Fundraising Comedy Night For Michael Foot

To raise money for a memorial for the former Labour Party leader

A Labour Party candidate for next year's council elections in Chiswick, is promoting a fundraising comedy night for Michael Foot on Remembrance Sunday (10th November) that takes place at the George IV (185 Chiswick High Road, W4 2DR).

The night is hosted by Arthur Smith and features the godfather of Alternative Comedy, Arnold Brown, Mock the Week/Michael McIntyre's Roadshow star  Ava Vidal and guitarist/comedian Christian Reilly.
 
The night also features speeches from  Neil (now Lord) Kinnock (who succeeeded Michael Foot as Labour Party leader) and a member of Michael Foot's family.
 
Crispin Flintoff, who will be standing for council in Homefields ward, was inspired to put on the evening for the former Labour Party leader after he read that a memorial for him was £63,000 of its £70,000 target and needed support.
 
'Michael Foot inspired me to get into politics. He was a man of principle who believed ideas were more important than presentation and I personally believe that is what politics and politicians should be about,' he said.
 

Michael Foot visited Chiswick in 2007 but was the recipient of a parking ticket only minutes after his arrival. At the time he was in his nineties and had limited mobility. The parking ticket was issued within three minutes of his arrival whilst his driver was helping him to the house of local resident Deborah Pullen where he was a guest for lunch.

In the past year Crispin Flintoff has put on over 40 comedy nights, called 'Stand up for Labour' across the country. The aim of the nights is to engage more people in politics and it has taken off with 20 more such comedy nights planned between now and February.
 
Tickets cost £12 and can be bought online at michaelfoot.eventbrite.co.uk. Anyone attending the evening wearing a 'Donkey Jacket' will be reimbursed £2.

Michael Foot was accused of being disrespectful after he wore his 'donkey jacket 'in 1981 while attending the Cenotaph, though the Queen Mother commended him on his 'good sense'. His wife Jill said that it was in fact a duffle coat and he eventually donated to the People's History Museum (formerly The Museum of Labour History) in Manchester. ichael Foot's famous donkey jacket will now go down in the annals of history.

October 22, 2013