Down With Brown
Since James Purnell lost faith in Brown and talked about it in The Guardian (here) you’ve got to wonder what Labour’s up to. Purnell cannot be out on his own on this one, most of the Labour Party and certainly 90% of the country think Brown’s not the man to be PM. Not the most rosy way to enter General Election country. Not the sharpest tactic to try and win an election led by someone who everyone thinks is rubbish, past it and partly responsible for the deepest recession in recent history.
The thing is, there’s nothing certain here. I reckon after some serious research (I thought about it on the bus), that Cameron is not convincing anyone. Where Blair looked like a leader-in-waiting, a young, fresh bundle of energy and ideas ready to sweep the cobwebby and exhausted Major government aside, Cameron looks like a vacuous smarmy public schoolboy desperate to be PM for the sheer sake of it. Even the Shadow Cabinet would be hard-pushed to name a single coherent policy, and most of the public would be hard-pushed to name a single member of the Shadow Cabinet.
This doesn’t look or feel like a sea change. It looks and feels like the end of Blair’s New Labour. Some confuse this by thinking it’s time for Old Labour again. It’s not. It’s time for Newer Labour, or New New Labour. It’s not actually time for some confusing hotch-potch muddle of Tories. I don’t think there’s a great swell of feeling in favour of a non-existent Tory vision led by faceless people who nobody knows.
This means that there’s a crack of a chance. If someone call pull off a genuine jump to a new Labour vision, a twenty-first century socially progressive, economically realistic programme radically focused on courageous solutions, then there’s a chance.
Not much time left.
Even if such a last-minute spurt had only limited impact, it might be the difference between losing outright and forcing a hung parliament, or between a hung parliament and a slim win. It might only be the different between losing big and losing small – but it’s hard to picture it have a negative impact, so it’s worth a shout.
Brown doesn’t fit into that.
The other strategy – and one I’m warming to – is hoping that a Tory victory will leave Cameron to make the tough decisions of the “decade of cuts” ahead. Not a bad long-term tactic (especially as it’ll do no harm to remind people how rubbish the Tories are), but any which way Labour’s going to have to reinvent itself and be a credible alternative.
Brown doesn’t fit into that either.
There’s the rub. However much the policies change, people vote for people – and people don’t much like Brown as PM.
So Labour can either change the leader now and offer a coherent radical alternative to the Tories (most likely with higher taxes in the short-term with static spending to steady the fiscal ship, then a radical programme focused on creating the vision of a twenty-first century country of opportunity and fairness) or stick with Brown till the bitter end and hope that the Tories get tarred with the brown stuff as they cut and slice their way through the next ten years.
The problem with the former is that the new leader starts with a defeat. On the plus side, they’d be Leader of the Opposition having been PM – not something we’ve seen for a very long time. They’d also not be entirely blamed for the defeat if they called a snap General Election following their own election, and would surely minimise the Labour defeat in doing so. This could be very credible, if they called that quick poll, they’d be saying that it was for the people to decide the future and enough of limping lame ducks. Can only be a positive.
However, the latter tactic seems to be winning. The received opinion that a dose of opposition, infighting and rebuilding will leave the ready for 2020ish.
I must say I haven’t read the whole post, just because I believe all of them politicians are likewise. So the only solution I have is either get a new party on the departing line or vote for the one that is politically within our scope of thinking. Down with Brown, down with Millig(b)and, down with Toynbee, etc, etc. but up with Labour, Socialism, the Left… whatever is with us, the people.
Jose
July 26, 2009 at 13:43
You know I disagree with you Jose! I think most politicians are hard-working and well-meaning. I think most try to do the right thing but are human and flawed and it is very difficult to change things.
I certainly don’t want to see any kind of socialism. I’m more of a liberal social democrat.
zhisou
July 27, 2009 at 15:41
Well, Zhisou, historyt has taught us that leading politicians have usually toed the line drawn by those who can draw it. Minor politicians – those serving in Parliaments – are most likely more honest and loyal to the people they are elected by, but they eventually have to bow to the respective party’s discipline, which I think is the rotting part of the system. So if you give new sap to that plant – the parties – perhaps things may change. Meanwhile it is all the same if it is Torys, Labour, or Liberal Social Democrat.
The system must change, I insist on that opinion. Those few high up should not control the many more down below.
The contrary behaviour is Democracy, not what we are witnessing just now. Capitalism, as Socialism, are good systems provided they are not taken to the extremes.
Jose
July 28, 2009 at 07:31
The system must change, that is true – but I also think that the system reflects to some degree the people. The people who vote tend to vote for small-minded short-term self-interest, often ill-educated self-interest. Most people don’t take the time to learn what’s going on or look at the issues in any great depth – little wonder our system and our politicians are imperfect.
The best we can hope for is a general level of education and a moderately engaged electorate.
zhisou
July 29, 2009 at 19:34
It seems a very strange thing, but I think Lord M would be the only possible choice for PM at the moment- there..I did it
janjeill
August 3, 2009 at 23:52
Maybe, but a constitutional nightmare to have a Lord as PM. I don’t much care, no one seems to have the imagination to implement the reforms we need in government, the economy or society. It is frustrating.
zhisou
August 5, 2009 at 19:59
For the first time I can envisage not voting; I think Lord M has the social vision, energy and intellectual capacity , but he is surrounded by jealous 2nd raters. He could perhaps give up his peerage , with an amendment to the Law, and then go for a safe seat. The media are mostly to blame for the rabble rousing , lies and distortions; this wasn’t so important when they only has the reasonably educated or true socialist readership; now everyone has access to “news” and sensationalism . I sound like my grandfather.
janjeill
August 5, 2009 at 22:54
I tend to agree, although I don’t think Lord M has the appeal and charm to lead. He’s a natural number two, the power behind the throne, he’s not the throne. Nor is GB.
zhisou
August 7, 2009 at 20:23
I agree he doen’t have the general appeal to be selected, although his staff seem to really admire , even like him . I still think he could actually do the job better, and being the power behind the scenes might means another weak or vacillating second-rater up front. It’s pretty hopeless.
janjeill
August 9, 2009 at 23:03
er ..forgotten how to spell my name
janejill
August 9, 2009 at 23:04
I quite like Janjejill, sounds Indian.
Lord M would have to come back off his holidays if he wanted to be PM. Strange he hasn’t jumped at that chance.
zhisou
August 10, 2009 at 18:10
Did you see he is back? I am so glad I can still afford to buy The Times, otherwise I might have missed the photo of Lord M’s blue …loafers.. yes they had a whole picture of their own. You wouldn’t see something that profound in the Sun, I think.
Love janje
(almost west indian I think)
janejill
August 11, 2009 at 23:36
Janje, you’re right the name’s more West Indian. Are you West Indian? You should be. I have a thing for the darker lady.
Yes, good to see Lord M back and making “withering” attacks on the rather unconvincing Osborne.
zhisou
August 13, 2009 at 05:34
I could be anything you want me to be..
janejill
August 13, 2009 at 23:28
how did I manage to post a comment on Friday 13th when it is still Thursday? Ah..is it Thursday 13th? That’s good then
janejill
August 13, 2009 at 23:30
Janje, sounds like you’ve been smoking something – getting into character obviously.
zhisou
August 14, 2009 at 07:32