Today’s Guardian carries an in depth article on the enigma that is Peter Tatchell. Standing for the Green Party at the next general election, Tatchell has vaulted the political spectrum of this country with impressive bravado and never say die attitude. Not one to avoid controversy, his threats to “out” gay MP’s and Bishops made him many enemies, only to find himself redeemed when he tried to “arrest” Robert Mugabe in London (he actually tried twice, 1999 and 2000). For Tatchell, his belief and public stances have cost him dearly. As Stephen Moss outlines;
“He has been fire bombed three times, had dozens of bricks through the window, received a bullet through the post, been beaten up on hundreds of occasions. His enemies are innumerable; the far right, Islamic fundamentalists, lovers of the type of homophobic, misogynist rap that Tatchell calls “Murder Music”
Had this been the description of a politician involved in Northern Ireland, I would not have been surprised. This is however, a man very much part of the Westminster political village. What drives a man to continue to court controversy when faced with such insurmountable odds? As Moss states of him; “Visionary, self publicist, lunatic – which is it?”
In Tatchell’s own words it is simple;
“I love justice. I don’t like seeing other people suffer. I think to myself: that could be me, my sister or my neighbour. Since I wouldn’t like my family or friends to suffer, it would not be right for me to ignore or tolerate other peoples suffering”
The rest of the article covers his political shenanigans, and his infamous 1983 Bermondsey election battle (ironically against Simon Hughes). I have mentioned this review because I can’t quite make my mind up about Tatchell, and after finishing Moss’s tome, I don’t think he can as well. Whilst Tatchell deserves some credit for his political doggedness and commitment to a cause, his defection from Labour to the Greens smacks of political opportunism, even though the party is becoming a watering hole for a disillusioned (old) Labour cohort.
Try and check the Guardians full text, its well worth the effort. Like him or loath him, Tatchell is one of the most controversial political campaigners of the post 1960’s era and despite his adoption of a “mainstream” approach to political representation, he shows no sign of curtailing his anarchic exuberance.
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