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Joy Unconfined: Campbell, Boulton Handbags; But Read Smallprint for Full Effect of Brown Bombshell
Preamble: If I'd blogged it last evening or this morning you'd know that my formula to resolve this impasse and have the Lib Dems stay with the progressive 7 against the reactionary pro-rich deep-cuts Tory 4 was for Gordon Brown to (a) resign as leader and allow a contest; and (b) be ready to stand down as both leader and PM once the contest was done. Around party conference time. But I thought blogging it might spoil things. Superstitious I know. But all is well.
Postscript and Small Print: Unlike (very very clever) Gordon I did not make the resignation and contest conditional on the Lib Dems coming over and playing with us children of the soil, instead of the greedy toffs. That nuance should clinch it. If they don't Gordon plans to lead the opposition! Though not a lot of people have noticed this super careful Gordon Brown drafting!
Craven Harlots: Nick Robinson was finding it very very hard indeed to stay civil and professional with Lord Steel, Lord Adonis and Alastair Campbell on BBC News this afternoon. Don't know why anyone was surprised it seemed like a Plan to me. Anyway, Murdoch's court jester Adam Boulton (above) didn't manage it. And he only had Campbell to contend with. Joy unconfined.
11 comments:
In don't understand Chris - I thought Gordon has siad he will step down as leader of the Labour Party with a new leader in place before the autumn conference.
This means Gordon stays on as caretaker of:
the Labour Opposition to a Con-Dem cat herding coalition
or
and Progressive Coalition of Lib Dems who won't know "Whose the real Daddy" over summer.
But all said and done Gordon is going.
And with the Boy Hague delivering a surprise karate chop (without a sweaty Seb Coe in toe) with an offer of "AV" then a Con-Dem coalish still looks on the cards.
A summer of discontent of PM Dave Cameron about as popular as a turd in a swimming pool? Deputy Clogg dragged down with the Cam-moron effect?
We need coalition specialist Cyril Smith to help polish those crystal balls...
on that note - if the CPS see fit, will there be many Lib Dems in certain, ahem, northern constituencies spending some hospitality care of her Majesty? I did see an election story about Paul Rowen going to HMP Buckley Hall and had a double take at the headline!
Think if you read the small print Brown said he'd go if and only if the Lib Dems entered an arrangement.
Must say in the pubs of the land there is a certain amount of willing the ConDem pact to be in the ascendancy and to fall on its fat face.
However, the risk of ConDemmery is that Cameron chooses a moment well to shaft them DEms and goes to the country, gets a majority of seats and from then on rules like a proper evil tory b'stard.
Entered an arrangement with Labour that is.
As a long standing Labour activist, I personally believe we should go into opposition. Let Clegg get into bed with the Tories - it will show the Lib Dems for what they are and all those centre left/progressive people who stupidly voted Lib Dem will come home to Labour. Let's not kid ourselves that we can work with those Lib Dem bastards, we Labour activists on the ground know only too well what the Lib Dems are like. It is only silly, metropolitan luvvies like Polly Toynbee that want to see us with the Lib Dems.
A Tory/Lib Dem coalition/arrangement is perfect for Labour - Lib Dems lose a shed load of votes back to us, the 2 sides of the coalition fall out over spending cuts and Europe, Cameron loses support, Labour has a new leader, the coalition falls apart 18 months to 2 years down the road, we have a fresh election and we get back in with a majority without having sacrificed anything.
Final point, a work colleague of mine who is a Lib Dem activist and former Lib Dem councillor told me today that she will resign her membership if the Lib Dems enter into a deal with Cameron. Nuff said. Bring it on!!!!
For those old enough to remember, Rochdale council and its "liberal" MP ran as a defacto Lib-Con regime for years.
Cyril Smith was rabidly anti-socialist despite the solid rumours that Jack McCann MP for Rochdale and Labour Home Secretary Jim Callaghan helped to ensure Special Branch "disappeared" the "paedo" file and criminal charges relating to Alderman Cyril Smith allegedly abusing young working lads at Cambridge House hostel (and elsewhere).
Cyril was very close to both David Trippier (the Brillcream boy) and Pam "Thora Herd" Hawton. But Cyril was smart and knew he couldn't call himself a Tory on the ballot paper.
History lesson over.
Rochdale Rapper - the irony of course is that during the years of Lib/Con coalition on Rochdale Council, the Tories were the moderating and more sensible influence in those coalitions. In Rochdale, the Liberals have always been to the right of the Tories. In 1984/85 it was the Liberals that tried to cling on to the outmoded and discredited middle school system that existed in the area of the old Rochdale County Borough for no better reason than it had been introduced in the 1950's when Cyril Smith was Chairman of the Education Committee and he insisted they keep his legacy! Thankfully, the Tories saw sense and voted with the Labour opposition to establish a proper system of 4 to 11 primary, 11 to 16secondary and 16 plus tertiary.
We are here to serve. Do not fear us. Some will say we are the lizard people but do not heed those who fear change and who use the "V" sign.
Resitance is futile.
Exterminate, exterminate, extermite.
Papa Clegg knocking at No. 10 Downing Street early this morning.
"You're my wife now Dave..."
Chris, I just wanted to say thanks for your help election night. But I think we had a lucky escape on this one....whaetver deal Toynbee and Mandelson wanted to cook up, they were wrong.
About the first time I've ever agreed with John Reid, David Blunkett and Andy Burnham in one fell swoop....but they were right. Shut the door on your way out, Mandy.
Thanks Susan
I think it was •very* important that there was an attempt to save the UK from the Tories who have already taken the Lib Dem refusal to redline the NHS and had them roll over on Top Up Fees, and what's more this ridiculous idea of 45% being enough for a confidence vote?
Looking at the Calder Valley result I must say I am amazed at how clever Hebden folk are. Falling in behind the 3rd party to "stop the Tories". Fantastically Hebden.
Is there any ready source of VT for declarations btw?
Best w
Chris P
PS Clearly the nuance in Gordon's statement re resigning if the LDs dealt was completely ignored by his comrades and colleagues too, and/or he realised he'd have to go anyway.
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