Keith Vaz, the embattled minister for Europe, faced yet more criticism from MPs last night when a Commons committee accused him of failing to take a “sufficiently robust” line with Spain over Gibraltar. Keith Vaz, the embattled minister for Europe, faced yet more criticism from MPs last night when a Commons committee accused him of failing to take a “sufficiently robust” line with Spain over Gibraltar.
The cross-party Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, which questioned Mr Vaz, expressed exasperation over the lack of progress on a range of issues affecting the disputed British colony. It demanded ministers take legal action against the Spanish government through the European Court of Justice unless it ended the regular border crossing delays intended to put pressure on the Gibraltar government.The report by the Labour-dominated committee is the fourth to criticise the minister in just over two weeks and follows attacks on his handling of policy on the Balkans, the Ilisu dam in Turkey and an EU defence force.Francis Maude, the shadow Foreign Secretary, seized on it last night to launch the Tories’ most personal attack to date on the minister.”Mr Vaz clearly does not possess the intellect, judgement or strength of character to do his job. Britain needs a minister for Europe who will stand up for Britain and her independent territories,” he said.
“It’s unprecedented for a minister to be criticised in four committee reports in the space of barely a fortnight.”Although Mr Vaz repeatedly assured the committee that the Government was doing “everything it possibly can”, the MPs made clear that they were not satisfied with his response.Mr Vaz is off work recovering after collapsing in his office.. At the height of the North Africa campaign in the Second World War, Spike Milligan put his head above a parapet and said: “Has anyone seen a gun?”
At the height of the North Africa campaign in the Second World War, Spike Milligan put his head above a parapet and said: “Has anyone seen a gun?”"What colour?” came the reply. Thus did Milligan meet Harry Secombe, and thus was Goon Show humour born.Sir Harry Secombe, who died of prostate cancer yesterday, had several careers. He was a classical singer who appeared in musicals and had a chart hit with “If I Ruled The World”. He was one of the best- known presenters of religious programmes on television; he could even be said to have been a professional Welshman.But by far the most important of his many contributions to British cultural life was as a founder member of the Goons.
As the BBC director general Greg Dyke said yesterday: “The Goons transformed comedy and their humour has transcended the generations. That humour, his magnificent voice which brought pleasure to millions, and a deep compassion, made Harry special. We will miss him.”The humour was a surreal and irreverent brand regularly broadcast from 1951 but showing its influence decades later in Monty Python and in the quickfire sketch shows of today. Secombe was an integral part of the team, and if the scripts reflected rather more the bizarre lateral thinking of Milligan, Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine, it was Secombe’s falsetto voice and high-pitched giggle that became two of the show’s trademarks.The show also made Secombe a national personality. Later, he became known to a new generation of television viewers through Highway, a “god-slot” show he began for Tyne Tees in 1983.Secombe was born in a Swansea council house on 8 September 1921, the son of a travelling salesman, and grew up in the tough docks area. He showed great literary promise as a youth and harboured ambitions to be a writer.
He was a puny lad who acted the fool at school to stop himself being bullied.After the war, he decided on a career in showbusiness, doing six comedy spots a day, six days a week at the Windmill Theatre in London a diversion from the theatre’s nude revues. Also in 1946, he met his wife, Myra Atherton, the only daughter of a steel worker. “Marriage is a lottery and I picked a winning ticket,” he would say. “I’ve always been loyal and so has she.”Weighing in at 19 stone before his illnesses, Secombe was always exuberant and infectiously jolly.
Once, giving a concert at Pentonville prison, he finished by singing “Bless This House”. It had the audience in hysterics.He once said: “I never thought any of this could happen to me but I have this philosophy of not looking back over my shoulder. I have a loving wife, four wonderful children and I’m still making sure I’m hanging on by my fingernails.”Last night Spike Milligan’s wife revealed that Spike, who is 83 on Monday, was so upset at Secombe’s death he went straight to bed after hearing the news. But in a statement, Spike said: “I am grieving for an unbelievable friend.”The Secombe family said in a statement: “We are grieving for a wonderful man and a much loved husband, father and grandfather.”The funeral is planned for next week..