Thursday, September 24, 2009
And so to Brighton
With the Liberal Democrat Conference behind us the media circus moves onto Brighton and a Labour Conference that promises to see the retirement of one leader (no, not that one) and a continuing crisis for another.
Whilst the Welsh press will no doubt be hanging on every word of the soon-to-be-departed First Minister and monitoring the activities of the three possible successors, everybody else will be watching Gordon Brown to see if he can survive yet another crisis and start to rebuild the electoral support he has squandered in his time as Prime Minister.
Certainly, one former Cabinet heavyweight and usual suspect, Charles Clarke is already warning of disaster. The former Home Secretary said yesterday that Labour could lose 150 seats at the next election and be out of power for a generation. He urged Mr Brown to use the excuse of poor health to step down for the sake of his own “dignity":
In a scathing attack, he described Downing Street under Mr Brown as “the weakest I’ve ever seen,” with No 10 less effective than under John Major, the last Conservative prime minister.
He told the London Evening Standard: "Are we just going to stand by and watch the whole Labour ship crash on to the rocks of May 2010?"
Later, in a speech to Progress, the veteran MP attacked Blairite colleagues in the Labour Party who he said had given up trying to oust Mr Brown and were pinning their hopes on winning the election after next.
Mr Clarke said that the assumption that Labour would quickly return to power having lost it in 2010 was ill-conceived, as the party faced the loss of as many as 150 seats and could be eliminated as an electoral force.
“Our leadership is weak, uncertain, tactically unsure and lacks vision,” he added.
If Bournemouth was occasionally traumatic for the Liberal Democrats, then Brighton promises to be doubly so for Labour.
Whilst the Welsh press will no doubt be hanging on every word of the soon-to-be-departed First Minister and monitoring the activities of the three possible successors, everybody else will be watching Gordon Brown to see if he can survive yet another crisis and start to rebuild the electoral support he has squandered in his time as Prime Minister.
Certainly, one former Cabinet heavyweight and usual suspect, Charles Clarke is already warning of disaster. The former Home Secretary said yesterday that Labour could lose 150 seats at the next election and be out of power for a generation. He urged Mr Brown to use the excuse of poor health to step down for the sake of his own “dignity":
In a scathing attack, he described Downing Street under Mr Brown as “the weakest I’ve ever seen,” with No 10 less effective than under John Major, the last Conservative prime minister.
He told the London Evening Standard: "Are we just going to stand by and watch the whole Labour ship crash on to the rocks of May 2010?"
Later, in a speech to Progress, the veteran MP attacked Blairite colleagues in the Labour Party who he said had given up trying to oust Mr Brown and were pinning their hopes on winning the election after next.
Mr Clarke said that the assumption that Labour would quickly return to power having lost it in 2010 was ill-conceived, as the party faced the loss of as many as 150 seats and could be eliminated as an electoral force.
“Our leadership is weak, uncertain, tactically unsure and lacks vision,” he added.
If Bournemouth was occasionally traumatic for the Liberal Democrats, then Brighton promises to be doubly so for Labour.
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"If Bournemouth was occasionally traumatic for the Liberal Democrats"
Can't fault you for positive thinking Peter! lol
Can't fault you for positive thinking Peter! lol
I have often wondered whether Charles Clarke is ill. I mean, all that stuff with tuition fees - after wasting 30 years of his life trying to get Labour elected. He may as well have just voted for the Tories. Hee! Hee! Hee!
Don't get me started on his Party loyalty demands. He spent 30 years demanding Labour members be loyal to the leader. Loyal to Kinnock, loyal to Smith, loyal to Blair. I guess having to be loyal to three Labour Party leaders is enough for anyone to stomach. Hee! Hee! Hee!
I'd never support New Labour now. Particularly a Labour Party led by that creepy David Millipede. No doubt New Labour believe they will sweep back into power in 2014 - as Labour did back in 1983. You see, when these unions start playing up because of annual pay freezes and further privatisations, it's going to become very interesting indeed. The voters of Britain broke the backs of the unions before and with it (nearly) The Labour Party. I, and many, will do it all over again if necessary. So be warned.
Don't get me started on his Party loyalty demands. He spent 30 years demanding Labour members be loyal to the leader. Loyal to Kinnock, loyal to Smith, loyal to Blair. I guess having to be loyal to three Labour Party leaders is enough for anyone to stomach. Hee! Hee! Hee!
I'd never support New Labour now. Particularly a Labour Party led by that creepy David Millipede. No doubt New Labour believe they will sweep back into power in 2014 - as Labour did back in 1983. You see, when these unions start playing up because of annual pay freezes and further privatisations, it's going to become very interesting indeed. The voters of Britain broke the backs of the unions before and with it (nearly) The Labour Party. I, and many, will do it all over again if necessary. So be warned.
Trouble is Sir Edward, I don't seem to remember you doing so very well at breaking the backs of any unions yourself back in your time. Hee hee.
And the voters of Britain didn't much vote for the lady who knocked you out of the way and then did attack the unions - I seem to remember that even at her zenith she didn't score much above 43% of the popular vote.
And the voters of Britain didn't much vote for the lady who knocked you out of the way and then did attack the unions - I seem to remember that even at her zenith she didn't score much above 43% of the popular vote.
# posted by 
: 6:50 PM
: 6:50 PM
"Trouble is Sir Edward, I don't seem to remember you doing so very well at breaking the backs of any unions yourself back in your time."
Just imagine for a moment if the voters had backed me in 1974 with my stylish "Who Governs Britain?" campaign. "That woman" might never have come to power. You see, in a few years we may have to decide this again. Who governs us? Unions or the Government you have elected.
Don't blame me for history. Ensure you don't repeat it. For I gave a choice in 1974. 1974 to 1979 was my answer. What it shame it took 1979 to 1990 to break that Union Monster that was in place by 1978.
Oh, for the benefit of the Welsh, Union Monster means The Unions.
Not "that woman". Hee! Hee! Hee!
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Just imagine for a moment if the voters had backed me in 1974 with my stylish "Who Governs Britain?" campaign. "That woman" might never have come to power. You see, in a few years we may have to decide this again. Who governs us? Unions or the Government you have elected.
Don't blame me for history. Ensure you don't repeat it. For I gave a choice in 1974. 1974 to 1979 was my answer. What it shame it took 1979 to 1990 to break that Union Monster that was in place by 1978.
Oh, for the benefit of the Welsh, Union Monster means The Unions.
Not "that woman". Hee! Hee! Hee!
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