'New Labour - dead or alive?'
Meanwhile, their event at the Tory conference is rather more upbeat...
'What should the first 100 days of a conservative government look like?'
The IPPR isn't the only think tank to have lost confidence in Labour: NESTA has two events at Lib Dem conference this year, three at Labour - and five at Tory conference.
I think it's called sniffing which way the wind is blowing.
All this pre election celebratory triumphalism may have a hubristic ending as it did with Labour back in the 90's.
ReplyDelete'What should the first 100 days of a conservative government look like?'
ReplyDeleteHopefully, Conservative!
'What should the first 100 days of a conservative government look like?'
ReplyDeleteA total bloodbath!
Wife got the compulsory redundancy letter today, goes at the end of the month. Two others living nearby similarly going - and it was a hi-tech firm.
ReplyDeleteAn appropriate slogan for the Tories to use:
"New Labour - New Unemployment".
Why 'New' Labour dead or alive? Just 'Labour' would cover it.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for Nu Lab their election run up will be marred by Blair's increased visibility as he campaigns for the European Presidence reminding us of all that is worst about Labour
ReplyDeleteNESTA isn't a think tank. And perhaps they are running more events at Tory conference to try and elicit what Conservative policy on science and innovation is...I tried to put a paper together on this yesterday and failed miserably to find anything.
ReplyDeleteDon't underestimate Fondlebum and Bliar. Bliar's teflon-coated reappearance will remind voters of carefree and painless consumer spending; 'Hey, people, Gordon's had a rough period in history to deal with, yah? But vote Liebour and the good times will roll again. We're the ones who care about you'
ReplyDeleteAs much as Cameron's instincts are hands-off, I'm certain that a Bliar = War Criminal meme needs to take off to counter this. And the red-tops can savage his ghastly wife for her kitsch avarice.
Mandelson's influence means the campaign will be low down and dirty - it's gloves off time, or, in the words of another age, time for the gentlemen to retire and the players to take the field.
The first 100 days is vital for Cameron, if he hasnt started eradicating the shadow state quango empire by then he will regret it, it will in fact determine the success or failure of his first term.
ReplyDeleteStep one must be to close down the vast majority of quangos and hand over their powers to elected officials, if he gives in to temptation and makes them even bigger and even more powerful it will prove to be his undoing.
From fake charities to quangos to lobbyists to the EU monster to the unions to the FO to the MOD and the BBC, its a tall order and he has to make the giant leap from nice guy to a tough and formidable war leader in a few days.
The UK is choking to death in a quagmire of newlabour inspired redtape with foreigners now making and dictating the bulk of our laws, unelected quangos now rule and elected officials are now mere window dressing, the crushing weight of taxes is now squeezing the life out of our industries and high streets, the people are being squashed by unfair petty rules and blind beaurocracies.
Cameron is either 'Thatcher Mk2' or 'Heath Mk2' either he uses each day of his premiership to lift the choking oppressive blanket of socialism from the UK or he uses the time to sup with the devil and watch the heart breaking decline of our homeland into a ragged conflict ridden hellhole.
Its a tall order isnt it, never before has a prime minister had such a massive responsibility, we have to pray that he realises that his term will in many ways be more important to the survival of our ancient nation than any of his foebears, what he does and how he does it will actually determine whether the UK lives or dies!
I dont envy him the task, he will be hated by his enemies and they have become extremely powerful and they have the BBC on their side too!
Iain, I would echo earlier comments on another thread... please let's have an article on the 'Lisbon Treaty' vote that is forthcoming. Even if you don't fancy it as a subject at the moment I recommend visiting the Irish Times website and searching for Lisbon Treaty; some frightening (and desperate) stuff coming out now from the politicians, self-anointed LGBT representatives ('Lisbon... represents major steps forwards for the LGBT community.') and even the Church.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back on topic - 'New Labour: Dead or Alive?'. Does that question really need asking?
I thought late August and Early September until Brown got derailed yesterday had the whiff of an election on the 22nd October 2009.
ReplyDeleteThere are many reasons for this and one is the fact GDP figures come out on the 23rd October 2009. Thus the ramping of economic recovery would never be known before the election as true or false.
Maybe it will still be on the 23rd October 2009. It should not be easily dimissed as folk do because John Major went long in 1997, it could be argued that if Major had gone six months earlier it may well have saved the Tories Dozens of seats. Thus they may have found it easier to recover sooner. Certainly Labour and the LD had the perfect opportunity to target much deeper into Conservative seats. Mandelson is not stupid and both he and Brown will know what the effect of hanging on for something to turn up will do to them.
Meetings with Unions at Chequers, amungst other activity is indicative of a potential election that is designed to knock the opposition off guard and deminishes advantages for the opposition in terms of funding. Problem for Labour was they were rumbled!
Indeed Browns TUC conference speech highlighted a platform of activity in terms of economic meetings and summits that would have played in the 22nd October 2009 Election.
I believe stuff on the Labour website have been trimed back and Ed Milibands presence is Chaff - The December 2009 climate thing is a red herring!
The UK will shortly be entering a savage double dip - it will happen and it will be worse because of Gordon Browns economic failure with wasteful measures such as the VAT cut. The rise in prices at the pumps amungst other things eating into disposable income.
The UK could well be going to the IMF in the next Six months - Brown and Darling know this: this is why 22nd October 2009 may still be General Election day despite the specticle of Brown being completly derailed yesterday.
Hardly revelatory insight, Iain. Everyone in the whole country knows with 100% cast-iron certainty that the Tories will win the next election. The only debate now is between those who think this will be a good thing and those who are dreading it. You know which side of that debate I fall on!
ReplyDelete"I think it's called sniffing which way the wind is blowing".
ReplyDeleteDo you sniff the wind to find which way it is blowing? Maybe the different wind directions have different scents?
I guess you didn't really think about what you were writing there.
Cameron should plan to make a huge sweep through quangoland and weed out all the political placemen and women buried into Westminster.
ReplyDeleteAs just one example Labour have a new front Environment Campaign called SERA. From its website hes the bio of its director:-
"Prior to her appointment at SERA, Melanie ran a science and environmental communications agency and was an advisor and speechwriter to Defra’s Chief scientist. She is also a long-standing Labour party campaigner, having been a front-bench councillor in London for ten years and a parliamentary candidate in 2005."
So not only do Ministers have SpADS but the Chief Scientist at DEFRAs communications were managed by an active Labour Party campaigner on environmental issues.
I am sure that she is totally honest and committed but who thought this was right or sensible?
I presume Nesta is trying to make sure they don't appear on one of those Quango hitlists you folks are fond of.
ReplyDeleteStrange though - in the recent past you have been super-critical of taxpayer's money being used by Quangos and the like to lobby. Does this criticism also apply to them using public money to have stands at Tory conference? Or maybe that's OK for some strange reason...
Nesta have always been an almost total waste of space. I had some dealings with their first launch and they were an extraordinary mix of posturing, incompetence, fashionable excess and complete lack of clues as to what they were for. Classic New Labour stuff.
The first thing the Tories should do if (when) they get in is to establish a committee to rectify the unjustified fact that if, for example, the Tories got 50% of the vote and Labour got the other 50%, Labour would have a majority.
ReplyDelete@Edgar
ReplyDeleteEver visited Hull?
“The silent threat of violence hangs in the air, along with the smell from the chocolate factory,” says a former resident in a contribution to the book. “Chocolate factories, by the way, don’t smell of chocolate, they smell of death. If the wind comes from the south-east, the smell of Grimsby docks adds a fishy staleness to the odour. If it comes from the other direction it brings the smell of the tanning factory . . . rotting carcasses and rancid flesh.”
"Strange though - in the recent past you have been super-critical of taxpayer's money being used by Quangos and the like to lobby. Does this criticism also apply to them using public money to have stands at Tory conference? Or maybe that's OK for some strange reason..."
ReplyDeleteYou tit. Dale didn't say that and you know it.
The first 100 days of a Conservative government will look brilliant, as there'll be a PR man running the show. The trouble will come further down the line, when government is actually needed and Dave is shown to be an empty vessel devoid of substance.
ReplyDelete