Sunday, September 16, 2007

Bunker Mentality?

IAIN DALE IS AWAY - SHANE GREER IS STANDING IN

I realised when I went to South Wales for the weekend that contact with the outside world would be thin on the ground. A lack of mobile signal, mixed with a lack of internet connection meant I would be consigned to the political wilderness; and in the middle of the LibDem conference of all times – the excitement!

But I didn’t expect, upon my return to England for society to have changed beyond all recognition. Apparently up has become down, left has become right, and the Liberal Democrats under Ming have become a political force to be reckoned with; rather than a political farce to be laughed at. But there we are, apparently that’s exactly what’s happened.

Yes, Ming the (not so) meaningless wants Gordon to “bring it on”; the LibDem’s star player is ready to throw down. Cameron may have taken the gloves off, but Ming’s thrown the thermos flask to one side and picked up a mace!

Oh yes, in the space of 48 hours the political landscape has undergone upheaval of epic proportions. At first I found myself numbed by feelings of utter disbelief, but these were quickly swept aside when Ming highlighted how, under his leadership, the LibDems had “maintained a distinctive position in British politics.” How could I, how could we all have got it so wrong!?

Were we thrown off track by the poll numbers (the latest showing the LibDems at 15%), by the disastrous results in the local government elections, by the seemingly illogical policy statements, by the bumbling performances in PMQs, by the bumbling performances everywhere else? Apparently we were.

Let’s just hope we have enough time to regroup and come up with a strategy to defeat what has clearly become the strongest political force in the modern world: Mingzilla.

Edit: Okay, a few people have commented and emailed to point out that South Wales does in fact have a television, radio, mobile signal, internet etc. It would appear therefore that clarification is necessary. My point wasn’t that South Wales generally lacked a communications infrastructure, but rather that where I went in South Wales left me without internet, mobile signal etc.


10 comments:

Ted Foan said...

I lived in South Wales some 30-odd years ago and I seem to remember that even then the radio signals from the BBC were quite strong. We could even get the Home Service on a clear day if the wind was in the right direction.

So why were you not able to listen to the momentous unfolding events of the day? Ming back in contention for the most popular political leader to save the nation dominated the news media all day. And you missed it?

Were you on some kind of retreat?

More to the point, will the Conservatives be forced to retreat because of the rise of the phoenix from the ashes of, until today, a forgotten LibDoomed Party?

I can feel the tension.

Anonymous said...

I just love Ming's logic. Labour have attacked our civil liberties, and so the Human Rights Act must be defended as we need it.

Of course, these civil liberties were around prior to 1997 and the HRA, so if they are under attack with the HRA in place, just how useful is it?

Poor Ming, can't even get a rallying cry right.

chatterbox said...

Bring it on it Labour, what a joke! Ming wants to hammer those who pay over 70 grand.
Well Ming, I want to hammer anyone who wants to tax those already paying more than enough. Its those non-domiciles millionaires who get a better tax break than their cleaning lady you need to wave your fist at, not the poor sods who pay the full whack already!

David Lindsay said...

With the Lib Dems promising a referendum on EU membership, might Enoch Powell live again in the forms in Simon Heffer, Peter Hitchens, Janet Daley, et al? This one could run and run, and really could kill off the Conservative Party once and for all at the next Election.

Shane Greer said...

Diablo,

lol. Just happened that where I was I didn't have access to the internet etc.

Anonymous said...

What bollox you do talk Mr Greer, South Wales is not in the dark ages anymore - people do have mobile phones [my brother had one twenty years ago there, and it worked fine, even if it weighed as much as a car battery..] and they have even got the internet, surprise, surprise !

Oh, but why let the stereotypes of a bunch of troglodytes who have just crawled out of the swamp get in the way of a get story, eh ?

Anonymous said...

What can the Libbies do to get themselves out of their own created mess? Nout. Except to 'come out' and admit they are rubbish and just 'make it up as they go along.' They are a mass of contradictions- 'liberal' and 'repressive' AT THE SAME TIME! Pro and anti- referenda. Welcoming to 'ethnic minorities' but their candidate selection suggests otherwise ( highlighted by a recent published LD list for something or other).A few things are constant about the Libbies:- i) shameless opportunism,ii) good at collecting expenses ( see Scottish parly Libbies and various councillors),iii) good for a scandal( Thorpe, Ashdown, Oaten, CK)!

Christopher Glamorgan said...

Ouch! Some of us South Walians are the sensitive type... not me though!

I would have thought that Ming still wakes up in the morning and wishes he had never become leader, and remained an elder statesman of the Lib Dems instead - ahh, those were the days! ;>D

Anonymous said...

I don't know where Shane was, but some parts of the South Pembrokeshire coast are black spots for mobile reception.

The upside is that, being one of the anglophone parts of the principality, they are rather more advanced linguistically.

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness there's one spot in the civilized world that doesn't have the tedious shadow of technology upon it.