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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Gordon's Cuts
A nice new ad from the Conservatives on Gordon Brown's spending cuts.
The problem is that there is too much text - a bit like one of those easy mistakes of putting so many words on a PowerPoint slide that it looks like a Word document...
I agree with Mr Anonymous I about the awful music and with Mr Anonymous II, who's dead right in saying it's too much like a ghastly PowerPoint presentation - and it looks very cheaply produced compared with the nightly output of PowerPoint style presentations on BBC Television NEws by Messrs Peston, Pym, Robinson, et al., on which you can do a quiz at http://maxatkinson.blogspot.com/2009/06/bbc-television-news-slideshow-quiz.html
Speaking as a former care worker, I can say through personal experience that Nu Labour have already done terrifying things to health and social care services. It makes the 1980s look like a kindly Land Of Plenty. But only in England, of course. So I don't suppose it matters.
Where is the sense of outrage? It's there - but many care staff now have confidentiality clauses built into their contracts. Reveal anything to outsiders and get the sack.
***it looks very cheaply produced compared with the nightly output of PowerPoint style presentations on BBC Television NEws ***
Yes what we really want is for vastly expensive computer graphics with Jeremy Vine doing a Texan voiceover.
Personally, I think that any of the text that viewers miss will be more than made up for by the expressions on Brown's face in the accompanying picture.
The point about Powerpoint is that this holy rule of not putting too much information on the screen is presentational bollocks. When was the last time anyone sat through a Powerpoint presentation where each screen consisted of just three widely-spaced buzzwords and came out any the wiser?
The Tories should reply to Brown that he is alos Mr 10% cutter, that way they can rebutt his claim each and every time the Moron makes the claim. It would soon take the lead out of Brown's pencil and produce a cheer every time Brown mentions it. Imagine Brown saying, 'The Tories are going to cut services by 10%.' 'Just like you, Mr 10% cutter,' would be the retort from the Tories. Great!
The video is significant chiefly as a statement of intent. In what is an ominous development for Labour it shows that, for the first time since 1997, the Tories are not running scared of the spending argument.
And so it is a sign of growing Tory confidence. That they are finally prepared to take the fight to Labour on the core issue of fiscal policy, an issue that Labour has owned for over a decade, is a sign of a real shift in Tory thinking and for that reason, in spite of its obvious shortcomings, both as polemic and art, I welcome it.
Every video attacking that vile and odious creature Broon and his McLabour Raj should have Bagpipes whaling in the back-groond, finishing off with a "NO MANDATE IN ENGLAND" in large neon letters!.
It's an OK advert, as far as it goes, but I think its weakness is that it is "on the defensive", in that it relies wholly upon attacking the Labour party, rather than saying something positive about Conservative policies.
Actually, if you think about it, most Con campaigns in the last decade have relied upon attacking Labour ("New Labour: New Danger", "It's not racist to put a limit on immigration", etc) rather than spelling out the positive points about the Cons' policies. Even during recent PMQTs, if you listen closely, Cameron ruthlessly attacks Brown on all sides (and rightly so), but whereas Brown often retaliates by saying "WE are the Party helping people retain their jobs and homes" (even though it's a lie), he's saying something positive there, and that hits home with a lot of people. For all Cameron's relentless attack, I don't hear him "bigging up" his OWN party's policies much.
My amateur advice to the Con party media machine, for whatever it's worth, would be, don't just attack Labour - Labour is virtually finished at the next election anyway, you don't need to attack them so hard. Instead, concentrate on explaining why a conservative gov't would reinvigorate confidence in the economy. In these uncertain times, people want to hear a message of hope, not just another voice attacking Labour. These advertising agents should get themselves down the local pub, anywhere in the land: People are already breathing out the vilest curses upon Labour, mostly quite unprintable here. We already KNOW Labour are s***e, and we cannot wait to get rid of them. That's a given. In short, I think Con. adverts should focus on Con policies, rather than on attacking Labour.
Would not say its defensive. Its getting people to accept that cuts are happening who ever is in charge.
Getting people to think that way will help the Tory position. Once it becomes about who will deal with the cuts backs the best, it will be honesty vs dishonesty. IF GB does a U-turn, just about the same time that hell freezes over, it will be between a party that understands the crisis, to one that has been avoiding the issue.
Finally, once people accept that we are having to make cuts the people will start asking, "where did my money go?" And that will only hurt the former Chancellor
I listened, then read with a wry smile, Fraser Nelson when he made the cuts revelation since adopted at dispatch box “very belatedly” by Cameron but i still feel there are unanswered questions/interpretations aligned to economic (and fiscal ) policy in times of 2008/9recession
(i)the 38billion 2008/09 and 44billion 2009/10 capital spending was brought forward(increased) clawing some 20billion from future years 2011/14 where there will be a real term decline year on year of a similar 20billion in total but zero sum overall.
What is the impact of not bringing this forward during a recession period? What would Conservatives’ do?
(ii) Brown committed a programme of Asset sales in supplementing above future years decline? What is the net present value of these sales? What would Conservatives’ do?
(iii) Bank bailouts/debt interest continues to be described as taxpayers wasted money. What is the likely value of a return to health share price and the taxpayer gain in capital and interest? What would Conservatives’ have done?
We are where we are (as Cable states often enough) but still we don’t here of any major policy commitments from the Tories other that use Labour Budget plans and ring fence health and politik on spend versus cuts.
The public are tired of Brown like they were tired of the equally unelected John Major. Less than 12month to a GE surely we will here something of policy substance soon from Eric “I work long hours” Pickles and Dave "ask 1 question 6 times"Cameron yet they still appear a lone voice in the present crisis, isolated and frustratingly lame in domestic leadership – where is Thatcher when she is really needed. What are the alternative answers? When will we hear them?
Nice.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see people calling things by their proper name, i.e. lies.
He has got a free run from the Conservatives when it comes to his phony tractor stats, its time to put a lid on Liar Brown.
Its a pretty boring ad to be honest - and that music!
ReplyDeletehttp://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090624/video/vuk-new-speaker-in-angry-tv-interview-sp-49bfa63.html
ReplyDeleteIain, here's the Bradby/Bercow spat vid you mentioned on Twitter. Good to see him being so open and approachable in his new role.
The problem is that there is too much text - a bit like one of those easy mistakes of putting so many words on a PowerPoint slide that it looks like a Word document...
ReplyDelete"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."
ReplyDeleteLabour policy, adopted from Adolf Hitler.
VERY nice. Especially the line about how if you repeat a lie often enough, people believe it.
ReplyDeleteQuestion is, aside from Youtube, where will the advert be screened?
I agree with Mr Anonymous I about the awful music and with Mr Anonymous II, who's dead right in saying it's too much like a ghastly PowerPoint presentation - and it looks very cheaply produced compared with the nightly output of PowerPoint style presentations on BBC Television NEws by Messrs Peston, Pym, Robinson, et al., on which you can do a quiz at http://maxatkinson.blogspot.com/2009/06/bbc-television-news-slideshow-quiz.html
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a former care worker, I can say through personal experience that Nu Labour have already done terrifying things to health and social care services. It makes the 1980s look like a kindly Land Of Plenty. But only in England, of course. So I don't suppose it matters.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the sense of outrage? It's there - but many care staff now have confidentiality clauses built into their contracts. Reveal anything to outsiders and get the sack.
That's fact.
Oh, and P.S. - Unison, the major union for care workers, behaves as if the sun shines out of Labour's bum.
ReplyDeleteIt's forever the 1980s as far as Unison is concerned...
***it looks very cheaply produced compared with the nightly output of PowerPoint style presentations on BBC Television NEws ***
ReplyDeleteYes what we really want is for vastly expensive computer graphics with Jeremy Vine doing a Texan voiceover.
Personally, I think that any of the text that viewers miss will be more than made up for by the expressions on Brown's face in the accompanying picture.
The point about Powerpoint is that this holy rule of not putting too much information on the screen is presentational bollocks. When was the last time anyone sat through a Powerpoint presentation where each screen consisted of just three widely-spaced buzzwords and came out any the wiser?
The Tories should reply to Brown that he is alos Mr 10% cutter, that way they can rebutt his claim each and every time the Moron makes the claim.
ReplyDeleteIt would soon take the lead out of Brown's pencil and produce a cheer every time Brown mentions it.
Imagine Brown saying, 'The Tories are going to cut services by 10%.'
'Just like you, Mr 10% cutter,' would be the retort from the Tories.
Great!
The video is significant chiefly as a statement of intent. In what is an ominous development for Labour it shows that, for the first time since 1997, the Tories are not running scared of the spending argument.
ReplyDeleteAnd so it is a sign of growing Tory confidence. That they are finally prepared to take the fight to Labour on the core issue of fiscal policy, an issue that Labour has owned for over a decade, is a sign of a real shift in Tory thinking and for that reason, in spite of its obvious shortcomings, both as polemic and art, I welcome it.
Anonymous said "Labour policy, adopted from Adolf Hitler."
ReplyDeleteFirst they put my name on a petition calling for Brown to remain as Prime Minister and now this. How embarrassing!
Every video attacking that vile and odious creature Broon and his McLabour Raj should have Bagpipes whaling in the back-groond, finishing off with a "NO MANDATE IN ENGLAND" in large neon letters!.
ReplyDeleteScott - excellent comment on an excellent video.
ReplyDeleteIt's an OK advert, as far as it goes, but I think its weakness is that it is "on the defensive", in that it relies wholly upon attacking the Labour party, rather than saying something positive about Conservative policies.
ReplyDeleteActually, if you think about it, most Con campaigns in the last decade have relied upon attacking Labour ("New Labour: New Danger", "It's not racist to put a limit on immigration", etc) rather than spelling out the positive points about the Cons' policies.
Even during recent PMQTs, if you listen closely, Cameron ruthlessly attacks Brown on all sides (and rightly so), but whereas Brown often retaliates by saying "WE are the Party helping people retain their jobs and homes" (even though it's a lie), he's saying something positive there, and that hits home with a lot of people. For all Cameron's relentless attack, I don't hear him "bigging up" his OWN party's policies much.
My amateur advice to the Con party media machine, for whatever it's worth, would be, don't just attack Labour - Labour is virtually finished at the next election anyway, you don't need to attack them so hard. Instead, concentrate on explaining why a conservative gov't would reinvigorate confidence in the economy. In these uncertain times, people want to hear a message of hope, not just another voice attacking Labour. These advertising agents should get themselves down the local pub, anywhere in the land: People are already breathing out the vilest curses upon Labour, mostly quite unprintable here. We already KNOW Labour are s***e, and we cannot wait to get rid of them. That's a given.
In short, I think Con. adverts should focus on Con policies, rather than on attacking Labour.
Would not say its defensive. Its getting people to accept that cuts are happening who ever is in charge.
ReplyDeleteGetting people to think that way will help the Tory position.
Once it becomes about who will deal with the cuts backs the best, it will be honesty vs dishonesty.
IF GB does a U-turn, just about the same time that hell freezes over, it will be between a party that understands the crisis, to one that has been avoiding the issue.
Finally, once people accept that we are having to make cuts the people will start asking, "where did my money go?"
And that will only hurt the former Chancellor
I listened, then read with a wry smile, Fraser Nelson when he made the cuts revelation since adopted at dispatch box “very belatedly” by Cameron but i still feel there are unanswered questions/interpretations aligned to economic (and fiscal ) policy in times of 2008/9recession
ReplyDelete(i)the 38billion 2008/09 and 44billion 2009/10 capital spending was brought forward(increased) clawing some 20billion from future years 2011/14 where there will be a real term decline year on year of a similar 20billion in total but zero sum overall.
What is the impact of not bringing this forward during a recession period?
What would Conservatives’ do?
(ii) Brown committed a programme of Asset sales in supplementing above future years decline?
What is the net present value of these sales?
What would Conservatives’ do?
(iii) Bank bailouts/debt interest continues to be described as taxpayers wasted money.
What is the likely value of a return to health share price and the taxpayer gain in capital and interest?
What would Conservatives’ have done?
We are where we are (as Cable states often enough) but still we don’t here of any major policy commitments from the Tories other that use Labour Budget plans and ring fence health and politik on spend versus cuts.
The public are tired of Brown like they were tired of the equally unelected John Major. Less than 12month to a GE surely we will here something of policy substance soon from Eric “I work long hours” Pickles and Dave "ask 1 question 6 times"Cameron yet they still appear a lone voice in the present crisis, isolated and frustratingly lame in domestic leadership – where is Thatcher when she is really needed. What are the alternative answers? When will we hear them?