Miserable journey to and from Heathrow. Overcast and distinctly unsummery day. No lightening of the prevailing gloom, when ....Welcome aboard, matey!
Image nicked from Conservative Home, with no apologies and absolutely no regrets.
Reminds Malcolm of the old story:
"Ted says we mustn't gloat," said Whitelaw, "wrong to gloat, mustn't do it, no, no, no. Well, I can tell you, I'm gloating
like hell". Sphere: Related Content
5 comments:
Read this quote on BBC website.
"He wrote that under Mr Cameron the party 'appears to me to have ceased collectively to believe in anything, or to stand for anything.
'It has no bedrock. It exists on shifting sands. A sense of mission has been replaced by a PR agenda."
Maybe I'm just not that cued in to Isle politics but isn't someone defecting to Labor over lack of substance strike you as the pot calling the kettle black?
Welcome back, OAC!
There is ideology on both sides of the House. If you want to see/read unreconstructed Thatcherism, try conservativehome. On the other side (my side) we like to think of our "principles".
For all of the perceived froth, Blair put his money where his mouth was and is: education and health. I doubt that Brown will veer far from that, praise be.
There is a huge investment in infra-structure (unlike Thatcher's neglect of and contempt for public services). The 2012 Olympics are providing the springboard for wholesale reconstruction of north-east London (one of the great deprived areas of Britain). Other projects are being driven forward in the other big cities. This is all being done by a pragmatic and competent administration. That's not "lack of substance".
I may be a Labour man since I was indoctrinated by my Uncle Ernest (a local mine-worker's leader), but I'm proud and loud to be called a socialist.
Malcolm,
Apologies on a late reply but I've had to work some over time (just finished for the week). Don't worry I haven't gone anywhere (except Alaska) which I dutifully blogged post haste upon my return.
This whole conversation reminds me of something I saw on Q&A on RTE (I think) about the Frank Connolly affair awhile ago. One of the panelists noted that Frank Connolly the investigative journalist would not have been satisfied with the answers provided by Frank Connolly the individual.
I would not argue that there is definitely idealogy at play on both sides of the isle but I would view unreconstructed Thatcherists in the Tories the same way as I view socialists in the Labor Party, as wings of the Party but certainly not as the mainstream of the respective parties.
I don't really want to get into it too much considering we'd be going fist to cuff on your home turf, but I could garauntee that it would be decided on points, and would not be pretty regardless.
I recognize that the politics of Labour during Thatcher were moribound and needed to be modernized but the wholesale embracement of privatization as well as attacks on public servants (the firefighters off the top of my head) does not sit well with me, however nessecary it was to Blair's success at the polls.
Re the 2012 Olympics, I am wary of anything that has to do with the Olympics especially in regards to workers and their communities. I have yet to see where the Olympics have really left positive lasting impressions on the communities they visit. I can't really argue too hard on this one because I haven't looked at this issue in regards to London specifically. Though I would be interested to see whether or not it's genuine investment in much needed communities or simply gentrification so that the Tories can start holding balls and feel edgy but not in any real danger ;)
Also taking that line of argument (we're building things everywhere) could lead to a cheap sucker punch approach of praising the provos for their innovative approach to urban renewal in Manchester.
As we've seen in Ireland new construction isn't the end all, be all (though it pains me to say so considering my vocation). It must be smart construction and although I didn't see too much while I was in London (I will concede it was only a short time) that convinced me that smart construction was being done.
Total side tangent here. While in Ireland I infuriated my fiance by insisting to listening to talk/news radio everytime we were in the car. One morning while sitting in Limerick waiting for her to pick up a fridge magnet for my grandma I listened to a long debate on a call in show on Tara and the proposed route for the M3. The overwhelming majority of people who called said cultural heritage be damned, I want to get to Dublin quicker. Tangent over.
I would simply argue that the various projects represent pork barrel politics in action. Now I'm not totally opposed to that sort of thing but am wary of it as a rule. Too often it is done as part of a good ole boy clientist sort of politics which I depise.
Also much of my issue with new Labor and specifically Blair is the way that he played up his style. The fact that he grew up on rock and roll, and wore blue jeans and played soccer with his kids and manipulated the media. His English version of the "smoking mushroom cloud" of having stories leaked to the media and then citing those stories. The issue of WMD issue is huge for me as is was the whole Hutton episode. There's also his handling of NI and the Inquiries Act which totally examplifies his tenure in office. ie we'll spend millions of pounds but won't actually uncover anything or if we do we won't share it with you.
That was my point in the post and remains as such. I feel that you Malcolm, much like myself are not dedicated to your ideals because of your affiliations, but in spite of them. Genuine men make for bad liars and you do yourself a disservice by trying to cover for Blair or Brown.
Oh just read my post and noticed a typo. Should have read, "I would not argue that there is not ideology on both sides opf the isle..."
My bad. Would be surprised if there were other typos.
Damnit, I had a typo in my message regarding a typo. Should have read, "Would not be surprised if there were other typos in the message". And indeed upon review there were other typos.
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