Dinosaur

[The Moan Ranger]

I'm not one usually to judge a book by its cover.

But in the case of Bob Crow (RMT) I will.

Just looking at his face makes me want to punch it. A Scargill for the noughties, I hope he gets the comeuppance he deserves.

A vile creature - as irritating as a wasp and as misguided as a crane-fly. May he be swatted soon.

[Snoopy]

Nasty Looking Piece of Work isn't he?

[TG]

Never heard of him. Someody give me the Daily Mail version so I know who to hate please.

[Snoopy]

Bob Crow (born 13 June 1961) is the general secretary of the British trade union RMT. He is one of the founder members of the so-called "Awkward Squad" - the loose grouping of left-wing union leaders who came to power in a series of electoral victories beginning in 2002.

And then

The son of a dock worker, he was born in Shadwell, London. His family moved to Hainault while he was an infant. He attended Hainault High School until the age of sixteen when he left school and took a series of manual jobs. While he was working for London Transport as an underground track-repairer, he started to become involved in union politics. In 1983 he was elected as a local representative to the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR), and then in 1985 he became NUR national officer for track workers.

There's more

In 1990 the National Union of Railwaymen merged with the National Union of Seamen to form the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), and the following year Crow became London Underground representative on the National Executive. In 1991 he became assistant general secretary and then on 14 February 2002 he was elected by the membership to succeed the late Jimmy Knapp as General Secretary. He received 12,051 votes in the election - nearly twice as many as the other two candidates put together (Phil Bialyk received 4,512 votes and Ray Spry-Shute received 1,997).

He was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and then the Communist Party of Britain after the CPGB's dissolution, between 1983 and 1997, when he left to join Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party (SLP). He has since left the SLP, though he remains an admirer of Scargill, and is no longer a member of any political party, although he gave his support to the now defunct umbrella group Socialist Alliance, and believes that all socialist parties should unite. In the 2005 general election, he endorsed Robert Griffiths, the Communist Party of Britain's candidate in Pontypridd, calling him "a champion of workers' rights". Griffiths went on to win 233 votes (0.6%), coming in last place out of the six candidates.

On 1 January 2002 Crow was attacked outside his home by two men wielding an iron bar. He speculated that he was the victim of hired employer muscle.

It has recently came to light that after speaking at the founding conference of the National Shop Stewards Network on Saturday 7th July 2007 that Crow is calling for a new party for the working class. This was repeated at the NSSN and Campaign for a New Workers Party conference in 2008.

Crow led a strike of 2,300 RMT members working for the insolvent London transportation contractor Metronet from 3 September 2007, which severely reduced London's public transport services for two days and were branded "entirely unjustified" by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. For his part, Crow has criticised the 'Right-Wing media' for its supposedly biased coverage of the event, and has maintained critics of the strike are trying to infringe on what he sees as the 'basic necessity' of unions having the right to strike.

Crow was reported by The Times newspaper to be riding on a part of the Tube that wasn't out of action during the strike he organised.

Bob Crow in a TV interview with London Tonight news [2007] claimed that he would make sure there were strikes until the tube network was re-nationalised. Crow has been alleged to be preparing strikes on the Underground to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics.

He is a strong supporter of immigrant labour, and believes that immigrants should receive housing ahead of native-born Brits.

[TG]

Cheers. 

Hang the bastard! 

[Snoopy]

We'll add him to the list then.

[Darwins Selection]

We'll add him to the list then.

Near the top I reckon.

[Barman]

We'll add him to the list then.

Near the top I reckon.

No... near the drop... 

[Uncle Mort]

My God! you've all turned into Daily Mail readers while I've been away.

[Barman]

My God! you've all turned into Daily Mail readers while I've been away.

[TG]

My mother is now long retired but she used to work in Leicesters now defunct hosiery industry.

She was a Labour activist in the 50's and a shop steward until she retired. the only newspaper allowed in our house was the Daily Mirror.

To cut a long story short she switched to the Mail some time after retirement 'for the crosswords'.

Over the last few years she has basically turned into a card carrying fascist.

Whenever we visit I have to brace myself for tirades against 'they'. Quite who 'they' are I am not sure but they are behind all the evils of British society.

But i think 'they' can be broadly summarised as soft, black/brown/yellow, eastern European child molesting, vandalising, old/young people with the morals of a snake and further to that are Scots/Irish Nazis who's only purpose in life is to undermine society and molest furry animals when they cant get children.

'They' are also responsible for not allowing free bus travel for OAP's before 9.30 on a week day the utter, utter BASTARDS.

Also, 'they' are are buying all the houses on her street to turn into brothels and cat sanctuaries.

And as for those fucking pikeys....

I could get on but I cant be arsed. 

[Nick]

My sister takes the Mail.I read it while I was there. If you see it as a sort of fascist comic it can be quite amusing, but it ismore dangerous than that.

[TG]

My sister takes the Mail.I read it while I was there. If you see it as a sort of fascist comic it can be quite amusing, but it ismore dangerous than that.

Agreed, my post above was part joke but the the mail really did change her views. Very much for the worst. 

[Bar Wench]

'They' are also responsible for not allowing free bus travel for OAP's before 9.30 on a week day the utter, utter BASTARDS.

Why do OAPs want to travel before 9:30am anyway?!?!?!

A bus I sometimes catch is due to leave at 9:26, the old biddies all stand there and argue the toss with the driver for four minutes. Just let them on and let all of us get to where we are going on time!

[Nick]