(not satire – it’s the UK today!)
You don’t expect to hear stories in the UK of people being attacked in their own homes and targeted for violence because of their political views.
But that was the reality for Bob Crow – the indefatigable leader of the RMT union who sadly passed away today at the age of 52.
In 2002, Mr Crow was very badly beaten up in his own home by unknown masked attackers. He nearly died.
Police ruled out burglary as a motive and said the attack was not random but was “premeditated”.
The police also fitted a panic button in his home because he was “a target of further attacks.”
This attempt on his life happened ‘coincidentally’ just before Crow was elected RMT leader in 2002.
Looks like it’s not the unions who have a problem with democracy.
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By the way, Bob Crow also once said of Boris Johnson’s repeated refusals to meet him that he would probably only eventually meet Johnson at his own funeral.
Looks like he was unfortunately right.
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Related articles by Tom Pride:
Here’s an interesting signature on a petition against ticket office closures: a Mr Boris Johnson
Shhh! Don’t tell MI5 but here’s a Russian spy with his ‘good friend’ Boris Johnson
Tories desperately try to hide their close links to Putin and his United Russia Party
Boris Johnson can’t distance himself from Cameron. He’s family.
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Please feel free to comment.
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Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog and commented:
Mike over at Vox Political has attracted some critical comment on his posted wondering if Bob Crow’s death wasn’t just a bit too convenient. This shows that suspicions about the leading trade unionist’s death may not be entirely unfounded.
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There should be an autopsy if not I hope his family demand one. I don’t think there was any wrong doing but then I didn’t think anyone could die from radiation poisoning in London. Bob Crow was a strong and successful leader of men in addition he had charisma, even people who disagreed with him liked him and that is very rare and in his position possibly bad for his health…..
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Reblogged this on Vox Political and commented:
I raised my own concerns about Bob Crow in an article earlier today, at http://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/concern-over-union-leaders-sudden-death/ – and received criticism for it from certain parties. Will my naysayers have anything to say about this, other than a flat denial that it has anything to do with anything?
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Reblogged this on Political Pip Spit or Swallow its up to You.
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Looking at Bob Crow, and you get an impression of a man that was somewhat overweight (& I don’t claim to be any better!) and in a very stress filled and non-calm work environment, a couple of prime ingredients for a heart attack. Whatever our view and history’s judgement of Bob Crow (from a political viewpoint), our condolences and prayers go out to his family who will miss a husband, father and friend.
I do hope though that the RMT now appoints someone with a more moderate view and less confrontational approach than Mr Crow, so that the RMT and Boris Johnson/Mayor can develop a good working relationship for the future. It’s only through honest talking that progress is made and mutual respect is developed. We all want our UK transport system to develop into the best it can be, but we have to accept that there are always financial constraints, so to make the best use of resources, flexibility of organisation is required, and the best way to get that is through partnership, not dogma.
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Actually Bob Crow did some great deals for his members. People think of railway workers and train drivers as low skilled they are not and should be paid and respected accordingly. OK to admire the clever pilot who takes responsibility for a few hundred people and equally ok to think the train driver, signalman etc are working class labourers? Rubbish! and worse than that very poor arithmetic…
Bob Crow did his best to ensure his members were paid and respected for the work they do.
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How tragic that Bob Crow should die so young, as to whether he neglected his health could be a different story, because I know of a neighbour who had all of the health checks by his GP and still had a heart attack, but fortunately survived.
There seems to be a lot of labour mp’s dying before their time too, John Smith, Robin Cook, Nye Bevan to name a few, but there can’t be any conspiracy John Prescott is still here 🙂.
We need more working class firebrands as union leaders and in the labour party that was formed by the unions,rather than adopting new labours tactics of bypassing and excluding the unions.
We need a referendum on Europe too, but dictatorial Ed Miliband does not believe in giving the people what they want.
Bob was fortunate enough to run a union which represented a much needed service, but one that cannot command the salaries of an airline pilot unless subsidised by the tax payer, he may not have fared so well had he been the leader of a manufacturing union or an industry that the government considered no longer viable when they can import from abroad and decimate it, as Thatcher did to the mining industry.
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The UK government has “targeted individual” programmes. They put people on lists where they use electronic harassment against people, including radio waves, laser beams, satellites connected to Signals Intelligence (part of the NSA), in GCHQ. Most of this is covered by whistle blower, Robert Duncan, in his book, Project Soul Catcher. You can watch Robert Duncan videos on youtube.
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