Another Labour minister shows they are "in listening mode"

Margaret Hodge is one of the more unpleasant members of this Labour government, and there is a lot of competition. I see that in her current role of Tourism Minister she managed to have a slanging match with the chairman of UK Inbound, a trade group that encourages foreigners to take holidays in Britain. Margaret Hodge's speech was booed and heckled, one heckler shouted "You don't know what you are talking about" to which the ever pleasant Margaret Hodge retorted "Yes I do, you are totally wrong."

Philip Green, the aforementioned chairman of UK inbound, had enraged Mrs Hodge by accusing the Government of driving away foreign tourists with "high taxes disguised as green initiatives, ridiculous red tape and a schizophrenic approach to air travel".

One MP guest said:

"Mrs Hodge lost the audience and lost the plot. She was very rude and walked off in a huff without saying goodbye. It was a rare chance for Mr Green to tell a Minister of the industry's problems and he had every right to use it."

Apparently Mrs Hodge pranced out of the reception saying "I came here for a pleasant summer evening on the terrace, not to be lectured.". How odd, I thought that she was at the function as part of her well paid ministerial job to represent the government and to listen to the thoughts of the invited industry members.