If like me, you are an incurable Labour voter, scanning the headlines at the moment is either :
A) Unspeakably Depressing
or
B) Hysterically funny.
I have been mystified by the "strategy" of both parties in the coalition. Clegg's seems to be hurtle headlong into electoral oblivion, whilst telling anyone of a vaguely pinkish hue that his Brave New Party is no "ghetto for disillusioned Labour voters." I feel confident in claiming that is the first time I've ever heard a senior politician say that he doesn't want certain votes. The funniest tweet I've seen for some time was doing the rounds a couple of days ago "Clegg claims his party is stopping the Tories from being too right wing. What would they be doing without him? Sterilising the poor?"
Cameron for his part, despite not winning an overall majority against a 13 year old government facing the worst economic crisis for a generation with a leader about as popular as Herod, decided to square up to the 1922 committee as though he had a majority of 179. Since, he has seemed to go out of his way to poke his backbench dinosaurs out of extinction. At the same time, Conservatives are managing the seemingly impossible task of not being right wing enough for their party, whilst Osborne slashes about the place, being WAY too right wing for the country.
Chaos abounds, and you don't have to be a leftie to acknowledge this. Where shall I start? First there was Gove's school building fiasco, the child benefit announcements are "unworkable" the CSR is an "enormous gamble" the HB cap looks set to shunt poor people out of wealthy areas in the tens of thousands, the immigration cap is damaging business, Control orders look set to stay after all, the EU budget will remain exactly at the 2.9% Labour negotiated, and prisoners look likely to get the vote. From a LibDem point of view, Tuition fees will treble, Nuclear Power Stations will go ahead full steam, VAT will, indeed go to 20% and 16 year old's will not get the vote. I could go on (and on and on) but I'm sure you have your own favourites.
I've honestly never known anything like it.
This morning, I decided the strategy must be exactly what it says on the tin. Somewhere, in a dusty drawer, there must be another coalition agreement. One in which Clegg promises that he will only support policies that go completely against the beliefs and hopes of his Party and Cameron will not countenance anything the right wing would approve of and in fact, will go out of his way to support policies that infuriate them. Perhaps in those frenzied 6 or 7 days, they dreamt up a daring plan for the Conservatives to ditch their right wing and the Libs to ditch their Dems. They would forge a new (fouth?) way where absolutely no-one is happy and everyone feels betrayed. (Obviously there are 6 or 7 Orange bookers and a handful of Cameroonians who think it's all jolly spiffing, but no-one knew they existed before May 11th and none of them know any poor people.)
Or is this simply the inevitable manifestation of the relentless opportunism of both Clegg and Cameron in opposition? Did they jump on so many bandwagons, that, in the end, they saddled themselves with unworkable alternatives, unreasonable solutions and unhelpful innovations?
Unfortunately, just as I'm having a good chuckle at the latest batch of confusion, indignity and humiliation, I remember that they're not hapless graduates or eager apprentices. They are the Government and are responsible for our future. The lunatics appear to be in charge of the asylum and I wonder if we all ought to be getting very worried indeed?
When I find myself wishing Maggie was back or hoping that David Davies takes over, I know something has gone very seriously wrong indeed.
Whatever the chaos, nobody - not even Hitler - could do as much damage as Thatcher. She destroyed the very fabric of Britain for ever and still lives her rich, protected lifestyle getting hospital treatment for the flu!
ReplyDeleteThat said, lefties like me, who quit the Labour party years ago, really have absolutely nowhere to turn. We just have to appeal to both Labour and Liberal MPs with some common sense left to do what is necessary and force the vote of no confidence.
Glad to see that you are back on lethal form again.
ReplyDeleteWhat is particularly worrying is the incompetence and lack of consideration/care for the consequences of the implementation of this mix of knee-jerk tory prejudices and reactive politics. (They are multimillionaires so it will not hurt them, whatever.)
The success of the Tea-party in the US follows the same trajectory. The Republican are now comprise the same sort of mix... no real underpinning philosophy ... just knee-jerk.
Essois - I just deleted a whole passage from my post above saying what almost exactly what you have posted.
ReplyDeleteThere are no political parties either here or in the States which represent the left and socialism.... as a result protest votes are letting in more and more extreme and looney politicians of the right.
"Lethal form" Syzygy, I like. xx
ReplyDeleteThere are 32 millionaires in the conservative party
ReplyDeleteDavid Cameron has 19 millionaires serving in his Shadow Cabinet.
There are 26 millionaire Labour MPs, and 3 Lib-Dem millionaire MPs. (Daily Telegraph)
The sad fact is to be an MP these days it means you need money to mostly black mail your self into a safe Labour seat.
This is so sad as we look around at people being dropped into safe seats, and local grass roots members being told to fight non safe seats, knowing they have no chance.
I was listening to PMQ's today the laughter and joking makes me so bloody angry.
Today my local council has stated 1000 jobs will go from mainly the care sections of the council, three of our nursing homes and all respite centers will close, meals on wheels will end next year.
Do not forget under labour Dentist ended, if your disabled or sick having a dentist was seen as being vital, my young grandson who is now eleven had all his teeth removed at eight he had an infection of the gums which should have been seen by a dentist he is now eleven and has never seen a dentist, I tried to get him to a private dentist but they wanted an up front fee of £4,000 before they even look at him. ( his second teeth were removed as well)
This is Labour for god sake....
The fact is over the last thirteen years it been hard to tell where new labour ended and the Tory started.
Brown should have been the fittest politician in Parliament, he ran over to the Tories so many times he must have been fit, even to get the welfare reforms past he had to go to the Tories.
I'm to the left of politics, sadly a bit further then New or newer labour.
I saw the Pratt's to day at PMQ's laughing and joking and playing games, the sad fact is the games they are playing is affecting the lives of the most vulnerable.
Robert, my next post might cheer you up then.
ReplyDeleteNope it will not sadly......
ReplyDeleteSurely we've got to move on though Robert?
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point of harping on about old mistakes made by Labour when they aren't even in government any more?
Don't you ever want to believe in anything again?
Superb article Sue!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gracie. I WILL get around to looking at the very helpful tips you sent!!
ReplyDeletebecause simple really what the use of re voting them back in if they have learned nothing.
ReplyDeleteLook Ed Miliband is shouting is head off about cutting child benefits for people on £44,000.
Not a single world about the cuts to welfare for the disabled in fact he agrees with it.
Whats the use in five years time voting labour if all we get is Newer labour sounding more and more like Cameron. The fact is labour moved to the right and it's still to the right.
By the way why keep on going on about Thatcher she been out of power 30 odd years, people will be remembering Blair and brown for a lot longer believe me. Especially anyone who has lost a loved one in wars.
Robert - Cheap Maggie shot. I said she was better than Cameron that's all and as the last Tory PM of note, it's a fair comment.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like what I write Robert, don't read it. Of the two parties, I think Labour are still infinitely preferable to the Tories. Where I disagree with them, I will work to change it, not find blogs trying to do good work and carp on.
You won't change my mind will you? I know where Labour failed, but as I said to you before, it was NOTHING compared to what this lot plan.
I won't discuss Iraq on this blog, nor will I write about it.
By all means help me to get BOTH parties to recognise the genuine needs of the sick and disabled, but I'm not interested in the past, I'm interested in where we go now.
There's not going to be an election for 4 and a half years Robert, why don't you judge Labour then, decide if they've changed and if not, vote for someone else.
Great post Sue, I am increasingly astonished at how incompetent this lot are, as you say, it would be laughable if it wasn't ordinary people who are the butt of their jokes. keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete