Austin Mitchell: Former Grimsby MP dies aged 86

Quoted from paramariner

What sort of person red crosses condolences and R.I.P sentiments, the mind boggles.

I think he anonymity of red and green crosses should be removed so that, like with Facebook ‘likes’ you can click and see who has ticked. If you feel strongly enough about something to red or green tick it, you should be prepared to be identified for doing so.

Loved this comment from a reader BTL of The Times's obit on Austin Mitchell...

One of the joys of Labour Party conference back in the day was encountering Austin on the seafront at Brighton  or Blackpool, wearing an ill-fitting, off-the-peg  polyester suit, trousers hitched up by garish red braces, hair more tousled than ever by the sea breeze and eating fish and chips out of a paper bag.
He'd offer you a chip and cheerfully tell you that Foot/Kinnock/Smith/Blair didn't know what they were doing.  
I remember the "controversial" tie well. He wore it until the stains from his fish and chips  had restored the (topless)  young lady's  modesty. I always called him 'Jane' (as in Austen) and he invariably laughed uproariouly at the joke.
RIP, comrade. I doubt you would be allowed anywhere near a TV studio in this day and age and Starmer would bounce you out of the party for your heretical views in a flash.
But you were one of a kind and politics needs more like you.

Rip Austin
Certainly a big character whose bright quirky personality shone through .. but not a dig at him just a question what did he achieve in long stint for MP for great Grimsby ? In his days I wasn’t interested in politics to much so would be interested to know

Quoted from paramariner

What sort of person red crosses condolences and R.I.P sentiments, the mind boggles.

Easy. The sort of person who is trying to elicit a response by using red crosses. Makes them feel good to annoy. Ignore.