Friday, February 04, 2005
Where's Big Ears?
I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that Tory AM, David Davies, has an Enid Blyton fixation. This would certainly explain his decsription this morning of a Labour General Election campaign pack as a "Noddy File".
The Western Mail describes this pack as "An astonishing idiot's guide to general election campaigning, which treats Labour candidates like children." It goes on to describe this important campaigning tool as containing letters, press releases and telephone scripts for the party's election hopefuls, telling them just to fill in the blank spaces left for their own names and constituencies.
Somehow David Davies finds it more "reminiscent of Toytown, home to Noddy and all his friends," though, long time ago as it was, I cannot recall any of the characters of these books ever delivering leaflets or doing anything remotely democratic. His view that Labour treats their candidates like little kids however does not surprise me. New Labour have always talked down to the voters in this way.
Anybody who has been politically active will know that these sorts of packs are standard fare in most of the parties nowadays. Having all the templates published in the press however was a stroke of genius as it has the effect of neutralising them if they are used by candidates.
The issue with Labour's campaign pack it seems to me is that it does not appear to be very devolution friendly. That is their problem of course but it does highlight a major beef in their attitude to Wales.
The Western Mail describes this pack as "An astonishing idiot's guide to general election campaigning, which treats Labour candidates like children." It goes on to describe this important campaigning tool as containing letters, press releases and telephone scripts for the party's election hopefuls, telling them just to fill in the blank spaces left for their own names and constituencies.
Somehow David Davies finds it more "reminiscent of Toytown, home to Noddy and all his friends," though, long time ago as it was, I cannot recall any of the characters of these books ever delivering leaflets or doing anything remotely democratic. His view that Labour treats their candidates like little kids however does not surprise me. New Labour have always talked down to the voters in this way.
Anybody who has been politically active will know that these sorts of packs are standard fare in most of the parties nowadays. Having all the templates published in the press however was a stroke of genius as it has the effect of neutralising them if they are used by candidates.
The issue with Labour's campaign pack it seems to me is that it does not appear to be very devolution friendly. That is their problem of course but it does highlight a major beef in their attitude to Wales.
