When the music stops...
... grab a cabinet post.
Most of the results are in and, as expected, Labour lost more than 250 councillors. Sure, it's a long way short of the 400 that some sources were claiming possible, but by no stretch of the imagination could last night be considered anything other than disastrous for New Labour.
So, Blair's had a lousy nine days with Cabinet colleagues making cock-ups both figurative and literal, and he's taken a drubbing in local elections which were as much a reflection on his leadership as a contest on local issues. What does he do?
Obviously really, play the Ministerial Okeycokey, also known as the Cabinet (re-)Shuffle.
As Justin predicted, the Safety Elephant was given the boot, only to be replaced by Dr John Reid, another odious member of the Scottish Mafia that Blair relies on. If you thought things were bad under Clarke, just wait 'til you see Reid at the Home Office. This is the former Communist Party member whose move the right has been achieved without a shred of shame or embarrassment; the man who was implicated in the Lobbygate scandal; the same person who was a drinking buddy of Radovan Karadzic. Oh, and not forgetting the cannabis found in a public area of his home.
Meanwhile, Clarke now exits, stage left, to the back benches, proclaiming his loyalty to Blair, whilst undoubtedly planning a Howe-esque savaging of his boss.
Straw gets demoted from the Foreign Office, possibly in an effort to separate him from Condie before he can get caught trying to boost transatlantic relations Prescott-style. He is replaced by Margaret Beckett, who has been handed the poisoned chalices that are Iraq and Iran. Once again she manages to avoid being in DeFRA at the wrong time, arriving after the foot and mouth fiasco, and leaving before bird flu.
Ruth Kelly leaves Education, having managed to survive the passage of Blair's flagship education reforms. She'll get Two Shags' portfolio as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's powers are passed to the newly created Department for Community and Local Government.
Former Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon comes back, as Minister for Europe, another newly-created role.
There's more, but it all gets pretty tedious. This isn't a significant change to the heart of government; it is merely an attempt by Blair to build a shield wall around him. This is not about better government; it is about ensuring the continuation of New Labour and Thatcherism with added guitars.
The Labour Party is now faced with stark choices. Blair has, with this reshuffle, made it blatantly obvious that he is sticking around until his anointed successor can be appointed. Bringing Reid to the Home Office brutally sticks two fingers up at Gordon Brown, who by now must surely realise that if he wants the Premiership, he's going to have to fight for it. Given his lack of cojones, expect a drawn out, internecine bitch-slapping session rather than any coherent contest based on policies and ideology.
The solution is simply stated. By the Party Conference this autumn, the Labour Party must rid itself of Blair, and ensure that a open leadership contest takes place. There must be no shoe-ins, no handover of power through backroom deals. The party must learn the lessons of Blairism, rediscover its values and beliefs (both of which New Labour is sadly deficient) and truly move forward. And it must be done now, before the Party finds itself once more unelectable.
Most of the results are in and, as expected, Labour lost more than 250 councillors. Sure, it's a long way short of the 400 that some sources were claiming possible, but by no stretch of the imagination could last night be considered anything other than disastrous for New Labour.
So, Blair's had a lousy nine days with Cabinet colleagues making cock-ups both figurative and literal, and he's taken a drubbing in local elections which were as much a reflection on his leadership as a contest on local issues. What does he do?
Obviously really, play the Ministerial Okeycokey, also known as the Cabinet (re-)Shuffle.
As Justin predicted, the Safety Elephant was given the boot, only to be replaced by Dr John Reid, another odious member of the Scottish Mafia that Blair relies on. If you thought things were bad under Clarke, just wait 'til you see Reid at the Home Office. This is the former Communist Party member whose move the right has been achieved without a shred of shame or embarrassment; the man who was implicated in the Lobbygate scandal; the same person who was a drinking buddy of Radovan Karadzic. Oh, and not forgetting the cannabis found in a public area of his home.
Meanwhile, Clarke now exits, stage left, to the back benches, proclaiming his loyalty to Blair, whilst undoubtedly planning a Howe-esque savaging of his boss.
Straw gets demoted from the Foreign Office, possibly in an effort to separate him from Condie before he can get caught trying to boost transatlantic relations Prescott-style. He is replaced by Margaret Beckett, who has been handed the poisoned chalices that are Iraq and Iran. Once again she manages to avoid being in DeFRA at the wrong time, arriving after the foot and mouth fiasco, and leaving before bird flu.
Ruth Kelly leaves Education, having managed to survive the passage of Blair's flagship education reforms. She'll get Two Shags' portfolio as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's powers are passed to the newly created Department for Community and Local Government.
Former Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon comes back, as Minister for Europe, another newly-created role.
There's more, but it all gets pretty tedious. This isn't a significant change to the heart of government; it is merely an attempt by Blair to build a shield wall around him. This is not about better government; it is about ensuring the continuation of New Labour and Thatcherism with added guitars.
The Labour Party is now faced with stark choices. Blair has, with this reshuffle, made it blatantly obvious that he is sticking around until his anointed successor can be appointed. Bringing Reid to the Home Office brutally sticks two fingers up at Gordon Brown, who by now must surely realise that if he wants the Premiership, he's going to have to fight for it. Given his lack of cojones, expect a drawn out, internecine bitch-slapping session rather than any coherent contest based on policies and ideology.
The solution is simply stated. By the Party Conference this autumn, the Labour Party must rid itself of Blair, and ensure that a open leadership contest takes place. There must be no shoe-ins, no handover of power through backroom deals. The party must learn the lessons of Blairism, rediscover its values and beliefs (both of which New Labour is sadly deficient) and truly move forward. And it must be done now, before the Party finds itself once more unelectable.
3 Comments:
What worries me about Brown is that he seems so gullible. If he is so incapable of looking after his own interests, why should I have any confidence that he can look after mine and the country's? If he had the balls he could seize power now, but even then he's just another blood spattered war-monger, or did I miss him refusing to back Blair in this most shameful and tragic adventure?
One might say that Blair is just an Amercian agent and should be hanged for treason. I just say FOAD asshole!
To be honest, Brown is yesterday's man. His golden opportunity for leadership was in 1992, but then he deferred to John Smith in exchange for being the de-facto successor. That's what really upsets Brown, the thought that he might miss out on his (in his opinion) God-given right to be PM for the second time.
If you want an idea as to just how poor he might prove to be as PM, look at Anthony Eden's premiership.
Agree with Balders there for sure. The other thing about Brown is his ineffective pissing around with the margins of the tax system in his budgets, or his blunderimg effect on pension funds. I mean all the simple, effective things that could be done to this country's tax system (says this finance graduate and chartered accountant)and we get administratively inefficient (and incorrectly administered as it happens)and socially ineffective tax credits here there and everywhere. Useless.
Still, interesting times to be living through!
Post a Comment
<< Home