering daily from the results of railway privatisation, I'd really have to hold my nose in order to consider voting for the Tories.

I wonder what will Ming Campbell will do in the event of a hung parliament with a Reid-led 'Labour' as the largest party? I hope he has nothing to do with this Stalinist thug.