Thursday, October 09, 2008

Blunkett Blows His Comeback Chances

The way some Labour MPs are acting, you'd think the last few days had turned round their fortunes completely. A bank bailout and a strong performance at PMQs seem to have negated a whole year of troubles for them. If ever there was an example of the world being black or white, that's it.

Those MPs who are a bit longer in the tooth aren't so quick to rush to judgement. They realise that economic times are about to get very hard indeed and that taxes are likely to rise and public spending will have to be cut. David Blunkett, widely thought to be ingratiating himself with Brown on the basis that if Mandelson can come back after two resignations, so can he, has said something rather injudicious, but characteristically honest in this week's TIME Magazine. Catherine Mayer writes...

"Who would have dreamed that a financial crisis would have given Labour a lifeline?" former Home Secretary David Blunkett wondered aloud at a drinks reception on London's South Bank, as across the river Treasury officials sweated over the final details of the bank rescue. "Labour is still on the ropes. It just looks different," he concluded.

Other Labour MPs should take note. And I am sure Nick Brown, the new Chief Whip, already has.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blunket.. What are you blabbing on about. Eric the pig Pickles is todays headliner

Oh dear

Tory Councils who have screwed their Council Tax Payer

Westminster City Council - Hardly suprising. Westinster the most barking Council in England

Kent County Council
Havering
Sutton
Barnet Council
Brent Council ( Tory Lib Dem )
Hillingdon Council
Dorset County
Ipswich Borough
Bromley

Transport For London - isnt that on Boris's Watch

Council Tax freeze anyone

Wasnt Eric demanding Tory councils stop cooperatring with central gov a few months ago. Didnt he think Bulimia was a big joke.

Is he still laughing now, maybe Darling ought NOT cooperate with pig boy

Anonymous said...

They say if you put a thousand monkeys down at a thousand of Derek Draper's Rapid Rebuttal Unit computers you might get a coherent, correctly punctuated comment...

I think a bigger story is the treatment of the British taxpayer as a source of funds for a casino-type gamble by the most incompetent administration in British history. Jog on, 'comrade'.

Pete Chown said...

Labour have to be careful how they play this one. Someone who gets repossessed isn't going to be very pleased if he then sees a Labour politician, crowing about getting a poll boost from the crisis.

Anonymous said...

The electorate seem to be in a funny mood. They are not wanting the banks to be bailed out- they want blood from the casino bankers and are blaming the Government. Cameron however is not coming out of this positively either.
We could be in a tectonic change in allegiance.

Anonymous said...

Brown is already 'crowing' - he can't stop giggling - and why not he is a socialist and has just spent £400 billion of taxpayers money.

'Monkey' is as monkey does ...

Councils were acting on government advice which was Icelandic banks are - were - OK.

Tory Kent Council for instance has 'prudently' got £70 million in reserves - which is £70 million more than the British government has got after 12 years of labour waste and incompetence - so can weather the storm.
Transport for London has just spent 8 years with Ken Livingstone appropriating funds.

Stick that as far up your rapid rebuttal unit just as far as it can go Mr Monkey.

Meantime Brown is blatantly [aying politics with this - threatening to go round the country telling us how wonderful he is - probably to carefully selected compliant audience.

Its clear there is no bi-partisan approach by Labour. Just the usual smoke and mirrors. Never underestimate just how thick Brown thinks we are. NO ONE should forget that Brown NEVER tells the truth.

And as a PS -
- given all this alleged capital influx (I am still suspicious of the detail), why do we need to stand competition policy on its head to rescue HBOS? Let it stand on its own in the bilges of this government lifeboat.

T England. Raised from the dead. said...

Blunkett didn't have a clue what was going on did he?
I mean, for just one example!
When someone talks to you you can tell if they are lying by the face they pull or the way their eyes go, he couldn't see this & so was blind to peoples true emotions, just like the rest of Labour cant see what we are thinking though their lefty rose tinted glasses.

Anonymous said...

The Tories are behaving like statesman at the moment, Labour politicians are behaving like naughty children.

Labour are very wrong if they think they can suddenly claim some sort of new boon of support. Indeed Labour are currently through there inappropriate behaviour and pleasure of presiding over the financial crisis reeling out a very long piece of rope from which to hang.

If Labour think there handling of this crisis is so good - call an elecetion and let the people decide.

Anonymous said...

Go on, be honest Iain.

The Country wants Gordon out and Dave in to carry on the bailout of the banks and the market?

Out of a score of 1-10, with 0being absolutely no chance whatsoever and 10 meaning Dave walks it....

If you are honest with yourself, the score will be?

Gary
(-3 my guess)

Anonymous said...

RATTLED RATTLED RATTLED.

Gideon and Eric doing the rounds while no one listens

you can add

Tory Monmouthshire Council
Tory Bucks Council
Tory Glous Council

..to the list or great tory councils who have lost millions.

Eric didnt want to cooperate, I'd haul his mass in to the Treasury to ask. " Why have Tory councils just lost their council tax payers a fortune, while you all complained that central governent were not giving you enough

Anonymous said...

Rattled at 15 per cent ahead in the polls...

Interesting to see Gary Elsby trolling on here, presumably fed up of being humiliated and given the runaround on Guido. As a reminder Gary, Question Time is in Stoke next week - you'd better organise a coachload to get down there and persuade the viewers that Stoke's Labour vote isn't haemorrhaging to the BNP.

Catosays said...

I don't suppose 'monkey' or 'anon anon' would care to list the Labour controlled councils which have lost money.

Blimey, Elsby's hauled himself out of bed.....bit early for you isn't it? Brains still scrambled I see!

Anonymous said...

Labour controlled Nottingham is £42 million in hock to Iceland.

Massive issue - its nice to see the lefties trying to play politics with it.

If you want to know how bad it is you can judge by the speed with which Darling is dodging it.

Anonymous said...

Dear me Dolly ...
"Gideon and Eric doing the rounds while no one listens"

The Conservatives (and others) are pointing out that if local authorities withdraw their money from the banks and put it into 'secure' govt bonds than this will be a massive run on the banks.
Even if they are just averagely prudent and put it into a mix of govt bonds British banks and say Irish banks then it will be a disaster for our banks.
Darling /Brown busy sowing uncertainty again.

And why should not they - when the govt is clearly keen to shit on LAs the length and breadth of Britain who merely followed govt guidelines.

Meantime as Brown embarks on a smirking tour of Britain the stock market rally has petered out in the face of the inevitable recession.

Anonymous said...

Oh, dear a few little Tory cherubs are put out by my truth.

Well answer this.

How come Dave is the second coming for the Tories and is up the polls (daily telegraph!)by one million per cent.

Gordon, creates a black hole and bankrupts the Country and he goes up the polls as Dave goes into freefall!

Are you seriously trying to say that Labour needs a banking crisis or an economic meltdown every day to secure a fourth term?

You Tories just don't actually get it do you? be honest.

Gary

Anonymous said...

Freefall is being up two per cent, is it Gary?

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/

Tell Dolly he needs to try harder and that you're not up to the job.

King Athelstan said...

What no comeback for Blind Pew? Oh deary dear!