Cash for contracts and ballots for bigots
We hate to say 'we told you so', but....
From yesterday's PMQ, here's an eight-foot high hedge trimmed with spin:
Further hedging and further spin will follow as Blair does his best to deny that the problem exists and - at the same time - assure us that he is the man to deal with the problem. That doesn't exist.
How do you think this effects public trust... a major issue that drives the small amount of substance behind the BNP-gain scare-stories that only seem to come around at election time? (We disagree on the matter of scaremongering, but you should read this excellent post by Chris at qwghlm.co.uk on the subject of extremist gains.)
The Herald - Loans row ‘has eroded public trust’: The row over party funding has unfairly reduced the standing of politicians, Lord Falconer admitted last night. The Lord chancellor said that although the "vast majority" of British politics was "utterly uncorrupt", he conceded the secret loans scandal had damaged public trust in the political process... Angus MacNeil, the SNP MP for the Western Isles, whose complaint to the police led to the Scotland Yard investigation into allegations of cash for honours, highlighted the "happy coincidence" of donors giving money to parties and then ending up in the Lords. He described it as representing "almost a two-finger sign given to the public and saying: 'It's only a coincidence, lads, there's nothing much you can do about it. It's business as usual.' This is the end of business as usual." Urging the public to sign the petition on www.cleanupwestminster.com... Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of Plaid Cymru, said there had been a great deal of wrongdoing by several parties and what was urgently needed was "to clean up this stable".
Labour councillors are going to look pretty stupid if they run around insisting that the BNP might win if people don't vote Labour... because it's Blair who drives any increase in this vote (where it does exist as something other than an abstract notion or 'temptation'):
1) Eroding Public Trust: Let's take that as a given with everything from 'burying bad news' to not finding weapons of mass destruction that didn't exist.
2) Distancing The Voters: Take away their right to protest. Do everything you can to dodge the issues and drive your opponents into the ground. When that fails, pat voters on the head and assure them that the matter is really quite simple... or pat voters on the head and assure them that this same issue is really quite complicated. When that* fails, answer every question in need of a straight answer with "Lalalalalalalalalala.... I can't hearrrrr yoooou!" Oh, and don't forget to avoid voters at election time.
3) The 'Enemy' Mentality: Blair has cornered any effective opposition into supporting him at almost every turn by cynically exploiting the terrorist threat. As a result, voters are turning to minority parties of all shades.
4) Race Issues I: Blair's relationship with Murdoch involves regular bitch-slappings over Europe and immigration issues. Blair quietly accepts this as a necessary evil, and ignores what it breeds.
5) Race Issues II: Blair's 'war' on terror and the illegal invasion of Iraq conducted under its banner have racism hard-wired in. Just one example: there's a body count for 'our boys' but not for the Iraqis.... because they don't count (more here). Blair breeds racism through his actions, but will never sully his tongue with racist statements. So those who are susceptible to racist messaging become more and more certain that filthy inhuman foreigners are out to get them (and/or their jobs/homes/pets), but fail to see Blair as the solution to the invented problem.
If you seriously think that increasing support for the BNP is a danger, then you have to deal with a major source of that danger... Blair.
You can start by getting him to answer this one simple question:
When his fundraiser-in-chief and tennis partner was offered a £1.5 million donation to the Labour party, why did he refuse it in favour of a £1.5 million loan?
Come on, Labour... give the public something to believe in and cauterise this open wound.
Bloggage:
BlairWatch - Why Won't Blair Answer This Question?
Guy Fawkes - Blair : No "Running Commentary" on Police Investigation
From yesterday's PMQ, here's an eight-foot high hedge trimmed with spin:
Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Plaid Cymru):
Will the Prime Minister offer a credible response to the following question? When his fundraiser-in-chief and tennis partner was offered a £1.5 million donation to the Labour party, why did he refuse it in favour of a £1.5 million loan?
Tony Blair (Prime Minister):
I have no intention of giving a running commentary on this, but I can say that I am delighted that so many successful people support the Labour party - and quite right too.
Further hedging and further spin will follow as Blair does his best to deny that the problem exists and - at the same time - assure us that he is the man to deal with the problem. That doesn't exist.
How do you think this effects public trust... a major issue that drives the small amount of substance behind the BNP-gain scare-stories that only seem to come around at election time? (We disagree on the matter of scaremongering, but you should read this excellent post by Chris at qwghlm.co.uk on the subject of extremist gains.)
The Herald - Loans row ‘has eroded public trust’: The row over party funding has unfairly reduced the standing of politicians, Lord Falconer admitted last night. The Lord chancellor said that although the "vast majority" of British politics was "utterly uncorrupt", he conceded the secret loans scandal had damaged public trust in the political process... Angus MacNeil, the SNP MP for the Western Isles, whose complaint to the police led to the Scotland Yard investigation into allegations of cash for honours, highlighted the "happy coincidence" of donors giving money to parties and then ending up in the Lords. He described it as representing "almost a two-finger sign given to the public and saying: 'It's only a coincidence, lads, there's nothing much you can do about it. It's business as usual.' This is the end of business as usual." Urging the public to sign the petition on www.cleanupwestminster.com... Elfyn Llwyd, the leader of Plaid Cymru, said there had been a great deal of wrongdoing by several parties and what was urgently needed was "to clean up this stable".
Labour councillors are going to look pretty stupid if they run around insisting that the BNP might win if people don't vote Labour... because it's Blair who drives any increase in this vote (where it does exist as something other than an abstract notion or 'temptation'):
1) Eroding Public Trust: Let's take that as a given with everything from 'burying bad news' to not finding weapons of mass destruction that didn't exist.
2) Distancing The Voters: Take away their right to protest. Do everything you can to dodge the issues and drive your opponents into the ground. When that fails, pat voters on the head and assure them that the matter is really quite simple... or pat voters on the head and assure them that this same issue is really quite complicated. When that* fails, answer every question in need of a straight answer with "Lalalalalalalalalala.... I can't hearrrrr yoooou!" Oh, and don't forget to avoid voters at election time.
3) The 'Enemy' Mentality: Blair has cornered any effective opposition into supporting him at almost every turn by cynically exploiting the terrorist threat. As a result, voters are turning to minority parties of all shades.
4) Race Issues I: Blair's relationship with Murdoch involves regular bitch-slappings over Europe and immigration issues. Blair quietly accepts this as a necessary evil, and ignores what it breeds.
5) Race Issues II: Blair's 'war' on terror and the illegal invasion of Iraq conducted under its banner have racism hard-wired in. Just one example: there's a body count for 'our boys' but not for the Iraqis.... because they don't count (more here). Blair breeds racism through his actions, but will never sully his tongue with racist statements. So those who are susceptible to racist messaging become more and more certain that filthy inhuman foreigners are out to get them (and/or their jobs/homes/pets), but fail to see Blair as the solution to the invented problem.
If you seriously think that increasing support for the BNP is a danger, then you have to deal with a major source of that danger... Blair.
You can start by getting him to answer this one simple question:
When his fundraiser-in-chief and tennis partner was offered a £1.5 million donation to the Labour party, why did he refuse it in favour of a £1.5 million loan?
Come on, Labour... give the public something to believe in and cauterise this open wound.
Bloggage:
BlairWatch - Why Won't Blair Answer This Question?
Guy Fawkes - Blair : No "Running Commentary" on Police Investigation
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