Good news. A former Party member in my patch has come back to the Labour fold following Blair's departure.And, yes, it IS good news. In the past couple of days various bloggers (Chris Paul and Luke Akehurst) have been having a go at left-wingers like Owen ( and eminently centre-left people like my good friend Peter Kenyon) for not bowing down in supplication to Gordon Brown. But just because we retain a critical distance is not to say there are no positives.
Yesterday's speech by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was strikingly lacking in hyperbole about the "war on terror." Brown is brnging back Cabinet-style Govt ( it's just that no-one from the Left of the Party is anywhere near a senior Ministerial role) .His sober style is a welcome change.The no smoking policy (hurrah!) is another step forward which i absolutely agree with. But the underlying tone of thids Govt remains exactly the same as Blair's.
Look at the bunch selected to draw up policy on the manifesto. The list includes Patricia Hewitt, who will cover Europe; David Blunkett will focus on the voluntary sector; while "Rotweiler" Hilary Armstrong, formerly Chief Whip and Cabinet Office minister, will look at policy on children. Chris Bryant, who will lead discussions on constitutional reform, is most famed for advertising his sexual "allure" on the internet and signing the botched coup letter against Blair. A new dawn? Don't think so.....
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
DISENFRANCHISED NOT DISGRUNTLED
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11 comments:
you're out of line when referring to Chris Bryant
If you get slightly more in line you get a much better view of the underpants.
Why am I out of line. He was pretty out of line to do it in the first place.Put it this way. If I was an MP I wouldn't be posing on the internet in my scanties.
Unlike you dear Susan I have not renounced anybody. I have a different view on how to make things better than Owen or your goodself and I am surely entitled to express that view?
I have not criticized Peter Kenyon or even linked to him at all as far as I can recall. But it must be said that his style is more congenial and far more of a negotiation. That that fits my current world view better than constant confrontation.
Your implication that I have criticized Peter is totally untrue and without foundation and I have not suggested that anyone needs to kneel down in supplication to Gordon Brown.
You are spreading falsehoods, exaggerating and in danger of becoming the caricature of Luke's dreams.
I'd suggest further that my links to Owen's blog are helping build his audience and his impact. I think his blog is well-written, interesting and therefore worth reading and worth referring people too. But - shock horror - I don't agree with everything he writes.
I note that he hasn't come over and complained. In fact he has noticeably relaxed of late. Which is a good thing.
I hope that Owen will try to catch Labour and Brown doing something right at least some of the time. And that goes for you too. If not Labour central then a Labour council, councillor or MP doing something useful.
Continual misery is not a good platform IMO for attracting more members, retaining remaining socialists in the party, or winning elections at any level. Now is it? Really?
PS Of course you are out of line on Bryant. What if he is gay and a Gaydar user? What if he did stick two fingers up at Blair?
PPS Obviously you have caught Brown and Smith being sober, and no smoking too. Hurrah!
Chris, you are in danger of starting to sound unpleasant.My reference to Peter was not specific to you but Luke. So crossed wire.
You seem to take everything I say literally - this blog is supposed to be, er, humorous sometimes.
Today's CiF from David Hencke makes similar points re Brown's Govt to which I have contributed. Tough if you don't like or can't accept the harsh fact that the Left has been disenfranchised utterly from the Govt but it's true.I don't pretend otherwise as what's the point.
I was more than ready to take your line on Brown because i believed he was fair-minded until his actions re the leadership.He has lost many potential allies on the left.
I understand his thoughts on the constitution may be well worth hearing.Let's hope so.
PS: I devote many hours of my time to the Labour Party and local community and town council work. This blog is about 1 hour's worth of activity a day. So I don't need lectures.
Re Chris Bryant: Call me old-fashioned but if you are in public life then you don't parade around in your underpants on the internet. Gay ot straight.
I'd rather parade in my underpants than lose the right to smoke in pubs.
Am well pissed off about that poxy ban.
You don't need lectures? That's rich.
"Brown is brnging back Cabinet-style Govt"
I urge you not to hold your breath!
"Call me old-fashioned but if you are in public life then you don't parade around in your underpants on the internet. Gay or straight."
Spot on, and I'm sorry that this endorsement of your opinion comes from a neolithic, old re-actionary like me, but good sense and taste is good sense and taste whatever the source.
"the Left has been disenfranchised utterly from the Govt".
Again, spot on (and I thank the Intelligent Designer for his wisdom). If it is any consolation the same thing has happened to the Right in what is laughingly called H. M.'s loyal opposition.
A compromise suggestion.
Perhaps you should be allowed to smoke in pubs if you are only wearing your underkecks.
It's less of a fire risk.
Chris said
'I hope that Owen will try to catch Labour and Brown doing something right at least some of the time. And that goes for you too. If not Labour central then a Labour council, councillor or MP doing something useful.'
I share that. But for every good thing that is done you have 20 od bad things.
The latest thing a Labour councillor (actually the leader of the Labour Group ) has done back here in Southampton was to tell us lefties not to protest about the proposals for Academies in the city because it will push the Tory Cllr responsible for the decision further to the right. We didnt protest and guess what he went to the right anyway!!
We got two nice 'christian' academies to throw education back to the neolithic!!
I will now await for the 'something useful' to be done.
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