| Joe Haines 08:24 - Feb 20 with 1157 views | DJR |
Sad to see that Joe Haines has passed away, although his links with Maxwell did damage his reputation.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/19/joe-haines-obituary
The obituary is wrong to say he lived in Tunbridge Wells as he was a member of Tonbridge Labour Party and he used to hold an annual garden party to raise funds for the local party.
He had been at death's door for many years, but as befits someone brought up in poverty in Rotherhithe, he was a fighter. And those were the days when someone with such humble origins could achieve what he did. |  | | |  |
| Joe Haines on 08:57 - Feb 20 with 1062 views | jontysnut |
His hatchet job on Freddie Mercury a few days after his death was cruel and unnecessary and he's not been forgiven by many people for that. |  | | |
| Joe Haines on 11:36 - Feb 20 with 862 views | DJR |
| Joe Haines on 08:57 - Feb 20 by jontysnut |
His hatchet job on Freddie Mercury a few days after his death was cruel and unnecessary and he's not been forgiven by many people for that. |
I didn't know about that, and would condemn this unreservedly.
On a related theme, the right wing press and the Liberals* ran a homophobic campaign against Peter Tatchell in the Bermondsey by-election in 1983.
Given that Joe Haines would have opposed Tatchell because he was from the left of the party, and (from what he wrote about Frrddie Mercury) might have objected to his homosexuality (especially in a constituency from which Haines hailed), I am not sure if the Mirror (of which he was political editor) ran any sort of similar campaign. But I don't recall it.
*The successful Liberal candidate, Simon Hughes, later admitted to having both homosexual and heterosexual tendencies and apologised for Liberal campaign. | | | |
| Joe Haines on 12:16 - Feb 20 with 806 views | jontysnut |
| Joe Haines on 11:36 - Feb 20 by DJR |
I didn't know about that, and would condemn this unreservedly.
On a related theme, the right wing press and the Liberals* ran a homophobic campaign against Peter Tatchell in the Bermondsey by-election in 1983.
Given that Joe Haines would have opposed Tatchell because he was from the left of the party, and (from what he wrote about Frrddie Mercury) might have objected to his homosexuality (especially in a constituency from which Haines hailed), I am not sure if the Mirror (of which he was political editor) ran any sort of similar campaign. But I don't recall it.
*The successful Liberal candidate, Simon Hughes, later admitted to having both homosexual and heterosexual tendencies and apologised for Liberal campaign. |
I lived in Bermondsey during that by-election and it was vicious - I had to visit Peter Tatchell on a work related matter and he showed me some of the stuff that he'd got through the post, including live bullets. | | | |
| Joe Haines on 12:24 - Feb 20 with 778 views | DJR |
| Joe Haines on 12:16 - Feb 20 by jontysnut |
I lived in Bermondsey during that by-election and it was vicious - I had to visit Peter Tatchell on a work related matter and he showed me some of the stuff that he'd got through the post, including live bullets. |
At the time, I travelled through it by train on the way to London Bridge each day and was always struck by the number of Liberal posters in the windows of the various blocks of flats in what was then a very working class area. But that was due to the vicious campaign.
Here's Tatchell's account of it all, and sadly in terms of current attitudes to the LGBT+ community we seem to be regressing.
https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/bermondsey-byelection-baptism-fire
I was the victim: the gay Labour candidate. It was my baptism of fire.
In the run up to, and during, the by-election, I was subjected to 100+ violent assaults, 30 attacks on my flat and a bullet through the letterbox. There were also 30 death threats and hundreds of hate letters and late-night threatening phone calls. It felt like living in a war zone. I suffered PTSD and night terrors.
The anonymous “Which Queen will you vote for?” leaflet, posted across the constituency in the dead of night, listed my phone number and home address. It invited voters to visit me and give me a piece of their minds. Many did.
Despite the threats and violence, I was refused police protection. Left to fend for myself, I boarded up my front door and windows and sealed the letterbox. A rope ladder was installed, so I could escape attackers through my back bedroom window and abseil down the rear side of my block of flats. At night, I slept with a fire extinguisher for company.
EDIT: had I lived in Bermondsey at the time, I would have voted for Tatchell because I was a Labour supporter and thought the campaign against Tatchell was appalling. [Post edited 20 Feb 15:53]
| | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
