Well he certainly got Clegg and his mates under his spell.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Post Mortem Continues - Time for "Next Labour"
The Sunday papers are predictably full of the post election post mortem. Column inches (or centimeters, depending on whether you are pro European or or not) are taken up talking about
I hope The Coalition lasts for the “fixed term”. If it collapses too soon I fear an outright Tory victory in the subsequent election while Labour are still in the process of renewal - whatever that looks like.
As to who was responsible for the failed Lib / Lab talks then the blame is being shared around. There are suggestions that Clegg was playing a clever game of keeping his options open but all along wanted to do a deal with Cameron and the Tory's. It seems pretty clear that Vince Cable preferred a deal with Labour.
Writing in The Observer, Charles Kennedy says that although he was “keen to explore the possibilites of a so-called “progressive coalition”.... there was insufficient reciprocal will within the Labour party”.
The Observer also suggests that a deal between Labour and the LibDems was possible on things like scrapping identity cards, plans for the third runway at Heathrow and even considering the £10k tax threshold (if ways could be found to bridge the estimated £17bn cost).
But it seems that cuts and electoral reform left the two parties miles apart. Which to me now seems at odds with what was being reported at the beginning of last week when offered immediate legislation on voting reform.
The issue of Labour not having a moral mandate to govern was reportedely too much for the likes John Reid, David Blunkett and Jack Straw.
So perhaps Clegg wanted to be seen to be reaching out to Labour to try and secure even more concessions from Cameron's team. It will be a mistake to underestimate this man's ambition and thirst for power - in the national interest of course.
So what about the Labour leadership – as David Miliiband says “New Labour is not the future. I'm interested now in Next Labour”.
I think that David Milliband will appeal more to “Blairite” members and Ed Milliband, Ed Balls and John Cruddas to “Brownites” . OK, OK I know the Party is keen to ditch “Blairite” and “Brownite” from the vocabulary and see the candidates for themselves - and I will I promise.
I missed an opportunity yesterday to be out with my MP, Ed Balls, in the streets of Morley to say thank you to the voters for their continuing support. There was also a social last night for local Party workers. Perhaps if I had been there I might have had a Bloggers scoop this morning - who knows.
Mike
- how long The Coalition will last
- who was to blame for the failure of the Lib / Lab talks
- the Labour leadership
I hope The Coalition lasts for the “fixed term”. If it collapses too soon I fear an outright Tory victory in the subsequent election while Labour are still in the process of renewal - whatever that looks like.
As to who was responsible for the failed Lib / Lab talks then the blame is being shared around. There are suggestions that Clegg was playing a clever game of keeping his options open but all along wanted to do a deal with Cameron and the Tory's. It seems pretty clear that Vince Cable preferred a deal with Labour.
Writing in The Observer, Charles Kennedy says that although he was “keen to explore the possibilites of a so-called “progressive coalition”.... there was insufficient reciprocal will within the Labour party”.
The Observer also suggests that a deal between Labour and the LibDems was possible on things like scrapping identity cards, plans for the third runway at Heathrow and even considering the £10k tax threshold (if ways could be found to bridge the estimated £17bn cost).
But it seems that cuts and electoral reform left the two parties miles apart. Which to me now seems at odds with what was being reported at the beginning of last week when offered immediate legislation on voting reform.
The issue of Labour not having a moral mandate to govern was reportedely too much for the likes John Reid, David Blunkett and Jack Straw.
So perhaps Clegg wanted to be seen to be reaching out to Labour to try and secure even more concessions from Cameron's team. It will be a mistake to underestimate this man's ambition and thirst for power - in the national interest of course.
So what about the Labour leadership – as David Miliiband says “New Labour is not the future. I'm interested now in Next Labour”.
I think that David Milliband will appeal more to “Blairite” members and Ed Milliband, Ed Balls and John Cruddas to “Brownites” . OK, OK I know the Party is keen to ditch “Blairite” and “Brownite” from the vocabulary and see the candidates for themselves - and I will I promise.
I missed an opportunity yesterday to be out with my MP, Ed Balls, in the streets of Morley to say thank you to the voters for their continuing support. There was also a social last night for local Party workers. Perhaps if I had been there I might have had a Bloggers scoop this morning - who knows.
Mike
Saturday, 15 May 2010
Aftermath
I went to bed in the early hours of 7th May disappointed but not surprised. I was resigned to a hung parliament - the exit polls had been right. The only question was what the seat split would be.
The events of the following days have been Blogged, reported and televised to death.
We are now ConDemmed to a coalition, so we are told, for the next five years.
I have been a Labour Party voter all my adult life and a member since 1994. We have done so much good over the last 13 years – national minimum wage, low inflation and interest rates, New Deal … and many many more. Here's a link to the Labour Party website listing 50 major achievements Labour achievements
I do think we have been struggling over the last few years and it seemd like we had run out of steam and lost touch with the voters. So now we have an opportunity to renew ourselves - a new leader and a new direction. This will be a challenge as I thnk that the Tory / Lib Dem coalition (The Coalition) now occupies more of the centre ground.
The Lib Dems were so desperate to get a taste of power that I think it was inevitable that Clegg would get into bed with Cameron. Clegg has been prepared to give up some of the Lib Dem key policies to get the promise of a referendum on the voting system - during which the Tories will campaign against the changes. So they are now in a “civil partnerhip” until 2015 - but I tell you I will show my bare arse in Burton's window if they last that long without one or the other seeking a separation.
It was an interesting Question Time on the BBC last Thursday with some people asking whether the people who voted Lib Dem to keep out the Tories should feel betrayed. I think that many will.
I have experience of living in a city run by a Tory / Lib Dem coalition. They are supported in power by a rag bag Independent group made up of disgraced or failed former Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem party members. Perhaps more about them in the future.
As I write the Milliband brothers, Ed and David, have both declared that they are running for the leadership of the Labour Party. I suspect that my own MP, Ed Balls will announce he is a candidate in the next few days. If I was a betting man I would put my money on someone called Ed - but let's wait and see what happens.
So I'm going to try and keep track of events in the political world and post a regular blog full of comments, opinion, links and of course the usual drivel seen in my other blog (Utter Drivel).
I hope that you find Political Drivel interesting and sometimes funny. Please leave your comments and feedback.
Quote - The Tory Party is the cream of society, thick, rich and full of clots. (Anon).
Mike
I have been a Labour Party voter all my adult life and a member since 1994. We have done so much good over the last 13 years – national minimum wage, low inflation and interest rates, New Deal … and many many more. Here's a link to the Labour Party website listing 50 major achievements Labour achievements
I do think we have been struggling over the last few years and it seemd like we had run out of steam and lost touch with the voters. So now we have an opportunity to renew ourselves - a new leader and a new direction. This will be a challenge as I thnk that the Tory / Lib Dem coalition (The Coalition) now occupies more of the centre ground.
The Lib Dems were so desperate to get a taste of power that I think it was inevitable that Clegg would get into bed with Cameron. Clegg has been prepared to give up some of the Lib Dem key policies to get the promise of a referendum on the voting system - during which the Tories will campaign against the changes. So they are now in a “civil partnerhip” until 2015 - but I tell you I will show my bare arse in Burton's window if they last that long without one or the other seeking a separation.
I have experience of living in a city run by a Tory / Lib Dem coalition. They are supported in power by a rag bag Independent group made up of disgraced or failed former Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem party members. Perhaps more about them in the future.
As I write the Milliband brothers, Ed and David, have both declared that they are running for the leadership of the Labour Party. I suspect that my own MP, Ed Balls will announce he is a candidate in the next few days. If I was a betting man I would put my money on someone called Ed - but let's wait and see what happens.
So I'm going to try and keep track of events in the political world and post a regular blog full of comments, opinion, links and of course the usual drivel seen in my other blog (Utter Drivel).
I hope that you find Political Drivel interesting and sometimes funny. Please leave your comments and feedback.
Quote - The Tory Party is the cream of society, thick, rich and full of clots. (Anon).
Mike
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