The pantomime of the Brown Premiership continues in its satisfyingly grim way. After the resignations, before they were pushed of Jacqui Smith and Hazel Blears, we now hear rumours of a further resignation, after the polls have closed at 10 PM this evening.
Clearly some attempt at an organised putsch against Gordon Brown looks like it is underway. Frankly I wish I cared.
I well remember attending an evening dinner several years ago in honour of a Lithuanian minister that was being hosted by a then Conservative junior minister. The entire topic of his speech was nothing to do with the issue at hand, and certainly nothing to do with Lithuania. All this MP could discuss was the ramifications of the leadership contest that John Major had just provoked in order to face down his critics. The unrelenting internal navel gazing convinced me that the Conservative Party had completely lost the plot and needed to be replaced as soon as possible.
I imagine that even if no plot appears or even if a plot actually succeeds, that the current similar Labour navel gazing has already rendered them unfit for office- whoever is the leader
A kicking for Labour is clearly brewing amongst the electorate, and I suspect that UKIP will do very well. Indeed the UKIP result could actually be a very nasty shock for David Cameron.
The issue of Europe is going to become substantially more important, and the "Better Off Out" crowd will now have a big stick to beat Mr. Cameron with. This, as a pro European, is not a great development. Those of us in all political parties who support membership of the European Union will need to work together in order to make the case. The Better Off Out crew are well funded and relentless. However their position is simply wrong. There is a clear political and economic case to be made for staying inside the EU, but I fear that after discovering the scale of the UKIP revolt, Mr. Cameron may lose any cojones for the fight.
With Labour now so self obsessed it seems that they poised to flirt with total collapse. It will be up to the Liberal Democrats to make the case for constructive engagement with the rest of the European Union.
As the voters deliver their verdict, our chastened politicians will need to be listening carefully - and I think there could be several surprises when the votes are finally counted on Sunday.
Clearly some attempt at an organised putsch against Gordon Brown looks like it is underway. Frankly I wish I cared.
I well remember attending an evening dinner several years ago in honour of a Lithuanian minister that was being hosted by a then Conservative junior minister. The entire topic of his speech was nothing to do with the issue at hand, and certainly nothing to do with Lithuania. All this MP could discuss was the ramifications of the leadership contest that John Major had just provoked in order to face down his critics. The unrelenting internal navel gazing convinced me that the Conservative Party had completely lost the plot and needed to be replaced as soon as possible.
I imagine that even if no plot appears or even if a plot actually succeeds, that the current similar Labour navel gazing has already rendered them unfit for office- whoever is the leader
A kicking for Labour is clearly brewing amongst the electorate, and I suspect that UKIP will do very well. Indeed the UKIP result could actually be a very nasty shock for David Cameron.
The issue of Europe is going to become substantially more important, and the "Better Off Out" crowd will now have a big stick to beat Mr. Cameron with. This, as a pro European, is not a great development. Those of us in all political parties who support membership of the European Union will need to work together in order to make the case. The Better Off Out crew are well funded and relentless. However their position is simply wrong. There is a clear political and economic case to be made for staying inside the EU, but I fear that after discovering the scale of the UKIP revolt, Mr. Cameron may lose any cojones for the fight.
With Labour now so self obsessed it seems that they poised to flirt with total collapse. It will be up to the Liberal Democrats to make the case for constructive engagement with the rest of the European Union.
As the voters deliver their verdict, our chastened politicians will need to be listening carefully - and I think there could be several surprises when the votes are finally counted on Sunday.
Comments
There is less than no support for pooling sovereignty , it has been bundled in with the threat of anti UK protectionism and a lot of codswallop about the environment and international crime which sounds and is written on the back of a schoolboy’s exercise book. Is it as bad as Hitler’s enabling acts , no ? Is it outside the spirit of our democratic tradition , yes ?Making treaties with foreign powers to frustrate the wishes of future electorate contravenes a clear and important principle.
Supply lines to legitimacy are virtually invisible and it seems nothing short of electing UKIP to run the country will perturb the faithful .The behaviour of the Lib Dems over Lisbon was of course quite disgraceful
If there is a proper case for Europe it cannot be made without reference to such concerns . The Cleggs of this world simply assert that the majority who share my views are less clever ,the stupidest possible case .
I see you saying that those ‘Parties in favour’ ought to work together . This is not the first allusion to a new Lib Lab pact and if you track the fortunes of the labour Party against suggestions of a Lib Lab pact / PR bribe arrangement they are a close fit . This sort of thing (see below ) has been going on all year. The danger is that without anyone having it
in their manifesto a phantom Lib Dem Labour coalition might be elected and rig the system to suit themselves in perpetuity. I am not convinced our system can stand that sort of abuse and if such a possibility exists in the mind of Clegg he must say so or risk an open revolt against the ruling class .
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/06/lib-dems-brown-labour-reform