Sunday, December 27, 2009

David Cameron's New Year Message

"2010 will be election year.  After all the false starts and speculation, now we know forsure that the country will have a chance to vote for change this year.  Within days, the gloves will be off and the arguments will begin.  But as we enter this year of intense political activity, I think it's important for all politicians to remember something.  While those in the Westminster village might eagerly be limbering up for a frantic few months of speeches and launches and strategies and tactics - and all the hoopla of today's politics - most people in the country will be contemplating the prospect of months of electioneering with emotions somewhere on a scale between indifference and dread: and that is something we need to change.  But we'll only do that if we recognise the reasons why politics is broken. First and foremost it's because the expenses scandal is not a chapter that comes to a close as we move into a new year.  It is an ongoing reminder of a deeper breakdown in trust between politicians and the public.  And this has many causes. Politicians who think they have the answer to everything and just can't bear to leave people alone to get on with their lives. Politicians who can't bring themselves to recognise any good in their opponents and refuse to work together to get things done. Politicians who never admit they're wrong and never acknowledge that they've made a mistake.  A sense that Westminster has become so much about point-scoring, positioning and political dividing-lines that people and their real-life problems are completely left out.  

These are some of the reasons that politics is broken. I'm sure I've been guilty of these offences on occasions, and no doubt will commit them again.  But we shouldn't stop trying to get it right just because we don't always succeed.  Over the past few years, we've tried in the Conservative Party to do things differently.  We voted for Tony Blair's school reforms because we agreed with them even though we could have inflicted a damaging defeat on the Government.  We've encouraged our parliamentary candidates to set up social action projects in their communities.  We've opened up politics through open primaries to select potential MPs and held open Cameron Direct meetings all over the country where people from all parties and none can come and ask me questions.  We took swift action on expenses and were the first to pay money back where that was the right thing to do.  And we've consistently pushed for TV election debates, whether we've been behind in the polls or ahead in the polls.

But there's a huge amount more to do if we want to rebuild trust.  So let's try and make this election year the moment to start fixing our broken politics.  Let's bring real change to Westminster and the whole political system.  A big part of that is about policy: policies to reform expenses and the way Parliament works; policies to redistribute power from the political elite to the man and woman in the street; policies to make government more transparent and accountable. But it's not all about policy.  It's also about character, attitude and approach.  It's about how political leaders actually behave, the example they set and the lead they give.  It's about doing as well as talking - real social action in our communities, not just pontificating from an ivory tower.  And my resolution this new year is to work harder for a new politics in this country.  

I don't want to mislead people: there's an election campaign coming, and I think it's reasonable for political parties to point out the consequences of their opponents' policies, records and judgments as well as the benefits of their own.  The House of Commons - particularly on set-piece occasions like Prime Minister's Questions - is an adversarial place.  But let's make sure the election is a proper argument about the future of the country, not some exercise in fake dividing lines.  Let's at least recognise the good intentions of our opponents. Let's be honest that whether you're Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat, you're motivated by pretty much the same progressive aims: a country that is safer, fairer, greener and where opportunity is more equal.  It's how to achieve these aims that we disagree about - and indeed between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats there is a lot less disagreement than there used to be. 

Of course the area where there is greatest and most sincere agreement between political parties is our shared support for our mission in Afghanistan.  I know that we will never take for granted the bravery of our armed forces, and as we prepare to fight the political battles at home, we will keep in mind constantly the humbling courage of those who fight the real battles for us overseas.So let's make 2010 the year for a new politics.  Let's be positive about our own policies as well as pointing out the consequences of our opponents' policies.  

But above all, let's be honest about the problems facing the country and how we can solve them.  Yes, there will be an election this year: that much is certain.  And we can be certain too that the arguments will be fierce.  But let's make it a good clean fight.  And once the battle is over, we will need to rise above our differences and come together because that is the only way - strong, united leadership is the only way - we will sort out Britain's problems, halt our decline, and give this country the success that I know we can achieve."

31 comments:

Unknown said...

One thing you could do Mr Cameron is to commit to bring MP Expense Policy into line with that of commercial organisations.

Nowehere in industry are such lavish policies as second homes paid for. We have to stay in hotels and can only recover expenes that are wholy, ncessarily and exclusively incurred in the nature of business. Why cannot MPs have to follow the same policy?

Paddy Briggs said...

Some the words missing from Cameron's 940 word message:

Poverty (or poor)

Justice (or injustice)

Freedom

Equality (or inequality)

Peace

Europe

Partnership

Help

Unemployed

Banker

Bonus

Tax

Environment

Vision

Pledge

Obama

Health

Priviledge

and ...Thatcher!

Demetrius said...

2010 has some potential big nasties out there, it is going to be a rough ride. It needs spelling out just how rough it might get.

Sally Roberts said...

Paddy, why don't you read what David Cameron *did* say?

Oh I forgot...It's just because you simply want to pick holes in it!

Enlightened Despot said...

What is the point of him tut-tutting at the political games that he and most other politicians so annoyingly play? Let's judge him by his actions, not his smooth words.

Dangerouslysubversivedad said...

"Let's be honest that whether you're Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat, you're motivated by pretty much the same progressive aims"

Well there's a bit of unexpected candour...some of us are still old-fashioned and use the word 'socialist' though.

"indeed between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats there is a lot less disagreement than there used to be"

My, someone's private polling must be rather depressing reading mustn't it...maybe we really are heading for a hung Parliament then!

haddock said...

"But there's a huge amount more to do if we want to rebuild trust. So let's try and make this election year the moment to start fixing our broken politics."

.....that would read better if promises were substituted for politics, how else does he think trust may be rebuilt ?.
He seems to be letting one matter at least, 'rest'...... not a mention...

Unsworth said...

@ Paddy Briggs

Also missing:

Cretin.

And about 99% of the OED.

So what? Any damn fool can draw up a list of 'missing' items - like Gold, for a start.

Houdini said...

A good clean fight, however desirable and however much we really don't want it, is the words of a fool, especially if sincere.

Brown, Mandelson, McBride, Draper, Campbell and Prescott, just to name the front page names, will have none of that, and they will gain later.

Fight them bite for bite and spit for spit, and if you want to be nice, then do it later, but don't give them power in any measure because they won't give you any.

David Lindsay said...

"Between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats there is a lot less disagreement than there used to be."

So says David Cameron in his hilariously pretentious New Year Message.

But when were the people running his own party ever not Eurofanatical, anti-family, pro-crime and pro-drugs, just like the Lib Dems?

And when were the Lib Dems ever not capitalist, libertarian, broadly or strongly secular, globalist, and committed to making the world anew even at the barrel of a gun, just like David Cameron and those around him?

Libertarian said...

Never a truer word spoken, fair play at least he's been honest

"Let's be honest that whether you're Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat, you're motivated by pretty much the same progressive aims"

You are all the same, If you want something different then do something different. Vote UKIP

Dick Puddlecote said...

Good point, Paddy. Liberty, promise, and repeal were missing too. Not sure Thatcher would be relevant 20 years on, mind. ;-)

Hopefully, once the gloves are off, as Daveyboy mentions, we'll get something more meaty than this sort of puff.

Anonymous said...

There were lots of words missing in Camerons statement.

Not least 'socialists' and 'bastards'. But I'll forgive him for not stating the bleedin' obvious.

Ah .... here is a speech which mentions poverty and inequality
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8351744.stm

Here is one which covers most bases.
http://www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/david-cameron-speech-on-the-future-of-britain/

and
here is one on the Health Service
http://page.politicshome.com/uk/preview_article.html?article_id=3518&page_num=1
The examples are endless, two words I will include for Mr Briggs' benefit are 'bog' and 'off'

Tapestry said...

There will soon be only two words on peoples' lips -

government

debt.

The forecast in May was 12% of GDP. Darling is pretending that that is now the reality, with 'journalists' like Portillo faithfully recreating the government narrative.

Since May government reveneues have fallen by GBP 50 billion. The country's GDP has shrunk to GBP 1.25 trillion, and spending is surging.

The PSBR (an acronym which has gone out of use) is approaching GBP 250 billion, not the 175-odd billion claimed by Darling.

(See Treasury stats)

Make that 20% of GDP please, not 12%.

The narrative claims we are the same level as the USA. How's that? The US is borrowing 9% of GDP.

Martin S said...

No doubt Brown's address to the nation will be a self-serving whine. As usual.

Anonymous said...

A good clean fight? What fight? What differences? No, David, people aren't fed up with politicians fighting per se. They're fed up with politicians fighting when in fact they all agree on practically everything. Please, please just for once tell us what is DIFFERENT in what you are offering - and a difference that you won't argue with your opponents doesn't count.

OBC News said...

Not a single mention of the EU. Dave, you are a busted flush.

Jimmy said...

"But it's not all about policy."

No kidding.

Unknown said...

@Paddy Briggs

"Some the words missing from Cameron's 940 word message:

Obama
Thatcher"

Mind telling me why on earth either of those words should be in there?

Obama is the American President - about as much to do with UK politics as the bowel movements of the Mexican President, who coincidentally, was also not mentioned.

Thatcher is an ex prime minister who hasn't been in office for almost 20 years. Is it now a requirement for leaders to mention their predecessors?

In which case I look forward to Labour's campaign where Tony Blair is frequently mentioned......although on second thoughts, I probably shouldn't hold my breath eh?

Anonymous said...

"No doubt Brown's address to the nation will be a self-serving whine.."

Isn't the address you've just read self-serving?

Quote: "A sense that Westminster has become so much about point-scoring.."

Who capitalised so much from of a slip of the tongue from Gordon Brown? The fact that a collapse of the worlds banking system had been averted passed him by. "Point-scoring" at it's worst.

Unknown said...

Words don't really matter. What matters is that after DC has won the coming election (just) he must tackle the debt.

If he does manage it, the Conservatives will become the most unpopular party ever, and probably loose the following election.

Better to vote labour now for the long term good of the country, and lets see if labour really has the guts to take the necessary actions to get us out of the hole they have created.

cassandra said...

So Cameron feels secure enough to freely admit his acceptance of and comfort with the post democratic new world order that uses the word progressive as cover.
From this message we learn that the three main parties are in fact one party with shared aims and goals, they are in effect united in taking the UK in a certain direction whether we like it or not.
What does this mean for the UK? It means that democracy is dying of course, it means the voter has no clear choice, no blue water separates the three parties.
If the big three agree on things like the EU federal superstate and they all agree that denying the voter a free choice on whether we want to give away our national sovereignty to a foreign state then where can those voters who do not wish to see the UK become a minor subject region turn?
The liblabcon super party have decided among themselves that the electorate should be denied a free democratic vote on our future in the EU, now note what this means in practice, it means that the electorate have been excluded from being able to have their say on the whole future of the UK as a free democratic sovereign nation.
The political classes have in effect frozen the people out of being able to decide their own fate, that is not democratic, that is the actions of a dictatorship!
The political classes have taken it upon themselves to decide our future and fate without asking us our opinion, they have taken it for granted that they alone should own the rights to deciding our national future, that act of denying the people of a free nation a say is beyond the pail and borders on treason.
This message simply confirms peoples worst fears, a vote for any of big three is a vote for a post democratic regional stooge regime of an anti democratic EU empire, any real Tory would never ever vote for that.

Barnacle Bill said...

Quite frankly after the Lisbon Treaty referendum fiasco I've switched off as far as anything Mr. Cameron utters now.
Happy New Year everyone!

FireForce said...

"Between the Con's & Lib Dems there is a lot less disagreement than there used to be,,,,,
Well try some Conservative principals, and put some ground between you, if you are so close why bother voting tory?
Part of the tory thought in the past years is if we come up with policies then labour will pinch them,

RUBBISH come up with proper right of centre as Tories are supposed to be and they will not follow or pinch.

cassandra said...

Have a look at the following statement and then think about about the ramifications and true meaning of those few words.

"Lets be honest that whether you are labour, liberal democrat or conservative, youre motivated by pretty much the same progressive aims"

NO NO NO! we are not motivated by the same aims and certainly not the aims of the post democratic progressive common purpose NWO.
The whole point of an open free sovereign democracy is that our elected political representatives reflect the majority electorates views.
In making that breathtakingly arrogant statement he labours under the illusion that the electorate shares the same aims and interests as the political classes when in fact they have been diverging for some time.
This single statement reveals just how corrupted and isolated from the electorate Westminster has become, the political classes have fooled themselves into believing that they can decide our fate on our behalf, that only they have the intellectual capacity to design and decide the nations future direction.
They lead and we follow, they create the narrative and the masses obey, that is not democracy.
How can any true right wing libertarian patriotic lover of freedom swallow that? In effect Cameron is saying that the political classes have decided on their own to come together and create a super majority in the seat of our democracy in order to subvert our nation state, this is the tyranny of the minority and will lead to a dark future. Any Tory that reads that one passage and does not shudder inside is no Tory!

JPT said...

Bullshit I'm afraid - and you all know it.

cassandra said...

I wonder what the reaction will be to this message and its horrific and truly depressing contents?
What on earth are traditional Tory grassroots activists going to think? Their party taken over by leftist progressives and they are now left with a party that bears no resemblance to traditional Tory aims and values.
At last there can be no doubt about the true aims and intentions of the Cameron leadership, at last real Tories can see or at least no longer ignore the elephant in the room.
Newlabour, the libdems and the conservatives are more or less the same party now, they share pretty much the same strategic goals and aspirations, only the minor tactical differences remain and they are getting more similar as time goes on.
What is the point of electing any of the three if their overarching aims are one and the same? No bloody wonder they are keen on having the exclusive TV debates trying to squash the small parties out of contention.

cassandra said...

Lets have a look at what so called "progressive politics" has given us over the last decade shall we?

An overbearing big brother bullying and bloated state machine staffed with useless arrogant parasites.

A corrupted and useless deaf dumb and blind Westminster.

A giant unaccountable quango empire swallowing tens of billions of pounds for no benefit other than to employ legions of like minded parasites who share a common purpose.

Not one but two illegal,tragic and utterly useless foreign wars of no national benefit whatsover wasting billions of pounds and many lives for nothing.

An unlimited third world immigration scramble based around lavish benefits and preferential treatment and allowing islamist enemies to plot and plan with impunity.

An unjust human rights bill that is in effect a criminals protection charter that makes a crippled legal system useless and unable to protect the law abiding while allowing a legion of spiv lawyers to make fortunes.

A health and saftey regime that attempts to squash our national character and train us to be timid,frightened and risk averse.

A bloated top heavy NHS that squanders billions while rationing care more concerned with box ticking PC behaviour modification even as real care standards decline.

An insane useless fight against a harmless trace gas, ramping up energy bills,green taxes,ridiculous red tape and laws with legal restrictions on industrial development casuing mass poverty and unemployment.

What has the "progressive politics" which all three parties support ever given us that has not turned out to be a poison chalice? Ask yourself this question and you will hate the frankly evil term "progressive" as much as I do. In reality 'progressive politics' has poisoned,sabotaged and killed our age old free nation state.

Wake up there and beware of those who would steal our future.

Unknown said...

Reading some of cassandra's comments I couldn't help thinking what a well chosen name cassandra is using:-)

Roger Thornhill said...

"change". Used often here, but a non-word. Change is meaningless. We need improvement or sometimes an end to entropy and erosion.

"new". Over the years people have been battered about the head into thinking this equals "better". No it does not. "new" is just another form of "change" except it rules out going back to when things might have worked better.

"rebuild trust". That should be a by-product, not an end in itself. Trust, if it is genuine, should grow as a result of integrity and reputation. The aim surely is to have these two factors in politics. "rebuilding trust" is the icing, the shadow play. Cameron makes it an objective, which is telling.

Twig said...

Inspirational! (not).