‘I’m not an ambassador for New Labour, I’m an MP’

9 August 2008

In the latest of his occasional series, Martin Rowson talks to Bob Marshall-Andrews, serial Labour rebel who had the entertaining cheek to accuse Miliband of disloyalty

And, to give him his due, he hasn’t done badly, helping to save trial by jury in fraud cases and leading the successful rebellion against 90 days detention without trial. Then again, opposition seems to have been Marshall-Andrews’ destiny, particularly after he introduced Derry Irvine at a Labour lawyers dinner in 1996, comparing him to Lord Mackay by saying, ‘It looks like we’re going to have another Lord Chancellor who’s a teetotal, ascetic Scot. Well, a Scot anyway.’ Irvine was, as you’d expect, incensed, and probably made sure that, in Marshall-Andrews’ words, ‘I wasn’t even going to adorn a Select Committee. However, I can say quite clearly that I am happier in politics than he is.’ As he said towards the end of our interview, ‘It’s been enormous fun.’

Although, as it turned out, the afternoon was still young, by this stage I’d finished the drawing, and passed it across the table to him before nipping out on to Greek Street for a fag. When I returned, Marshall-Andrews was beaming at me as he tore a sheet of A3 paper into shreds in front of him. That wasn’t my original, but it was another good gag. Let’s just hope and pray that his recent comments don’t mark some terrible descent into gravitas.