Three or four decades ago, when John Hume’s possible candidacy for the Presidency of Ireland was mooted, the Blundering Thunderer of London devoted an Editorial to telling the world that it would be wrong of the Irish to even consider the idea, because Hume was born and reared in Londonderry
THE TIMES has always had delusions.
Its Obituary (Tuesday August 4), in its opening sentence, shows that it hasn’t changed –
“When the Northern Ireland Troubles broke out in his home town of Londonderry, John Hume led a civil rights protest and was arrested by Paddy Ashdown, no less, who was serving with the Royal Marines.”
Ashdown, a veteran man-killer, blooded in a jungle with a Special Boast Squadron, assaulted Hume and other demonstrators who were sitting on the ground threatening nobody. The accompanying photo shows Hume, his suit dripping with water, with his hands against a wall, whilst Ashdown’s armed, steel-helmeted Bravoes frisk him and other inoffensive citizens. Ashdown’s mob-handed thuggery was a textbook exercise in making Britain Grate Again. Ashdown was quite happy to brag about his role.
There were sequels. Hume and other demonstrators were charged and convicted of an offence they had not committed. The offence was quashed and Ashdown’s action found to have been illegal.
So the House of Commons met in special session and acted as a Thief In The Night, and conferred retrospective legitimacy on Ashdown’s little caper, if not on the Braggart Bastard himself.
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