Thursday, November 02, 2006
LibDem MP Says Last Manifesto was 'Dishonest'
LibDem MP Sandra Gidley was the first one to stick the knife into Charles Kennedy. It was she who confronted him at a LibDem Shadow Cabinet meeting and told him his behaviour was no longer acceptable. That triggered the events which led to his downfall. She's now had another bout of searing honesty and accused the people who wrote the 2005 LibDem manifesto of being 'dishonest'. In particular she highlights their flagship policy of free personal care for the elderly. Click HERE for the full story.
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35 comments:
Iain,
This is exactly the policy that the Lib Dems introduced in Scotland under the coalition govenment. It isn't dishonest in the slightest - "personal care" means just that: someone to help you shower yourself once a week, no more. It certainly doesn't mean free nursing homes for all, which is what it has been interpreted as in England (cf all the whining about subsisiding free nursing homes in Scotland).
If anyone south of the border paid any attention to this, they'd have realised what "free personal care" meant years ago and this wouldn't be seen as a 'dishonest' policy.
See also the tuition fees debate for another wilful misunderstanding of a Scottish Executive policy. But that's another story.
Before the brickbats come in accusing me of partisanship - I'm a Labour supporter who lives in London, not a Scottish Lib Dem.
oh well. we all know the libs are all things to all voters.
now...about the last tory manifesto, written by your leader, and disowned a number of times since. any thoughts?
Guess it's tough on that fence for them trying to be all things to all people.
Blimey I didn't know she commented on national policies. Her newsletters are largely concerned with local matters, similar to a parish councillor.
The dishonesty of the Lib Dums is endemic and those of us who browse Yellow peril realise what golden subject they have got on to . The problem is that for years, thankfully, they have been no more than a joke nationally, whilst strong locally. This has left them with no concept of consistency .On several occasions they have allied with the BNP (recently Calderdale ), whilst pontificating at us ( the Conservatives) in Iz , about our supposedly un PC attitudes..
Tony Blair was right that they reached the “high water mark “of all things to all people,. Janet Daley was insufficiently scoffing about their claims to be the party of “tax cuts”. The leader of our Lib Dem Coucil is a man of such overwhelming inadequacy that it takes the breath away .( Literally jaw dropping on occasion)
Typically he claimed a council house bonanza and simultaneously a fight with Ken to save Islington from scurvy GLA slum making plans.
You can end up so despising their lack of brains as to prefer the honest to goodness evil of NU Lab ( which is actually Old lab locally).
This is a mistake.
On anontwits pointless biographical nit picking .The Labour Party he / she might want to consider the vastly larger repositioning Gordon ,socialist Brown will have to do , and is doing .This will relate to his own , on the record , political statements.
The spectacular Jowell ecape act ( Knew nothing of hubbies crimes..oh no) shows how little Tony Balir cars about this country.
This is a party half of whose membership left after the Blackpool face off which has been left only with liars ever since.There just isn`t rrom to begin on the dishonesty of NU LAB.
Taxation would , be my main lie mine
Paul-Guess it's tough on that fence for them trying to be all things to all people.
You can tell them by the perforated arse . Incidentally the spread of instant communication has made it a lot tougher. I was able to use Yellow Peril matierila in IZ and I know in Harringay they were circulating it as well .
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK YP
Wow a dishonest manifesto, whatever next! Still no comment on the Greg Barker business. Thought you might have had something to say about that.
several occasions they have allied with the BNP (recently Calderdal)
Now newmania it's you who is being rather dishonest; because as I'm sure you're aware, that story was proven to be baseless and was retracted by the local rag that printed it.
Is is a political rule of thumb that the smaller the party the more visceral the in-fighting?
So let me get this straight:
- their party leader was a pissed-up alcoholic and their front bench basically lied and covered this up, up until they deposed him
- their election manifesto was dishonest about one of their key election policies that they talked about ad-nauseum
- their last election was principally financed by a conviced purjorer and fraudster with stolen money (that they may have to hand back to the election commission)
And people want to vote for this lot? I'd rather have my eyes poked out with one of those tacky yellow posters!
I think the Scottish Lib Dem policy (coming to a Westminster near you soon) that we can get 100% of our power from "renewables" is dishonest. Or insane if any of them actually believe it.
On the other hand the Tories, while not quite as silly as the LDs, hardly set an enviable standard of integrity (or sanity) on nuclear now themselves.
You're right to highlight the hypocrisy of the Lib Dems. But right now the Lib Dems, notably David Laws and Norman Baker, are the only ones exposing the widespread theft and fraud in parliament. Todays announcement that 'taxpayers will now be forced to pay another £168 million to fund MPs lavish pensions', takes the biscuit. What are the Tories and Labour doing apart from lining their pockets?
Normal lib-dem bashing will resume shortly.
Chris Huhne wants to tax Plasma TV sets out of existence. Some old cod about carbon emissions.
Here
I'd rather have my eyes poked out with one of those tacky yellow posters!
I'd be happy to oblige.
:-)
Dynamite story was proven to be baseless and was retracted by the local rag that printed it.
I was aware they had with drawn the accusation that one Councillor had joined in with the Nazi Salute ( Oh love it !!!) but not the alliance to oust local Cons , which was still up and running last time I looked . What was the denouement then? Where are the YPS to set the record straight . By the way the Lib Dums also have a history of extreme litigiousness and press cowing and local papers often withdraw stories that are , in all essentials , true .( So you can`t win ha ha !!). I `m pretty sure this one was
Anyway , as I say it is hardly the first time and some of the Lib Dum Literature around London over the years has been beyond belief , on race and orientation. As anon is asking for Greg Barker comment lets have a little reminder of Simon Hughes Bermondsey . This is an extract from my blog
Gregina is not the first gay man to lie to the electorate, and while I can, to some extent sympathise, lying is lying, and only politicians think the rules do not apply to them . A particularly odious liar is ,“ nice”, Simon Hughes, who is about as nice as the rest of the Lib Dums. Let us take a trip down memory lane to his early career ……………through the round window….
“Hughes was first elected to Parliament in the Bermondsey by-election of February 24, 1983. The byelection was described by Gay News as "the dirtiest and most notorious byelection in British political history" because of the slurs against the character of the Labour candidate and gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell by various opposition campaigners. The Liberal Campaign leaflet described Hughes as the "straight choice". Hughes won the seat with 57.7% of the vote.”
( See more of the tales of Lady Gregina and the Mellors the painter boy)
http://iznewmania.blogspot.com
Lib Dums have no coherent set of beliefs and as such have a small set menu . Witless or Liar . I wonder which hat anony is wearing today.
If there is any Liberal out there , anyone at all in all the dumnation , who can explain what exactly it is they believe .
Please enlighten me .
Manifesto ? What was the 2005 Election about ? I don't recall any issues being discussed
but not the alliance to oust local Cons , which was still up and running last time I looked
Nope, that story was retracted by the Halifax Courier last Saturday.
Ad hominems aside, most, though sadly not all Lib Dems tend to believe that liberalism is a good place to start in government. If you actually wish to be 'enlightened', a place to start on this subject might be 'An Intelligent Person's Guide to Liberalism' by the late Conrad Russell, a Lib Dem peer. I
hitchenophile says
"personal care" means just that: someone to help you shower yourself once a week.
There are plenty of personal ads in the Southern papers offering this nice personal care touch!
The two nurses are the best.
Newmania-
Think you should read this:
http://eatenbymissionaries.blogspot.com/2006/01/battle-of-bermondsey-reprised.html
Dynamite, couldnt agree with you more.
From the people who gave you the dwarfs guide to basketball.From the production team behind the Bush guide to English usage , you saw the jewish book of sporting glory , now love ........
'An Intelligent Person's Guide to Liberalism' by the late Conrad Russell, a Lib Dem peer.
Thanks for the home work My favoutite eyepopping piece of mendacity is "If Voting Changed Anything, They'd Abolish It. Author:, Ken Livingstone." The GLA have done their best .
I doubt adding Oxy to moron will change anything but I `ll give it a go . If it turns out to be Liberal in the 19th Century sense then it will indeed be short
JOIN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY
PS Like these ?
Foxiermoron - A woman promoted beyond her abilities because she is pretty
Fauxmosexual - A straight who acts caring to impress the babes
arf arf. Its always about the hominems ,tell the speaker.
I'm sure you're right newmania, I'm sure you're always right about everything. On second thoughts, reading isn't likely to be a worthy use of your time.
I `m rather well read actually. Don’t sulk for god’s sake; it is entirely the Libs fault that their personalities are the issue. They have no beliefs and policies that change across the spectrum with every skittish breeze. What they are always saying, and you cannot deny it , is “ Look , let the others go on about their dogmas( = principles). We are just some rather nice people that would like to do things nicely “
Standing on such grounds it is entirely valid to point out that this party consistently shows itself to be worse than the others locally, and recently the rock has been lifted up nationally.
Anon : Simon Hughes “the straight choice” meant . “a straight choice between one party and the other did it “ ?
No words are necessary.
So, the manifesto writers are dishonest. How about the quotes from Sandra Gidley's own website 30th March this year "The Liberal Democrats would introduce free personal care, unrestricted by discriminatory criteria, for the elderly as we have done in Government in Scotland" or how about her speech at the 2004 lib Dem Conference? Or her interview with Care Directions shortly before the 2005 election www.caredirections.co.uk/comment_31.htm She wasn't very open about their policy in any of them, are we to assume that the manifesto writers wrote the speech, the press release and the interview themselves?
Newmania, I'm sure you're very well educated, but you are clearly just trotting out a tired whinge, which considering your party has no policies at all, is a little rich.
For the record - the leaflet you mention says "this election is a straight choice" and not "the straight choice" as you claim.
http://www.geocities.com/byelections79/bermondsey83/libber834b.jpg
"personal care" means just that: someone to help you shower yourself once a week, no more.
You're joking. In the case of an aged relative of mine, living alone in his own home, it meant 3-4 hours a day x 365. Washing, dressing, commode and feeding breakfast in the morning, back for commode and drink at 11, back again at 1 for making and feeding lunch, back again at 5 for making and feeding snack, then commode, then back again at 9 for light supper, commode, undress and get-to-bed. Personal care only, means-tested, from social services. Not a nurse in sight.
Sandra Gidley appears to be doing what she was elected for.
How refreshing!
I'd argue that it highlights Sandra Gidley's shortcomings, not those of the Lib Dems.
I understood the policy (which is far fairer and better than the Tory one). Shame she didn't !
Given that the opposition was Peter Tatchell and we are talking about Bermondsey I think to call that sophistry would be to dignify it more than it deserves.Do you know anything about Bermondsey ?I assume not
The business of announcing policies to be costed and misrepresented is a somewhat trickier business for a party that may well form the next government.
This is why the Liberal Party has become the animal it is.
Newmoronia says: "JOIN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY"
.... which presumably means you have to drag the disparate bunch together under force and hastily smother them with superglue?
Surely if there were a prize for dishonest manifestii the Chameroen would win the Oscars for 'Best Actor'. . . 'Best Supporting Actor' and 'Best Non-factual Screenplay'? He appears to have repudiated virtually every principla the Tories stood on in the last election which was penned by . . .D Chamereon
Chris Huhne wants to tax Plasma TV sets out of existence. Some old cod about carbon emissions.
There those Lib Dems go again, cheap populism rather than solid policy, oh, hang on a minute ...
"This is exactly the policy that the Lib Dems introduced in Scotland under the coalition govenment. It isn't dishonest in the slightest - "personal care" means just that: someone to help you shower yourself once a week, no more."
not much of a seller is it? Vote Lib Dem and we'll give you a shower once a week.Perhaps the dihonesty comes in the fact that the Lib Dems never bothered explaining this policy on any of the leaflets or advertising boards that I read, probably because people would realise how little it actually amounted to...
Anon .. Hush, and away with you. The grown ups are talking.
I think any one with a shred of honesty would admit this. In Bermondsey the Simon Hughes Campaign allowed considerable anti gay feeling in the area to coalesce on his side . Considering the prevalence at that time of the words bent and bender the word “Straight” in his literature is ( IN BERMONDSEY !!!!), if you like , a highly unfortunate coincidence .Frankly this is stretching credulity beyond reasonable limits but lets say it was a foolish mistake . If so , he is to stupid to be allowed to govern an ice cream van . How can you defend this? By continuing to do so you make yourself look ridiculous, and it isn`t a basic tenet of the Liberal party. I suggest it is symptomatic but that is not proven by one example.
Shall we now turn to Tower hamlets … and so on and so on .
Oh lets not bother Liberals love one off issues. What they don’t like is any discussion of what a Liberal Government might look like. High Tax , Busy bodying and ultra controlling is the answer. The only business they approve of is meeeja witter which is the only employment you find in their ranks. ( Aside obviously from Government dependents).What I object to about the Liberal party most of all is the conceit of its members . To choose to actually join a party that can never have a serious part in any policy is to choose to say. I know better. This is why the Liberal party is typically full of teachers and others with comically inflated presumptions about their own importance.
Locally to me the Liberal s are about to get kicked out by the Labour party. Considering the last Labour incumbent was Margaret Hodge it is a measure of quite how irritating they have been. Parking , Surveillance and general pontificating about the (HA HA ) community .(In which they do not live) , are issues.
I also find Liberalism a symptom of a worrying anti democratic disengagement with the notion of political principle . It is , as a party , one that stand s against the whole concept of politics. As such, it is at once sanctimonious and disingenuous because there is no real option .
It is the collective flounce of the perpetual adolescent and would benefit form a slap.
Read 'Straight Left' Newmania and join the Communist Party.No manifesto changes there!
newmania,
You are truly mental. Seriously wierd man/woman.
Newmoronia, you old slapper, get a life and then get a reality. Lib Dems' (and other parties!) usage of the terms 'straight choice' in 'squeeze leaflets' in 'two hose(sic) races in by elections and general elections are legion - and there is no correlation whatsoever with sexual orientation of candidates. If you think the average elector in Bermondsey many years ago ever had any concept of 'straight' as meaning anything other than non-linear (or 'not dishonest') you need a serious immersion in the East End.
I can only assume that when you posted that screaming screed that you have reccently 'been on a bender'?
Describe yourself as a 'groan-up' by all means - perhaps 'throw-up' might be more accurate?
Given recent tabloid stories about certain MPs, the words 'grass houses' and 'stoned' come to mind. Give it 9and us) a break.
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