Posts
Blue Moon: Cheer Up Susan, It May Never Happen
Poor Susan Grim has not been enjoying the Leadership succession very much at all. Our Comrade dubs Brown's Labour Blue Labour. It may never happen. I am an optimistic sort myself and reckon Brown's arrival is a small part of a recovery for the people's party, both in terms of working for the "many not the few" and also electorally.
David the blogging Methodist Preacher has a heartening story from 1994 when he had Brown and Blair both in his Astra. Here's a taste:When Tony spoke to a group of people or an individual it was clear who was most important in the conversation - it was the politician. When Gordon spoke to people I noticed how easy he found it to listen, almost absorbing information from the people he was talking to. The most important people in those conversations were those that Gordon had come to canvass.
David Hallam's wiki shows where he's coming from.
14 comments:
Luke Akehurst agrees with my assessment this is the most right-wing Cabinet EVER.And it is.Which gives me scant cause for comfort.
Blimey, if Luke agrees with you it is "right wing" and doesn't believe it is on the "moderate wing" then we really are in trouble.
I repeat my question from your comments. Who would you have picked? Without this exercise the crit. falls a bit flat IMO.
Wasn't Luke doing high fives with his hero Hazel Blears at half time?
The assertion that this is the most right wing cabinet ever is frankly ridiculous.
No Reid, no Clarke, no Milburn, no Blair, no Hewitt, no Blunkett. No Hodge for that matter.
Chris, it's not ridiculous.Whose side are you on?????
David Hallam was a good Euro MP who was stitched up massively by the leadership and put almost at the bottom of the list.
Why no comment on Digby Jones???
I haven't blogged yet today ... apart from a couple of wind ups for Dale's crew before breakfast.
Digby Jones is an arse. If he is a useful arse for the particular portfolio let's use him. Squeeze whatever use there is in the fat cat until the pips squeek, or miaow.
I am all for compromising the enemies of the people and putting them to community service.
Oh Susan, it isn't the most right wing cabinet ever. That is hyperbole.
I have listed seven reasons why it ain't true. I am still waiting for your dream cabinet (and Brown and Harman must be in their places, soz) or even for you to consider the secret seven who made some of Blair's cabinets OBVIOUSLY more right wing. I am on the side of truth and eternal hope.
No Reid, no Clarke, no Milburn, no Blair, no Hewitt, no Blunkett. No Hodge for that matter.
Re Hallam
They were going to put Eddy Newman bottom of the list in the NW too. He retired in a sulk. But he has not become a methodist preacher.
I've posted on the Cabinet..... you don't seem to get it that Brown is deliberately, wilfully pissing the Left off and more importantly our core vote. Tories joining the Govt ..For God's sake is there nothing you won't excuse on the grounds of expediency or clever gamesmnanship, what happened to principles..
Look Susan, you've been sulking for weeks now. This has for the last couple of days been combined with hyperbole. It is NOT NOT NOT the most right wing cabinet of all time. It's just not true. I think there is a real sense of relief in the country that the Blair era is over. I don't think the cabinet is at all bad. It could have been worse - all those seven bar Blair being available. And to be frank I don't give a monkey's about Digby.
He is NOT pissing off our core vote. WHY do you assert that. For one thing you are constantly unestimating how right wing that vote can be when it is so minded. And for two you are prejudging where this cabinet and government is going to go with Brown's succession.
I'm not expecting a McDonnell programme from Brown. But I am hoping for some moves in the right direction.
Council houses, even affordable HA houses, moves on living wage, less tangling with the USA, better public transport, thumping fascists, perhaps a carefully brokered scheme of earnt regularisation for asylum seekers/aka unsuccessful refugees, moves on prisons to get mentally ill people and addicts out of them, more deflection and even better positive engagement for young people, better pensions and so on and so forth.
I honestly believe that Labour representatives are the best thing at all levels and if we are to win back parish, council, city and county seats and at least maintain our majority at Westminster then we can do without too much grinding and gnashing less than TWO DAYS in to a new government.
If we get 10% more of our programme under Brown than under Blair that is cause for some satisfaction. We might get 12 or 15% more if we engage, make arguments, persuade and negotiate.
I think you're missing much of the point about Digby Jones's appointment, Chris. Whether or not he'll do much damage is almost beside the point (though it's hard to buy the line that he'll be completely harmless - why give him the post if not? It's not as if Digby's some sort of populist celebrity businessman who could spin a few votes our way). What his appointment demonstrates - again - is Brown's cavalier disregard for democracy in parachuting unelected people into government willy-nilly. "Sir" Digby Jones has been elected by no one, has a mandate from no one, and has been given a job by a leader of the Labour party who has been "elected" by a mere 300 people.
I mean, I'm not expecting socialism red in tooth and claw from these people, but some sort of basic respect for democratic procedure, and for your own party, wouldn't go amiss. And I'm sorry, THIS does seem like a piece of political shock-jockery from Brown designed at pissing off the left. And given that the Blair years were tainted from early on by accusations of cronyism brought on by too close an association with rich businessmen, this is an extremely worrying - and risky - start. You can't just waive away the left's exasperation over this as simplistic outrage.
Chris
Where is your evidence for the following?
"Council houses, even affordable HA houses, moves on living wage, less tangling with the USA, better public transport, thumping fascists, perhaps a carefully brokered scheme of earnt regularisation for asylum seekers/aka unsuccessful refugees, moves on prisons to get mentally ill people and addicts out of them, more deflection and even better positive engagement for young people, better pensions and so on and so forth."
Does one need "evidence" for aspirations, hopes and potential developments these days?
Clearly the Housing one is announced ... Other good things will follow. The misery on the left is an appalling thing to behold. Fed up with being fed up? Join the Labour Party and renew your enthusiasm for moaning and whining! That should be the sales pitch.
Post a Comment