Friday, October 02, 2009
Johann Hari gets it spot on: If we care about the BBC, we must fight to defend it.
Labels: BBC, David Cameron, media, News International, Rupert Murdoch
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The vast failure and capitulation to terrorists that is the UK ID Card scam rumbles on. The Government continues to be deaf to evidence that this whole enterprise is a waste of time and money and is this the excuse the Tories will use to continue the ID Card scheme after campaigning on it's abolition. It's only right to be sceptical, Boris Johnson started reversing on his few clear campaign pledges barely after finishing being sworn in. Tony Blair might have been a Tory masquerading as a Labour politician but David Cameron isn't even that, more a mirror to whatever strong opinions surround him at each moment.
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, ID cards, identity theft, Labour
Monday, May 19, 2008
Is Team Blonde Buffoon dialling back expectations on the return of the Routemaster?
The Mayor's plans for a new generation Routemaster may not happen, his new transport boss admitted today. Kulveer Ranger, Boris Johnson's director of transport policy, said that a design competition would be launched - but if no bid was good enough they would look again at the pledge.
This will be good news, the last thing we need is the huge unnecessary expense of replacing a fleet of perfectly adequate buses with much less accessible designs in the name of conservative (rather than Conservative) nostalgia. However, seeing as he insisted on making such a big point of this policy during this campaign that we can have some justifiable giggles that New Conservatism has overtaken New Labour for breaking campaign promises once in power.
Though hopefully it's impossible to mistake me for a supporter of the Blair/Brown party I have been feeling lately how I assume Tories felt in those last few months before May the 1st 1997. Baring some massive disaster that gives him the chance to look commanding and reassuring Gordon Brown now looks like a dead Prime Minister walking, certainly all the friends of Blair lining up to put the boot in aren't helping.
I'm of the generation that grew up knowing no different than a Conservative government and the likelihood of that returning strikes more cold dread into my heart than the liberty-cancelling, ID Card supporting Labour party. At the moment David Cameron doesn't quite have that air of Blair in 1996 of just waiting to assume the Premiership that everyone knew would soon be his but it can't be much longer in coming. The tragedy for the country is that Boris becoming mayor proves that no-one who voted for him were concerned with his policies, I've yet to speak to or here from anyone that voted for what he said he would do, they either voted Ken out or because they thought the mayorship could be run by a part-time gameshow host. The lesson Cameron is free to draw for this is that he doesn't need to make pretences of creeping leftwards, he's likely to be voted in if the Conservative party manifesto was 'compulsory euthanasia of all Conservative party members and Daily Mail readers' and the prospect of Oliver Letwin getting gay with Michael Gove televised nightly. It'll also mean that they'll have a manifesto promise to scrap ID Cards then keep them when they get in, much as the Labour Party felt that a Freedom of Information act was a necessity right up until the point they had the power to bring it in.
Some of my friends hope that Prime Minister 'Dave' will inspire a fresh wave of activism, such as those against Clause 28. I'm less hopeful, though I take comfort in the fact it'll better to have my face ground into the dirt by the boot of a Conservative that calls themselves a Conservative rather than a Tory that calls themself Labour.
The Mayor's plans for a new generation Routemaster may not happen, his new transport boss admitted today. Kulveer Ranger, Boris Johnson's director of transport policy, said that a design competition would be launched - but if no bid was good enough they would look again at the pledge.
This will be good news, the last thing we need is the huge unnecessary expense of replacing a fleet of perfectly adequate buses with much less accessible designs in the name of conservative (rather than Conservative) nostalgia. However, seeing as he insisted on making such a big point of this policy during this campaign that we can have some justifiable giggles that New Conservatism has overtaken New Labour for breaking campaign promises once in power.
Though hopefully it's impossible to mistake me for a supporter of the Blair/Brown party I have been feeling lately how I assume Tories felt in those last few months before May the 1st 1997. Baring some massive disaster that gives him the chance to look commanding and reassuring Gordon Brown now looks like a dead Prime Minister walking, certainly all the friends of Blair lining up to put the boot in aren't helping.
I'm of the generation that grew up knowing no different than a Conservative government and the likelihood of that returning strikes more cold dread into my heart than the liberty-cancelling, ID Card supporting Labour party. At the moment David Cameron doesn't quite have that air of Blair in 1996 of just waiting to assume the Premiership that everyone knew would soon be his but it can't be much longer in coming. The tragedy for the country is that Boris becoming mayor proves that no-one who voted for him were concerned with his policies, I've yet to speak to or here from anyone that voted for what he said he would do, they either voted Ken out or because they thought the mayorship could be run by a part-time gameshow host. The lesson Cameron is free to draw for this is that he doesn't need to make pretences of creeping leftwards, he's likely to be voted in if the Conservative party manifesto was 'compulsory euthanasia of all Conservative party members and Daily Mail readers' and the prospect of Oliver Letwin getting gay with Michael Gove televised nightly. It'll also mean that they'll have a manifesto promise to scrap ID Cards then keep them when they get in, much as the Labour Party felt that a Freedom of Information act was a necessity right up until the point they had the power to bring it in.
Some of my friends hope that Prime Minister 'Dave' will inspire a fresh wave of activism, such as those against Clause 28. I'm less hopeful, though I take comfort in the fact it'll better to have my face ground into the dirt by the boot of a Conservative that calls themselves a Conservative rather than a Tory that calls themself Labour.
Labels: Boris 'Buffoon' Johnson, Conservatives, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Labour, London, London Mayor
Saturday, May 03, 2008
London Voters Elect Arsehole for Mayor
Christ on a bike London, what were you thinking? Were you thinking? Great, wonderful, well done. The best we can hope for is that Boris changes nothing, the worst is that he buggers the entire thing up.
Now we can't laugh at the Americans for electing a moron.
Conservative Party leader David Cameron praised Mr Johnson for a "serious and energetic campaign" and said his party was "winning the battle of ideas".
Exactly what ideas are those Davey? Of the few plans that Boris saw fit to tell us before the election they've all been exposed as shit . We can hope that Boris makes such a pigs ear of things that it sinks New Conservatism where it stands, but the problem is that when, not if, Johnson falls, he'll be taking London with him.
Now we can't laugh at the Americans for electing a moron.
Conservative Party leader David Cameron praised Mr Johnson for a "serious and energetic campaign" and said his party was "winning the battle of ideas".
Exactly what ideas are those Davey? Of the few plans that Boris saw fit to tell us before the election they've all been exposed as shit . We can hope that Boris makes such a pigs ear of things that it sinks New Conservatism where it stands, but the problem is that when, not if, Johnson falls, he'll be taking London with him.
Labels: Boris 'Buffoon' Johnson, David Cameron, disasters, London, London Mayor, stupidity
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Obviously I'm no friend of the Labour Party but some of the headlines over Gordon Brown's decision not to call an unnecessary General Election now seem rather harsh. We can ignore News International, who's policy of claiming that every full stop of government policy is dictated by a NotW poll rather than what Murdoch wants to do today went past ridiculous some time ago and is now over the cliff with the legs still moving, Wil. E. Coyote style. Even the Sindy is going for the jugular, with numerous cartoons of Gordo spilling or not drinking from the bottle marked Courage. But all the news organisations seem to be engaged in a pretense that it was the Government, not they, that were driving the story of whether there was going to be a snap election.
I expect that in a day or two, once the election non-story has died down, there will be a return to the 'Is Ming too old to be a political leader?' story, because Cameron has done enough to put down some of the stories about his leadership for a while (until anyone else in the party says anything else about Tory policy and exposes that they are secretely glad not to fight an election when they don't have a clue what to stand on). I don't know who can take the blame for this, but it does seem that in the last few years, there's been at least one main political story rumbling on and on at any one time, Charlie Kennedy and the whisky bottle, Why have the Lib Dems chosen Ming Campbell, Cameron takes over the Tories, the Cameron bounce, When will Tony Blair leave, why did he announce a date so far in advance, counting down Blair's last three months/two months/six weeks/one week/one day/one hour in office, wasn't Tony Blair a great PM? The Brown bounce, the Cameron stumble, the unnecesary election...
I expect that in a day or two, once the election non-story has died down, there will be a return to the 'Is Ming too old to be a political leader?' story, because Cameron has done enough to put down some of the stories about his leadership for a while (until anyone else in the party says anything else about Tory policy and exposes that they are secretely glad not to fight an election when they don't have a clue what to stand on). I don't know who can take the blame for this, but it does seem that in the last few years, there's been at least one main political story rumbling on and on at any one time, Charlie Kennedy and the whisky bottle, Why have the Lib Dems chosen Ming Campbell, Cameron takes over the Tories, the Cameron bounce, When will Tony Blair leave, why did he announce a date so far in advance, counting down Blair's last three months/two months/six weeks/one week/one day/one hour in office, wasn't Tony Blair a great PM? The Brown bounce, the Cameron stumble, the unnecesary election...
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Labour, politics
Thursday, August 30, 2007
So David Cameron was on Newsnight last night. He didn't do too badly, it was sad that on the immigration issue not one of the four interviewers questioned his claim that immigration had been 'too high', but then Newsnight regularly does episodes which claim more or less the same thing, so I suppose that's not surprising. I did like the fact that he allowed himself to be cornered by his use of New Labour and Old Tory rhetoric on families; non-traditional families were fine, but families consisting of one man and one woman were best for children, which is not to say they were any better than families which did not conform to that model, most liberal in his attempts not to cause offense... He didn't think the Tory proposal to give married hetero parents £20 more in their weekly benefits to help them bring up kids would encourage loads of partners to get married, and I think he dodged out of answering why, if the Tories thought two hetero parent families were better why they were proposing giving them money rather than single parent families.
But he desperately needs lessons in appearing less like Tony Blair. That's his biggest drawback at the moment. Well, that or the fact his policies are rubbish.
Man in a Shed is not happy though and is drawing circles on video captures to try and prove a dastardly plan by the BBC to turn David Cameron purple. Maybe they should have slipped him some of this stuff before the show?
But he desperately needs lessons in appearing less like Tony Blair. That's his biggest drawback at the moment. Well, that or the fact his policies are rubbish.
Man in a Shed is not happy though and is drawing circles on video captures to try and prove a dastardly plan by the BBC to turn David Cameron purple. Maybe they should have slipped him some of this stuff before the show?
Labels: BBC, Conservatives, David Cameron, Newsnight
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
David Cameron in big time freakout. We're a few months into the Gordon Brown premiership and not only has the country not ground to a halt but he's also managed to come out of crises looking pretty good. Which probably explains why Cameron has decided that the new Tory policy is to ditch all the Green, Youtube, Blairite stuff and headback to old school Tory values, you know, the things that helped them to those three General Election defeats. So John Redwood is let out of the cupboard under the stairs where they keep the crazy unpopular members of the party and now we have more of that stuff that always feels like it should be prefaced with the words "I'm not a racist but..."
The whistling sound you can hear is from Gordon Brown's advisors as they exhale in relief, realising that David Cameron has handed them the next election, whenever Brown decides to call it. The grinding noise is Tony Blair's teeth when he realises that his old enemy is going to win a general election, based on his own negligable popularity and not dragged down by the memory of Blair, whom he followed into every unpopular policy. At least David can stop riding that bicycle to work now, his 'green' credentials aren't going to whitewash the brown slurry coming from Tory Central Office (do you see what I did there?).
Related: How did David Cameron lose his nerve and his bearings in just one month? Martin Bright looks at the disarray that has engulfed the Conservatives since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister.
The whistling sound you can hear is from Gordon Brown's advisors as they exhale in relief, realising that David Cameron has handed them the next election, whenever Brown decides to call it. The grinding noise is Tony Blair's teeth when he realises that his old enemy is going to win a general election, based on his own negligable popularity and not dragged down by the memory of Blair, whom he followed into every unpopular policy. At least David can stop riding that bicycle to work now, his 'green' credentials aren't going to whitewash the brown slurry coming from Tory Central Office (do you see what I did there?).
Related: How did David Cameron lose his nerve and his bearings in just one month? Martin Bright looks at the disarray that has engulfed the Conservatives since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister.
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Labour, politics, Tony Blair
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Hurrah for the Conservative party! After beginning the slow process towards becoming a credible force in British politics for the first time in about twenty-five years there are some Tories who are happy to throw it all away.
Said one dinosaur yesterday "Really, if we can't have a policy on bringing back capital punishment for being black, flogging poofs and privatising the health service so they don't waste their time and money on poor people then what's the point of having the Tories really?"
You would have thought that, after a decade in the wilderness, chasing the votes of those few misguided idiots that vote for the BNP and UKIP, the Conservatives would realise there are more votes to be had by going in the opposite direction. But there's no fool like an old fool.
Said one dinosaur yesterday "Really, if we can't have a policy on bringing back capital punishment for being black, flogging poofs and privatising the health service so they don't waste their time and money on poor people then what's the point of having the Tories really?"
You would have thought that, after a decade in the wilderness, chasing the votes of those few misguided idiots that vote for the BNP and UKIP, the Conservatives would realise there are more votes to be had by going in the opposite direction. But there's no fool like an old fool.
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, United Kingdom
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tory MP Quentin Davies defects to Labour, though as his letter seems to be entirely about how much he dislikes David Cameron and the direction he's taking the Conservative party in I'm not sure if it's good political sense for Gordon Brown to welcome Mr Davies aboard, does New New Labour really want to be associated with Old Toryism?
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Labour
Monday, May 07, 2007
This am your news
Let's ease in to this gently by going with The Sun, always trying to position itself as The Onion for urban Conservatives: Paris Hilton scared of prison lesbians. Elsewhere, Pete Doherty has apparently been caught with drugs again but no doubt the trial judge will find some way to see this as proof that he's trying to stop taking drugs and he'll get off scott free.
In real news The Times reports Cameron's Conservatives finally ready to start explaining what they stand for, which is handy just after a national round of local elections which were seen as a referendum on the Labour Government. Seeing as the Murdoch stable seem happy to big up Blair while giving Brown any number of paper cuts it seems the first principle of Cameron Conservatism is to get News International onside, hence the fact that The Times seems to have been told what will be said tomorrow. There's still some scepticism apparent, as we wait to see whether Tories are desperate enough for power again yet that they are willing to go with Dave.
The Guardian has an article on New Atheists, they loathe religion far too much to plausibly challenge it, apparently. Google currently gives 'about 44,000' results for a search. The claim that Richard Dawkins goes too far in attacking religion is not a new one, nor is it particularly inaccurate. The problem is that by trying to grab a bunch of authors who have nothing in common other than having written books attacking the religiosity most commonly typified by the Conservatives of the United States and the Conservatives of a number of Muslim countries < pause for breath > and calling them The New Atheists makes it seem as though they sit together in their secret volcano base plotting each day how to defeat religion.
"What are we going to do tonight Richard?"
"The same thing we do every night Dennett, try to vanquish the religions of the world!"
Also, by ignoring completely what may have caused this small spate of anti-religious books (and their apparent popularity) Madeleine Bunting gives the unfortunate impression that religion of various denominations had been pootling along for the last decade minding it's own business and hurting no-one.
I've never really understood religious anti-Darwinism and anti-evolutionism, I'll admit I haven't read On the Origin of Species but I have read the Bible and, while it's true to say that it doesn't say that God creates evolution it says nothing to deny the possibility and would also suggest that God is a non-omnipotent being, with limits, who needs six days to make a planet and who needs a day to rest up. I haven't got a copy to hand so I'm not sure if it explicitly states that God creates the passing of time or the ability to reproduce through the interaction of people's naughty bits. Anyway, this is just a long preamble to a link to an article in the NYT in which Conservatives are battling the ultra-religious elements in their own ideology over Darwinism. I've always assumed that the urge to oppose Darwinism was no more than the desire to oppose what the Religious Right assumed the scientists stood for, birth-control, abortion, separation of church and state and so on. Can the Conservatives take the Republicans back from the Christians? Could they still have power if they aren't following an unreconstructed two-thousand year old ideology?
In real news The Times reports Cameron's Conservatives finally ready to start explaining what they stand for, which is handy just after a national round of local elections which were seen as a referendum on the Labour Government. Seeing as the Murdoch stable seem happy to big up Blair while giving Brown any number of paper cuts it seems the first principle of Cameron Conservatism is to get News International onside, hence the fact that The Times seems to have been told what will be said tomorrow. There's still some scepticism apparent, as we wait to see whether Tories are desperate enough for power again yet that they are willing to go with Dave.
The Guardian has an article on New Atheists, they loathe religion far too much to plausibly challenge it, apparently. Google currently gives 'about 44,000' results for a search. The claim that Richard Dawkins goes too far in attacking religion is not a new one, nor is it particularly inaccurate. The problem is that by trying to grab a bunch of authors who have nothing in common other than having written books attacking the religiosity most commonly typified by the Conservatives of the United States and the Conservatives of a number of Muslim countries < pause for breath > and calling them The New Atheists makes it seem as though they sit together in their secret volcano base plotting each day how to defeat religion.
"What are we going to do tonight Richard?"
"The same thing we do every night Dennett, try to vanquish the religions of the world!"
Also, by ignoring completely what may have caused this small spate of anti-religious books (and their apparent popularity) Madeleine Bunting gives the unfortunate impression that religion of various denominations had been pootling along for the last decade minding it's own business and hurting no-one.
I've never really understood religious anti-Darwinism and anti-evolutionism, I'll admit I haven't read On the Origin of Species but I have read the Bible and, while it's true to say that it doesn't say that God creates evolution it says nothing to deny the possibility and would also suggest that God is a non-omnipotent being, with limits, who needs six days to make a planet and who needs a day to rest up. I haven't got a copy to hand so I'm not sure if it explicitly states that God creates the passing of time or the ability to reproduce through the interaction of people's naughty bits. Anyway, this is just a long preamble to a link to an article in the NYT in which Conservatives are battling the ultra-religious elements in their own ideology over Darwinism. I've always assumed that the urge to oppose Darwinism was no more than the desire to oppose what the Religious Right assumed the scientists stood for, birth-control, abortion, separation of church and state and so on. Can the Conservatives take the Republicans back from the Christians? Could they still have power if they aren't following an unreconstructed two-thousand year old ideology?
Labels: atheism, atheists, Conservatives, David Cameron, Evolution, Fundamentalists- Secular, Islam, newspapers, politics, religion, Republicans, Richard Dawkins, science, United Kingdom, United States
Thursday, March 15, 2007
I know it's a glacially slow news day, the prospect of British Government committed between now and 2025 to buying nuclear weapons by someone whose own political future is now measurable in double-figure days isn't particularly sexy. But for fucks sake. If everything I see, hear, taste and touch around me weren't a cunningly designed prison intended to drive me completely mad there is no way this shit would count as news.
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, politics, stupidity
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Peter Hain suggests that city fat-cats should have two-thirds of their bonuses taken away and given to 'the poor'. Of course, Mr Hain would like to be Deputy leader of the Labour Party, for which he needs a majority of the votes of the Party, so blatant gallery plays like this should be expected. Should he be successful then expect this plan to either 'go in to committee for a feasibility study' or for Hain to have some unusually specific amnesia. The prudent ex-chancellor would be unlikely to have any truck with a plan to annoy big business when there's a resurgent Tory party sniffing around.
David Cameron admits to smoking dope, precisely at the point where no-one would really care any more. Yet another news story that gets his face in the papers without any of that tedious discussion of actual Conservative policies that so turn people off these days. However, no-one really knows who the Tory front bench are beyond Cameron, Osborne, Davis and Hague if they're lucky, so before they can talk credibly about policy they've got to make sure people are aware they exist. So, no-one knows who Peter Ainsworth is. I had to look at the page twice while typing his name he was so forgettable. So he should apply for Big Brother in the summer. He doesn't get to go in the celeb version because he quite patently isn't. As long as he sticks it out until the first week of voting then people might actually pay attention when he talks about climate change. Chris Grayling could have a sex change. It'll get the Tories into the women's mags area who must have run out of stories on Cameron and his wife's bravery in bringing up their disabled tot, but it'll also play well with the octogenarian Tory supporters because they'll think Maggie Thatcher is back. Then when Ms. Grayling brings up transport issues, the media will take heed. And perhaps Philip Hammond MP should pretend he's TV's Doctor Phil Hammond for a bit. Dr Phil is nicer, more trusted and more deliberately funny than the Tories so not-Dr Phil will have a hard time pulling it off but when it all crashes down they could make a film about it which would give them crucial silver screen exposure. If Tory Central Office are interested, my consultation rates are very reasonable and I'd only want a teeny-tiny honour for my trouble.
News of the World have shocking proof of a paedophile smiling. The NotW are 'outraged' that he's not being worked to death, after all, what's the point of him being imprisoned in a country with a crap human rights record if he's not tortured and beaten to death by prison guards? Write to your MP now!
Meanwhile the Sunday Mirror decide the most important news is that of the Nation's sweetheart (this week)'s ex-boyfriend. It seems that when someone called Olivier Martinez dumped Kylie Minogue he didn't have the decency to drop dead on the spot but go out with another woman. Tcch! The French eh? We should invade them again to wipe out this affront to the titchy songstresses honour. Once more unto the breach dear friends!
David Cameron admits to smoking dope, precisely at the point where no-one would really care any more. Yet another news story that gets his face in the papers without any of that tedious discussion of actual Conservative policies that so turn people off these days. However, no-one really knows who the Tory front bench are beyond Cameron, Osborne, Davis and Hague if they're lucky, so before they can talk credibly about policy they've got to make sure people are aware they exist. So, no-one knows who Peter Ainsworth is. I had to look at the page twice while typing his name he was so forgettable. So he should apply for Big Brother in the summer. He doesn't get to go in the celeb version because he quite patently isn't. As long as he sticks it out until the first week of voting then people might actually pay attention when he talks about climate change. Chris Grayling could have a sex change. It'll get the Tories into the women's mags area who must have run out of stories on Cameron and his wife's bravery in bringing up their disabled tot, but it'll also play well with the octogenarian Tory supporters because they'll think Maggie Thatcher is back. Then when Ms. Grayling brings up transport issues, the media will take heed. And perhaps Philip Hammond MP should pretend he's TV's Doctor Phil Hammond for a bit. Dr Phil is nicer, more trusted and more deliberately funny than the Tories so not-Dr Phil will have a hard time pulling it off but when it all crashes down they could make a film about it which would give them crucial silver screen exposure. If Tory Central Office are interested, my consultation rates are very reasonable and I'd only want a teeny-tiny honour for my trouble.
News of the World have shocking proof of a paedophile smiling. The NotW are 'outraged' that he's not being worked to death, after all, what's the point of him being imprisoned in a country with a crap human rights record if he's not tortured and beaten to death by prison guards? Write to your MP now!
Meanwhile the Sunday Mirror decide the most important news is that of the Nation's sweetheart (this week)'s ex-boyfriend. It seems that when someone called Olivier Martinez dumped Kylie Minogue he didn't have the decency to drop dead on the spot but go out with another woman. Tcch! The French eh? We should invade them again to wipe out this affront to the titchy songstresses honour. Once more unto the breach dear friends!
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron, Labour, news, Peter Hain, Shadow Cabinet
Thursday, October 05, 2006
As sporting fixtures are normally a few minutes of excitement in a week, fortnight or sometimes month of otherwise dull mundanity sports journalists often fill up the gaping void in their existence and purpose by pondering on fantasies: Who would win in a fight between Mohammad Ali and Mike Tyson if both were at the top of their game? At their best, who's better, Wayne or George? And what if Tim Henman wasn't such a waste of space?
Which brings me round to my point. Who would win the next general election if it were between David Cameron and Tony Blair? Better still, what if Tony Blair didn't have the disastrous decision to go to war in Iraq turning him into electoral poison? Who would win between Tony Blair at the height of his powers and Tony Blair II: It Came From the Tory Party?
Watching the Conservative Party leader in action this week he seems to have made a firm decision that the country isn't tired of Tony Blair the politician, they're just tired of Tony Blair the man. So Cameron calls himself the heir to Blair and tries to portray himself as the Blair you can vote for without spoiling your morality. No matter when the next election is called, short of Cameron declaring himself the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, this year will be the key one in determing what happens then. Tony Blair holds on to the seat of power while not running the country, working to destabilise Gordon Brown and working hand-in-hand with... Gordon Brown. It's hard to find any real support for Brown, he's one of nature's sergeants, ideal as an ally and a number two, but lacking the charisma for the top spot. The reason Blair is drawing out his leaving is to ensure that if Brown were to take over, he'll end up leading a weak party to almost certain defeat at the hands of a re-energised Conservative party that has finally realised there are more votes to be had in charming the gay-friendly middle ground than chasing the vote of Europhobic pensioners who will be dead in a few years anyway.
And is WebCameron just the equivelent of Tony Blair going on This Morning ten years ago?
Which brings me round to my point. Who would win the next general election if it were between David Cameron and Tony Blair? Better still, what if Tony Blair didn't have the disastrous decision to go to war in Iraq turning him into electoral poison? Who would win between Tony Blair at the height of his powers and Tony Blair II: It Came From the Tory Party?
Watching the Conservative Party leader in action this week he seems to have made a firm decision that the country isn't tired of Tony Blair the politician, they're just tired of Tony Blair the man. So Cameron calls himself the heir to Blair and tries to portray himself as the Blair you can vote for without spoiling your morality. No matter when the next election is called, short of Cameron declaring himself the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, this year will be the key one in determing what happens then. Tony Blair holds on to the seat of power while not running the country, working to destabilise Gordon Brown and working hand-in-hand with... Gordon Brown. It's hard to find any real support for Brown, he's one of nature's sergeants, ideal as an ally and a number two, but lacking the charisma for the top spot. The reason Blair is drawing out his leaving is to ensure that if Brown were to take over, he'll end up leading a weak party to almost certain defeat at the hands of a re-energised Conservative party that has finally realised there are more votes to be had in charming the gay-friendly middle ground than chasing the vote of Europhobic pensioners who will be dead in a few years anyway.
And is WebCameron just the equivelent of Tony Blair going on This Morning ten years ago?
Labels: David Cameron, politics, The War Against Terror, Tony Blair
Monday, October 02, 2006
Don't forget
Just because Labour are in power, the Conservatives are still complete and utter bastards.
Tory chairman Francis Maude apologises for something unimportant.
"My secretary was told on Friday that I still hadn't been positively vetted. I find that amazing. I'm an ex-colonel in the army and I have been to Tory party conferences before."
WebCameron. Wooo! 'Behind the scenes access' eh? What does that mean? Are there extras too? An alternate ending to the Tory party's leadership election where David Davis (who, let's not forget, supports the return of the death penalty) wins? A Dave the Chameleon screensaver? They better do something, their lead over Labour is starting to slip.
The Daily Torygraph and it's readers seem unimpressed.
Tory chairman Francis Maude apologises for something unimportant.
"My secretary was told on Friday that I still hadn't been positively vetted. I find that amazing. I'm an ex-colonel in the army and I have been to Tory party conferences before."
WebCameron. Wooo! 'Behind the scenes access' eh? What does that mean? Are there extras too? An alternate ending to the Tory party's leadership election where David Davis (who, let's not forget, supports the return of the death penalty) wins? A Dave the Chameleon screensaver? They better do something, their lead over Labour is starting to slip.
The Daily Torygraph and it's readers seem unimpressed.
Labels: Conservatives, David Cameron
