Sunday, April 13, 2008
Frank Field's Political Journey
I've just been reading Fraser Nelson's column in this week's Spectator. Except, I haven't. I got to the end and thought to myself: "Good old Fraser, talking sense as usual." And then I looked at the byline which said Frank Field is Labour MP for Birkenhead. Admittedly, as I was reading it I thought it was a bit more academic than Fraser's normal style, but is there more to this than meets the eye? There has been a lot of talk about Frank Field's political journey. This article demonstrates to me that there is only one destination he can reach. But the question is, will tribal loyalty prevent him getting there?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
22 comments:
Tribal loyalty or fear, perhaps? Maybe Frank doesn't want the windows of his house smashed or his car torched! Grass roots Labour members, especially in a place like Liverpool, may not be as forgiving as Tories in Grantham and Stamford. I think a defecting Labour MP would face open hostility from a number of quarters, that say, a Tufton Bufton, may not.
^^Birkenhead is in Wirral, not Liverpool.
I'm so glad you said that. I read the same piece on the train last night, thought the ideas for young families (like mine) brilliant, and couldn't believe my eyes when I read who it was by.
You're right: there's only one place he can arrive at.
Frank Field is a saint for backing I Want A Referendum. He's an honest, wise and courageous politician. He's too good for politics, he should be cannonised
This shouldn't be a surprise, Frank Field has long been the only member of Labour to speak any sense at all. After all he had radical welfare reforms after 1997 rejected by Blair (probably at the behest of Brown).
Iain - if you really thought it was by Fraser Nelson what did you make of the passage baout halfway through beginning "in 1978, jus before I became an MP.."?
Must have skimmed that bit!
‘How can individual freedom be extended while at the same time protecting that degree of public provision which voters believe necessary for a civilised life?’
He would be so welcome on the Tory benches. Perhaps Cameron should do the Brownesque "all the talents" thing, and invite him to head up a commission on welfare reform - but unlike the Bliars one which FF headed, actually take note of the findings!
I think that, on a wider political point, modern 'socialists' have widely accepted the concept of personal choice in the same way as they have accepted Crossland's analysis on the free market (they don't like it, but they know they cannot fight it). However, they appraoch it from the perspective as choice being desirable, yet sacrificable. What FF says is more in tune with classic liberalism, which is that freedom of choice is pre-eminent above other issues (which makes me wonder if he would be more in tune with a more liberal Lib Dem party), but that in a modern civilised society, there needs to be a balance of both needs - personal choice (which can be selfish) and stability (which requires collective action and personla sacrifice)!
In short, he is simply rehearsing the arguments that we on the Tory party are having! Therfore he shouldn;t join us until we have resolved that ourselves.
Anyway, ignore me, I am in Krakow and have had too much polish Vodka.
by the way all - Krakow is an amazing city to visit. Somethng for everyone from stag weekends to dinner time chopin concerts! Wonderful food, great vodka and the old city side streets are like Prague - just better!
I didn’t have the impression you do Iain , he is still attached to redistribution and in many ways this seemed to the left of his earlier work on Welfare for Blair for which he was mugged by ... you know who.
You have to be very careful with this sort of thing. Overtures were made to Frank Field by Brown and whilst we were told the nasty Scot was rebuffed Field is clearly much more part of the picture now with the return of Blairism as the acknowledged only way forward.
I fear the congealed hokum of the third way is about to re-enter our lives and to me this was exactly that. Providing choice through the state and not through an actual reduction in the state.
Look back at what he was saying in his time of 'thinking the unthinkable' . He is going the other way .
For all that he is clearly the outstanding Labour Politician of his generation and one I admire enormously .
PS Krakow is an amazing city to visit. Something for everyone from stag weekends to dinner time Chopin concerts!
Is Yalland on some sort of commission or is he a convulsive advertiser ? Well in this gushing vein allow me to say that Lewes , nestled fortunately in the heroic downs ,provides many pleasing prospects as well as great shopping and a cornucopia of architectural delights . Its friendly folk are waiting to get to know you and you have far less chance of picking up the nasty STD which Yalland will no doubt acquire with his Krakovian wine box .
Lewes ,…a jewel in the Southern crown .
Frank Field defected from the Conservative party in the 1960's, over apartied, just before McMillan's "Winds of change" speech. Had he waited a couple of months he would be one of our grandees.
I hope he returns to the fold.
(BTW, that was before he was an MP)
Newmania " Well in this gushing vein allow me to say that Lewes , nestled fortunately in the heroic downs ,provides many pleasing prospects as well as great shopping and a cornucopia of architectural delights ."
You forgot to mention the "water features" ;) The parking, the delights of the one way system and the way the Cuifail (No I can't remember how to spell it) tunnel is drilled through the downs, though had the road been built some 20 or 30 yards to the west, no tunneling would have been needed.
Benedict ..enjoyed the “water feature “…cruel.. very cruel.( but funny)
So...Frank Field has been working for you tories all along.
I KNEW IT!!
BLOODY TORIES. NO WONDER I LOST MY FIRST JOB IN CABINET!
Frank Field is, in plenty of significant ways, sufficiently Tory as to be grossly unsuited to David Cameron's 'decontaminated' and not very conservative Conservatives - he's better off staying where he is.
Good lord Ian! I just read the article and its a big steaming pile of pinko nonsense.
The comment by on DougS (not me, I'm just a thug).
How can you possibly think this unreconstructed commie's natural home is in the tory's ... oh...
Newmania. Sadly not on commission. Not on the wine either! But the mead and the beer is excellent!
Unlike Prague, Krakow has yet to be turned into a giant brothel! It really is a delightful place. It is also a great place to base yourself for visiting Auschwitz, which is why we are here.
I'm sure Lewes is wonderful too.
I have always admired Mr. Field's clarity and honesty; a real conviction politician. I rarely ever disagree with his viewpoint and as a natural Tory a lot of his ideas are natural Tory ones.
Overtures should be made by Mr. Cameron to help Mr. Field cross the floor; and take up a position as Secretary of State for Welfare Reform.
Go on Frank, join us to make the country a better place.
I cannot find 'cannonise' in the dictionary.
Does it mean being turned into a cannon or being blown to bits by one?
In the former case, perhaps he would be a Field gun.
Newmania, ;) LOL! (Sorry about that!)
Frank Field's one of the real decent ones around Westminster. Always unfailingly polite, and always with something wise to contribute.
We'd definitely welcome him - and I'm sure that the Party could find him a constituency worth visiting occasionally! :¬)
Not just tribal loyalties to Labour keep Frank Field from jumping to the Tories but also legitimate reasons against, which may be summed up as:-
THATCHERISM.
You lot have never disavowed it, and Field certainly isn't one.
You surely don't mean the Tories? Nothing in this article would be considered for one moment by Cameron.
Post a Comment