Gunk, pies and flans have a long and honourable history both as entertainment and protest, and surely we can all agree that if someone has to take custard in the face, Peter Mandelson isn't a bad choice.To those who regard this kind of protest as silly or stupid, I'd simply ask if it's as stupid as his efforts to expand airports, nuclear power and coal plants. I'd also like to know what you're doing to try and stop him.
Finally, it's good PR: the stunt automatically becomes the picture the media will use to cover his so-called low carbon summit, which was the tawdry business-as-usual affair one might expect. They'll then have to explain why there's opposition to him - there's hardly any in the Commons, after all.
I will be voting against his party, maybe not as newsworthy but I'd say a smidgin' more civilised.
You're a classy fellow James, I trust you've found a reasonable course of action to do all you can to combat nuclear power stations, new coal stations and new runways that doesn't resort to custard pie throwing?
I grant you this though, they've had a good day today.
So it's ok to assault people with whom you disagree politically is it? I am aware that Green politics is entirely dependent on publicity stunts, but 'Plane Stupid' are a bunch of self-righteous attention-seeking tossers.
Jeff: my game is electoral politics, but when the crises are so urgent we need all sorts of other routes too. I've partaken in non-violent direct action in the past, but not pie-throwing.
Agent M: I don't regard custard in the face of the powerful as assault. Also, that "entirely dependent" crack is out of line with your normal constructive comment. I don't think you mean it: surely you don't think that (say) arguing for extra insulation in the Budget was a publicity stunt?