The Battle Of The Ego's
Getting annoyed with a politician is about as pleasurable as getting annoyed with a small child or a drunk, you know the other party isn't quite intelligent enough at that time to understand your annoyance.
The Conservative Party, remember them, the party that hasn't won an election since 1992, just after Liverpool were last English champions and shortly before the back pass rule was changed, want a General Election. So what about those people who voted Labour in for a five year term, under Cameron and Davis's view of a democracy that doesn't count. I made the point on the live Boards last week that being a Conservative supporter must be like following Charlton, you have stability and a respected leader for years and then suddenly decide to keep changing and heading further into the wilderness.
David Cameron has challenged Gordon Brown to call an immediate general election and "let the people decide". In a rallying end-of-conference speech, the Tory leader said the Conservatives were ready for a snap poll, adding: "We will fight, and Britain will win."
He said he wanted his party to inspire people with a message of optimism and hope for Britain in the "new world".
What exactly is Mr Cameron going to do to make his party electable? Oh yes, increase the threshold on inheritance tax. Yes, a tax that resulted in 22,000 people paying a wealth tax on unearned income last year. The men in the blue corner claim that it is a double tax, a tax on wealth creation. No it isn't, it's a tax on the profits of house inflation. We are a strange lot us British, 42% think it's a bad tax despite only 6% paying it and a decreasing number each year at that. Okay go ahead and raise the threshold to £1 million, but remember it's going to have to be collected somehow, favourites are 1p on income tax and 18p on a gallon of petrol - and who pays more in tax and drives more cars in this country - oh yes, the lower income groups who are unlikely to ever need a £1 million threshold to worry about. Never mind it'll please the Tristrams and the other double chin wonders in the City - how about putting an extra levy on their bonuses?
Gordon Brown of course would love to win, to show he has a people's mandate. Gordy mate, you already have it. Those of us who understand how politics work don't believe in the cult of leader, if we did Chruchill wouldn't have been voted out at the first opportunity, Ted Heath would never have got elected, Michael Foot would have stayed at home in his donkey jacket. It's not about the rider, it's about the bike. It's about staying put, don't give in to the wishes of sad old ladies who read the Daily Mail and see out the term that the party were elected for. Then in 2010 when Teresa May is leader of the opposition call a Spring election.
4 comments:
hehehe, love the football analogies.
I haven't really heard a thing of any of the conferences but surely the Conservatives calling for an election is in response to the "Gordon Brown may call early election" stories that were reported wildly last week (or the week before?)and even if they did mean it it's probably just a double bluff - I mean i haven't really noticed any swelling momentum for CP support....just Conference season guff.
Interesting you should say that at the end Span. Ken Clarke was on Newsnight last night looking very relaxed and statesmanlike and he said that Cameron had changed the Conservative party considerably but he was surprised by how easily GB had taken over as PM. Paxo asked him if he genuinely felt that there was a mood for change in the country as there had been in 1979 and 1997 and Ken looked a bit bashful.
Some of the political commentators are now saying that Cameron's speech was more of a bringing together the faithful than a cry for an election. We shall see, and read Iain Dale.
In my opinion in no way is there any similarities with either 1979 or 1997 however it's very interesting that Ken would say that, not one for mincing his words but I can't see any significant change.
To be honest I can't see the Conservatives winning. They may well increase their margin in England but not the UK.
The similarities are, to me, with the mid-nineties. One party in power and being very smug about it and the other trying to make headway but constantly being accused of having no policies.
I notice that yesterday results of polls were published that give The Lying Scotsman a sharp drop in support. Surely, this can't be as a result of Sunny D's Conference speeches, can it?
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