Missed all the action last week but the early feeling 10 days ago was the correct one as it turned out. Now things get underway and already there are some descisons that really are throwing the cat amongst the pigeons. All yesterday's news or before...still catching up.
On: [DT] the Labour party leadership race. At present it seems to be a two horse race between the Miliband brothers. Road to nowhere if you ask me: NewNuLabour. Dizzy had some advice in an open letter to Labour Party members last week, good advice.I certainly don't think Ed or David will get much union backing. Where is the real 'left'?
Off: [Times] why the hell is the coalition going to create 170 plus NEW peers to fill the House of lords! FFS the idea is to REDUCE numbers. We all know the House of Lords tends to be a good and restraining influence on bad government (had their hands full with New Labour) but surely it is better to reduce the numbers instead of creating a load more to 'balance' the House. Apparently those Lords already created 'cannot be sacked'...hmmm...well CHANGE THE LAW! Get them out of there! If you can't, then demote them and/or create a new level and make only half of them an 'able-to-vote' Lord. Expanding the already inflated egos of another bunch of politicos is bad news; increasing their numbers is worse.
Osborne: [Guardian] IMHO a good strong start: Office for Budget Responsibility established (OBR) also an end to "the 'fictional' forecasts issued by his predecessors"; an emergency budget announced for 22 June and a spending review in the autumn.
Orange: [Play political] Orange-booker Laws and Paxo's orange tie discuss the lack of money (reference to Byrne's note) and the cynical 'waste' of money that New Labour signed off on, often against advice. Very good news that Laws has put a freeze on all spending annouced since January 1st until he personally has signed off on it. More importantly Laws and Osborne, amongst others are getting the debt situation out in the open (yes, I know, but some people STILL don't realise).
P.S. In regard to the 'Osborne' and 'Orange' above I do wish the press would STOP saying (usually in a whinging tone) that xyz "wasn't in your manifesto" or a "two weeks ago you said xyz." Hellooo...there's a coalition, it means there's a bit of both, somethings dropped others taken up!
3 comments:
The old left doesn't exist outside of some of the big cities. I would argue that the ConDem coalition is more left of centre than current Labour thinking.
The problem with David Laws waiting is that a lot of companies in the private sector need the jobs. Looks like a return to the bad old days of Thatcher where she trusted nobody and we ended up with sodding internal markets.
Blimey, 10 days in and I've mentioned her already - not a good sign, and it had started so well.
Laws is a smart cookie, he is the ONLY politician I have had personal experience fighting against (2001)...not that I was running as a candidate (!!!) but I was involved right up to and through polling day (one of the highest [3rd best?] swings in the country...I'm sure I've mentioned it before!)
I'm sure he'll shoot through the important ones, hopefully the worst cases will already be in order 'of attack'.
The old left doesn't exist outside of some of the big cities. I would argue that the ConDem coalition is more left of centre than current Labour thinking.
Absolutely right on both counts.
word verification: inasity (inner city)...only as I hadn't signed in!
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