July 25, 2008
Why Warwick can’t provide the answer to Labour’s woes
Question: What do Crewe & Nantwich, Glasgow East and Henley have in common?
Answer: Nothing
That is the heart of the dilemma faced by Labour as ministers, councillors and union leaders gather in Warwick today to discuss the manifesto for the next election.
Labour is disliked by a] middle class Middle England b] Deprived, working class Glaswegians in an area of 25 per cent unemployment and c] Pimms-drinking punting types.
Finding a coherent policy platform which will appeal to all three demographics was possible under Tony Blair, who had the teflon ability to be all things to all people. Gordon Brown doesn’t have the same skill.
At least David Cameron has traction with a] and c]
Expect a raft of speculation this weekend over the imminent plot to depose the prime minister. But do Labour MPs really have the nerve?
I think that the Tories lack of traction with the deprived, working class Glaswegians poses an interesting question for David Cameron. How long do they go on being ‘one-nation’ Tories when they stand no chance of winning anything like a majority in Scotland under any foreseeable set of circumstances?
Their current lead in England means they don’t have to consider this just yet - but at some point the hard rock of logic is going to hit the immovable object of Tory sentiment.
Posted by: Peter Dunkley | July 28th, 2008 at 10:44 am | Report this comment‘Lack of traction’?????
I have seen New Labour described as
‘New Labour = New Stasi’
‘New Labour ; Tough on freedom, tough on the causes of freedom’
In my view the commonality in all corners of the UK - regardless of demographics or ‘tractions’ is that most people are very tired of being continually over-taxed, over-policed, over-surveillanced, and over-governed.
This is not ‘nanny state’. It is 1984 state.
No doubt in my mind it would be much more intrusive if the government had more money available to invest in surveillance technology.
They freely spend my money with little or no evidence of improvement in services. I STILL need to take time off work for a simple GP appointment.
I’m not entirely convinced the next lot will be noticeably different - whichever lot they are.
Any party which promises bottom up government (not Brownite top down), to role back the 1984 legislation of the past 10 years (ID cards; cameras etc), apply ‘common sense’ in place of ‘political correctness’, cut spending and taxes, and reduce the power of the state (especially the police - no more arrests for taking photographs in a public place, dropping an apple core, smoking in the cab of a van), will probably get my vote.
That agenda should keep politicians busy for 5 years, instead of continually interfering in my life and dipping further and further into my (shrinking) wallet.
Warwick?
Posted by: Ian S | July 28th, 2008 at 1:12 pm | Report this commentThe latest meeting of the League of Blind Men. I hope it’s being funded by the Labour party and not my taxes.