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stealer
David Blunkett is dangerously wrong Leader David Blunkett is his own greatest admirer, so he doubtless feels pretty good about his week's work. By using the word "swamping" he has promoted his populist credentials as New Labour's tough guy, generated a noisy story that has distracted attention from his generally sensible asylum bill, and got himself a regular booking on the Today programme. The trick is one of Mr Blunkett's favourites. He did the same thing earlier this year with a gratuitous attack on Asian arranged marriages that provided a smokescreen for an otherwise thoughtful immigration white paper and required him to make extensive media appearances to clarify the row he had created. Now, once again, the has made himself the centre of debate - and knocked his rival Gordon Brown's Budget off the front pages into the bargain. To Mr Blunkett we say this. Yes, there needs to be debate about practical solutions to practical problems like pressure on resources from asylum seekers. Yes, it is important for New Labour to prevent the Tories, never mind the racist right, from capturing the politics of working-class discontent. Yes, it is not just politically expedient, but right in principle, for progressives to have a properly controlled asylum policy. In that sense, what the home secretary is actually proposing on asylum seekers is generally wise - not perfect, not beyond criticism or amendment - but good enough. Nobody should delude themselves that 72,000 people a year do not put pressure on resources, never mind other consequences. But we say something else too. Mr Blunkett knows perfectly well what is implied by the use of a word like swamping. He should not have done it. He is not excused by the sanctimoniousness of some of his critics. There were better ways of saying what needs saying, yet Mr Blunkett deliberately chose not to use them. To judge by his comments yesterday - "I'm afraid I don't apologise" - he revels in his choice. But he is dangerously wrong, and the episode reveals something unattractive. Mr Blunkett is too pleased with himself. He likes the sound of his own voice too much. He is a headline chaser and a publicity junkie, whose political style is displaying increasing signs of vanity and solipsism. And, like most egotists, he lacks capacity for self-criticism. He is not as clever as he thinks he is. To adapt Clement Attlee's words to Harold Laski, a period of modesty on Mr Blunkett's part would be welcome. SocietyGuardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002
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