Five become Six
New Statesman - Revealed: Blair's six election pleadges
Originally Tony Blair was going to announce Labour's five election promises at the Labour spring conference. Five pledges that would show the electorate that Labour was following a progressive path in the areas of the economy, health, education, childcare and crime. This would hark back to their 1997 manifesto which also made five pledges, an attempt maybe to forge links in the minds of the electorate between the soiled government of 2005 with the heady days of May 1997.
But then comes a last-minute update of almost Pythonesque proportions, as five promises become six.
John Prescott: Trouble at Millbank
Tony Blair: Oh no - what kind of trouble?
John Prescott: One on't foc's gr'ups reports var'nce in the intent'ns of swing voters
Tony Blair: Pardon?
John Prescott: One on't foc's gr'ups reports var'nce in the intent'ns of swing voters
Tony Blair: I don't understand what you're saying.
John Prescott: One of the focus groups reports variance in the intentions of swing voters.
Tony Blair: Well what on earth does that mean?
John Prescott [becoming irritated]: I don't know - Mr Milburn just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at Millbank, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Labour Manifesto.
[FX: Jarring Chord]
Alistair Campbell: Nobody expects the Labour Manifesto! Our five main policies concern the economy, health, education, childcare, crime...the economy, health, education, childcare, crime and asylum and immigration...asylum and immigration, the economy, health, education, childcare and crime. Our six main policies relate to the economy, health, education, childcare, crime and asylum and immigration...and an almost fanatical devotion to George Bush... Our seven... no... amongst our policies... are such elements as the economy, health... I'll come in again.
Being serious for a moment though, this hints at a degree of confusion within Labour which we haven't seen yet. And the cause is very interesting. You might think that adding immigration and asylum is a response to the Conservatives, but Alistair Campbell and the flying pigs have shown that Labour are pretty solid on dealing with the Tories. And the Tories seem already resigned to defeat, so why the addition to the pledges?
The reason, of all things, is the LibDems. Not their actual policies, but the fact that many floating Labour voters actually consider the LibDems as an alternative recipient of their support. And the justification given by these voters is the LibDems stance on crime, asylum and immigration, regardless of the actual policies. Yet in all honesty the LibDems are less of a threat than the Tories.
The problem is that with Campbell back in the fold, the campaign will almost inevitably be dragged down to gutter levels. And regardless of Labour's actual intentions on immigration and asylum, they want to cover their backsides when the sh*t starts flying.
So at least one of the pledges is intended more as a means to placate the waivering voters than a real policy commitment. Another item of spin to be pushed down the electorates throat; another demonstration of the arrogance of the Blairites and their contempt for the electorate. It's less about doing what they think is right for the country and more about perpetuating power. I'm not going to tell you whether Labour's policy is right or wrong, but if you're uncertain of your support for Labour then just measure the reality of this latest promise against the yardstick of WMDs, Iraq, Ecclestone, Hinduja and numerous other lies, deceits and evasions.
Originally Tony Blair was going to announce Labour's five election promises at the Labour spring conference. Five pledges that would show the electorate that Labour was following a progressive path in the areas of the economy, health, education, childcare and crime. This would hark back to their 1997 manifesto which also made five pledges, an attempt maybe to forge links in the minds of the electorate between the soiled government of 2005 with the heady days of May 1997.
But then comes a last-minute update of almost Pythonesque proportions, as five promises become six.
John Prescott: Trouble at Millbank
Tony Blair: Oh no - what kind of trouble?
John Prescott: One on't foc's gr'ups reports var'nce in the intent'ns of swing voters
Tony Blair: Pardon?
John Prescott: One on't foc's gr'ups reports var'nce in the intent'ns of swing voters
Tony Blair: I don't understand what you're saying.
John Prescott: One of the focus groups reports variance in the intentions of swing voters.
Tony Blair: Well what on earth does that mean?
John Prescott [becoming irritated]: I don't know - Mr Milburn just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at Millbank, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Labour Manifesto.
[FX: Jarring Chord]
Alistair Campbell: Nobody expects the Labour Manifesto! Our five main policies concern the economy, health, education, childcare, crime...the economy, health, education, childcare, crime and asylum and immigration...asylum and immigration, the economy, health, education, childcare and crime. Our six main policies relate to the economy, health, education, childcare, crime and asylum and immigration...and an almost fanatical devotion to George Bush... Our seven... no... amongst our policies... are such elements as the economy, health... I'll come in again.
Being serious for a moment though, this hints at a degree of confusion within Labour which we haven't seen yet. And the cause is very interesting. You might think that adding immigration and asylum is a response to the Conservatives, but Alistair Campbell and the flying pigs have shown that Labour are pretty solid on dealing with the Tories. And the Tories seem already resigned to defeat, so why the addition to the pledges?
The reason, of all things, is the LibDems. Not their actual policies, but the fact that many floating Labour voters actually consider the LibDems as an alternative recipient of their support. And the justification given by these voters is the LibDems stance on crime, asylum and immigration, regardless of the actual policies. Yet in all honesty the LibDems are less of a threat than the Tories.
The problem is that with Campbell back in the fold, the campaign will almost inevitably be dragged down to gutter levels. And regardless of Labour's actual intentions on immigration and asylum, they want to cover their backsides when the sh*t starts flying.
So at least one of the pledges is intended more as a means to placate the waivering voters than a real policy commitment. Another item of spin to be pushed down the electorates throat; another demonstration of the arrogance of the Blairites and their contempt for the electorate. It's less about doing what they think is right for the country and more about perpetuating power. I'm not going to tell you whether Labour's policy is right or wrong, but if you're uncertain of your support for Labour then just measure the reality of this latest promise against the yardstick of WMDs, Iraq, Ecclestone, Hinduja and numerous other lies, deceits and evasions.
2 Comments:
This isn't to do with this post, but you might want to consider updating your list of constituencies. With the Scottish boundaries having been changed, many of those constituencies don't even exist any more.
Interesting, as the data came from the ONS for Nov04 (Feb05 won't be available until the end of the month).
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