Labour's only answer

You would think that after the row of the 10% tax band that Gordon Brown, and the rest of this incompetent government, would steer well clear of any potential taxing issues. But true to form they haven't.

The problem is that Labour have created a situation where elderly care is shockingly bad. Even though they have been in power for 11 years, I'm still waiting to hear the "it was the previous government's fault" line, but still back to the point. Caring for the elderly has become so expensive that most have to sell their homes and use their life savings, to to be able to afford the cost of staying in a care home. Basically leaving the vast majority penniless!

So instead of radical new thinking, the government's answer is.... yes you've guessed it, another compulsory new tax on every household in Britain. Who will be hardest hit by this new tax.... yes you've guessed it again, the same people that have been hardest hit by the scrapping of the 10% tax band.

It simply is further proof that this government has screwed this country so badly that it has no money, and their only answer is to tax us further. Labour's biggest arguement for attack on the tories is about "unfunded tax cuts", but this is a falacy. The questions that should be raised is about about Labour's "unfunded spending". At a time when we are all being warned about spending money that we don't have, and putting ourselves in further debt, it really is hypocritical that the government is doing exactly that with our economy. Prudence, my arse.

Now, it's no surprise that this consultation paper has been supported by Gordon Brown, and seven Cabinet ministers, but even less of a surprise that any decisions have been put back until next year. This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the announcement of another tax, so soon after the row of the 10% banding, would finish this government off once and for all? Most likely I would guess. But does Gordon Brown really think that the electorate are that stupid and will simply forget about how they were screwed, and then simply allow themselves to be screwed again.

The want to improve elederly care is noble (or in this case repair the damage they caused), but to simply tax, tax, tax is not the answer, and will only serve one purpose a very long spell on the opposition benches.

Promises, promises

Gordon Brown has spent the last four days promising this and promising that. But, in an almost carbon copy of his allegations about David Cameron, these promises have no substance. In all of his TV interviews Gordon promised to listen and learn, even though Andrew Marr himself accused him of offering nothing new.

Now, that is the problem. Gordon and his cronies have promised to listen to the electorate, but these promises are hollow. Nobody wants an extension of the 28 day limit on terror detention, but Gordon is going to continue with that policy; the tax credit system is flawed, but he will continue with that; and finally your average family is struggling with car and fuel taxes, but we will still have to swallow these increases.

So much for listening. These are just three of many issues that the electorate have real problems with, and the government is offering nothing new.

That brings me nicely on to the 10p tax row. Here we have again a promise by the government to compensate everyone affected by the tax change, through tax credits. Yes that flawed system that wants you to beg the government for some money back. But, like I said this is another promise that so far appears to have no substance, no details, just an undertaking by the government to do it. It was only a couple of days ago that lead rebel Frank Field MP called Alastair Darling's plans as "clear as mud". Have the plans become clearer? Of course not, in fact we just got another promise from number 11 that it will happen. Personally, I'm not sure that this will buy Frank off, not that it should unless the Labour whip manages to pin him down.

So when Gordon Brown next accuses David Cameron of having no substance during PMQ's, not only does the saying about a pot and a kettle spring to mind, but you can hardly blame Cameron for holding his cards to his chest. After all, if the policy is good this tired and useless government will only pinch it, like they did with inheritance tax.

Weakness, back downs and rolling over.

The announcement earlier this morning, by the government about their compensation package for the scrapping of the 10% tax break, is one of the most humilating episodes in recent times. Gordon Brown's leadership credentials are in tatters, he has no credibility left.

This whole row of the budget was his making, and his alone. It was gordon that scrapped the 10p rate in his last budget as Chancellor. It was Gordon that stood firm and said that there would be no change in policy. It was Gordon who had to plead with the PLP not to vote against the Finance Bill. It was Gordon that was forced to announce a compensation package to help the people that HIS budget would have left worse off.

The last week has shown that he is truely weak. When faced with a vote that he would have lost he backed down, he capitulated, and now looks vulnerable. Tony Blair never faced anything of this nature, because he wasn't a stubborn old "clunking fist" that didn't listen.

But it does stop there his leadership example of capitulation to try and avoid losing vote is followed by his subordinates. Gordon promised compensation to prevent a vote going against him, and Ken Livingstone this week handed a compensation package with little compensation to Metronet employees to prevent a tube strike costing him votes. The trend is there, and that is how Labour is governing under Brown's leadership.

What does worry me is that this show of weakness could be repeated yet again, this time in Europe. Remember those red lines in the Lisbon Treaty? Well, he said he would not back down over those, but then he also said he would not back down on the scrapping of the 10% tax rate.

However, it was Brown's PMQ's performance that was really telling. He tried to come out on the attack and make a back track sound like leadership. But David Cameron tore him to shreads, with Brown only being able to respond with claims of successes, all of which where in Blair's era. Gordon accused of not sticking to the central issues, but this is a major issue. Whether you support the government, or not, the one thing you want from a PM is strong leadership. I didn't like Blair, but even I will admit that he controlled a tight ship, Gordon's ship leak more than the Titanic.

So for now, the rebels have been bought off, but does anybody make out of that? Well, no. Yet again the only way the people affected by the tax increases will be able to see any money will be to beg for the money back through tax credits! What is it with this government and tax credits. they make the system so bueraucratic that the people affected don't apply, or by some technicality, get less than they deserve. How demeaning, instead of lower paid people instantly getting the money in their pay packets they will now have to go cap in hand, and beg for the money back.

Party of the people, my arse.

The Sun turns on Labour!

For the paper that claims it wins elections, by throwing their weight behind the side that looks like winning, then Trevor Kavanagh's column this morning will hardly make pleasant reading for Gordon Brown. Or Ken Livingstone for that matter.

In his column Trevor makes some harsh, but true, statements in a rather un-Sun-like way. He first of all states the bloody obvious in that Gordon has "botched just about every decision he’s taken since assuming office — from Northern Rock and the EU Constitution to the 10p tax fiasco and Iraq".

Trevor's rather blunt answer is to give Labour "a kick in the ballots". Next week London Assembly, and a third of council seats in England and Wales will be up for grabs. But the biggest prixe for the tories, and most humiliating for Gordon Brown if he lost, is that of the London Mayoralty. If Ken loses on a Labour ticket then we could see the Labour party start to implode and break ranks, with the prospect of a leadership challenge a real possibility. Now that really would be a message to "old Clunking Fist", the taxer of the masses.

As Trevor quite rightly points out: "Labour has been “investing” like drunken sailors. They spent £1,400BILLION in the last ten years — twice as much as in the previous decade. Yet our capital city resembles bankrupt New York in the Eighties, with roads like ploughed fields and litter-strewn streets decorated with graffiti. We deserve better from our politicians — nationally and locally. So don’t sit at home moaning next week. Get out and vote. Give the beggars a kick where it hurts. In the ballot box."

Trevor, for once I totally agree with you.

Labour is revolting.

Is it my imagination or is there an all our revolt in the Labour ranks at the moment. Over the last few weeks there has been a whisper here, and a comment there, which to be fair is par for the course with any party. But yesterday was astonishing.

To start the day you had the Chancellor opening criticising Labour policy. The spin doctors in the party have already tried to defuse that particular row by saying that it shows that the government is listening, and knows that it must do better. However, what is actually happening is that senior Government ministers know that their time could well be up if Gordon ontinues on this track. What surprises me is the openess of their criticisms. Even Gordon Brown himself never dared to criticise Tony Blair in public, and only dared to get his underlings to do it at the end of his tenure.

Although, we shouldn't be surprised at the supposedly calming influence of Ed Balls coming out and saying that all the mud slinging should, after all it's a well known secret that he'll put himself forward for leader at the next opportunity. Which could be in June if the London and local government elections go really badly.

So if the in fighting wasn't bad enough a resignation would be unthinkable, and we nearly saw that. It was hardly a secret that Yvette Cooper's PPS, Angela Smith MP, was telling her colleagues that she was thinking of quitting her role in the goverment over the scraping of the 10p tax band. Even I heard about it, and I'm extremely low in the blogging food chain, that's how well known it was.

But, Angela Smith has now reportedly said that she does not intend to resign after a telephone conversation with Gordon Brown. Now this is a line we've heard before, and it would surprise me if the one of the conversation was similar to that of when PM telephoned Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander, telling her "don't resign".

The thing is the resignation of a PPS is hardly big news, it's what is commonly known as a one day item. However, when wee Wendy was told not to resign over donor allegations, at a time of a string of allegations across the government, it could have potentially been the beginning of a chain reaction of resignations. The resignation of a PPS, over the government's tax policy, could have also been the beginning of open season on the government's policies. So it didn;t come as a surprise that after "that conversation" Angela Smith decided not to resign.

Things are certainly not looking good for Gordon Brown at the moment, his popularity is at an all time low, and that will harm Labour on May 1st, and at the next General Election, and the Labour party knows it. I know a couple of Labour party activists, and even they have no faith in Gordon Brown. One of them even said that it having him as leader was like "the worst set of beer goggles possible". That is the problem for Labour, the cabinet are openly criticising his policy, the back benchers are criticisng him as they are worried for their own seats, and the activists have no faith or motivated to go out for the election. Labour councillors, London Assembly members and Ken Livingstone himself, must all be worried that any backlash they face personally, will only be doubled by Gordon's unpopularity.

If the elections go the way the polls suggest expect the "mid-term protest vote" spin from Labour, and for the criticisms to get louder.

Was Brown's PMQ's quotation actually made, or just made up?

I never thought that BBC's "The One" show would be involved in a political discussion, but presenter Adrain Chiles has unwittingly just dropped Gordon Brown right in it.

In this afternoon's PMQ's, Gordon Brown was being questioned about the failure of the FSA to act during the Northern Rock crisis. Gordon said the FSA was doing a fantastic job, even though the FSA themselves had admitted that it failed to regulate troubled bank Northern Rock adequately. During the exchange Gordon attempted to start throwing a few quotes back at David Cameron. One of those quotes was from Frederick Forsythe, who Gordon claimed had said about Cameron that he had "no basic grasp of arithmetic".

However, when Frederick Forsythe was shown the footage of Gordon brown quoting him he stated the he had no idea when he made that particular quote, or even if he had what context it was made. In fact, he seemed a tad incensed that he was being misquoted.

Update: Apparently, the quote was taken from a letter that he had written to the Times in 2006. I haven't read or seen the letter, so can't tell what context it was written in.

Brown's compromise: Weak Leadership or crafty move?

A lot was made of Gordon Brown's so called back track yesterday, which now gives Labour's MPs a free vote on the embryo and fertility research bill. Most of the media are calling this an embarassing climb down by Gordon Brown, and on the face of it they are right.

The thing is "old clunking fist" is just a little bit more canny than people give him credit for, as this supossed back track is part of an old Blair trick. Basically, Blair's old trick was to bolt lots of crap bits of legislation to a good idea, so the opposition would vote against it, and then use that fact against them in future debates. This was most prevelant in the Terrorism Bill, where it was filled with crap bits, which the tories voted against, and Blair consitantly pulled up that fact.

But the problem for Labour is Gordon is trying to do the same, but with his own ministers. The climb down is only limited, with the free vote only allowed on three issues.

The free votes will apply to the creation of human admixed embryos containing both human and animal material, for studying serious diseases. They will also cover “saviour siblings”, which are screened as embryos to ensure their suitability to donate umbilical cord cells to sick children. The third unwhipped vote will decide on removing the requirement that IVF clinics consider a child’s need for a father, to give full rights to single women and lesbian.

But, and this is where we are seeing Gordon in his true colours, the vote on the bill as a whole will be a three line whip. So , if any of those three free votes are won by the government, they will remain on the bill for the final vote, which isn't free. Those Ministers that won this concession could still be faced with voting for a bill, on Gordon's orders, that still has those parts that the morally disagree with.

That shows Gordon's colours. He will still bully his "team" into voting for the bill.

However, this is another case of having a situation that should not have existed. Gordon yet again tried to bully a bill through, painted himself into a corner, made an embarrassing climb down, but still wants to bully it through.

Now, if he had spent the time actually trying to win the arguement, and explain the issues, instead of wielding the clunking fist, then he may have avoided this. Thankfully, he doesn't know how to do modern leadership.

Is Labour's support in meltdown?

Opinion polls are always volatile, and in the main unreliable. But recent polls conducted over the weekend, have been a real eye opening of public opinion, and it isn't good new for Labour. Now, when the Times' poll put the tories 16 points ahead of Labour, to be honest, I thought that this sort of result would just be a one off. Although, it was very pleasing to read. But over the last two days these results have been backed up by a whole string of polls.

The Guardian was the next paper to follow suit by putting the tories 13 ahead. Now this could just be a reaction to the budget, which screwed the vast majority of people, but then again it could be the first real signs of a sea change that we haven't seen for nearly 14 years.

But it isn't only national polls that see Labour doing badly. In Scotland the SNP are currently 8 points ahead in the polls, and in London Boris is 12 points ahead of Ken. Up and down this country Labour is doing badly, but with almost an arrogant disregard this government does not seem to care.

When the polls were bad for the tories, David Cameron knew that he had to change things, make his policies likeable, and more importantly people like him. After all, they will not vote for someone or a policy that they hate. But, the government don't appear to care. They simply forge ahead with policies that no one likes or wants, id cards, referendum et al.

Why? Its because the government thinks it knows best, only they can save the country, and everyone else is useless or will damage the security of the nation. At least, that is their spin, which is now seen as just pure smoke screen.

The polls are not a pretty sight along the length and breadth of this country, if your're a Labour supporter. But the wilful disregard that the government has for public opinion is the cause of that. Labour does not listen, despite promises from Gordon Brown that he would. We all knew he wouldn't as he never listened to anybody while he was Chancellor.

The outlook for Labour as a whole isn't good. If an election was held tomorrow we would see a landslide victory, more against Labour than a win for the tories, if I'm honest.

Same old diversion by Gordon

I was lucky enough to sneak in PMQ's during my lunch break today, and found myself looking on at the desperation of Gordon Brown over the Lisbon Treaty issue. In his responses to questions by David Cameron, all Brown could do was throw up old arguements about Maastrict, and accuse the tories of changing their position.

But this is a typical Labour fallacy, if any position has changed it's Labour's. Back in 1992, the Tories, voted for the ratification of the Maastrict treaty, Labour voted against it. Their position was the Europe was bad, and we shouldn't be part of it. However fast forward fifteen and a bit years, and now they are not only voting for an even greater inculsion into to the EU, but won't give the electorate a say. The Tories still say involvement in Europe is a good thing, but are against even further intergration.

So when you look at the two standpoints the Tories position has not changed a great deal, but Labour has gone from not wanting to be part of Europe to all in. A massive shift in policy. So for Gordon to use this arguement is just seen as the diversionary tactic to try and deflect attention away from the break in his manifesto pledge to give the country a referendum.

It also shows Gordon's total disregard for the will of the people. Nearly nine in ten people want a referendum of this treaty, and the majority of other European leaders openly admitting that the Lisbon Treaty is the EU constitution in all but name, his position becomes a little more precarious. Because he bottled an early election he will only have, at the very most, two years before he has to face the electorate, and this will be very fresh in people's memories. The PM has tried the spin of saying how different the treaty is, and hasn't been believed, he has even tried to thrown up arguements from fifteen years ago, but these just highlight the difference in his own party's position. But his biggest failing is that disregard for the electorate, and that he knows best and will get his way. I'm starting to see why some in his own party called him "stalin".

Although, whilst i'm on the subject of the treaty vote, the implosion of the Lib Dems is shocking, their front bench is fighting itself, resignations have already begun, and the individual that issued the now infamous "calamity Clegg" briefing note must have the smuggest of grins on their face. But as i've said before, their position will only do one thing, and that is gift a win for Gordon Brown.

Blair for President?

Be afraid, be very afraid. Tony Blair wants to be the first EU President when the EU Constitution Lisbon Treaty is ratified. To make matter worse he is getting endorsements from Ministers right across Europe. If it wasn't bad enough the Gordon Brown will sign away our sovereignty on a whole host of issues, but Tony Blair may well be in place to finish the job off.

What a predicament! No referendum on the treaty, and Blair back in charge. There is a simple answer to this. I WANT A REFERENDUM! I WANT A REFERENDUM! I WANT A REFERENDUM!

This government has barefaced lied to the electorate by promising an referendum on this issue. They spin the line that it is a very different treaty to the failed EU Constitution, despite nearly every European leader saying that it is pretty much the same. Plus, with Brown bottling an early General Election last year he has guarenteed that the electorate will not get their chance to have a say until it is too late.

Cheers, Gordon! It's bad enough being lied to, and duped, but to end up with Blair back in charge to boot, really is rubbing salt in the wound.

Update: The campaign against Blair taking over has already started with this website, and petition. Click HERE.

Also Beau Bo D'Or has got a cracking logo for the campaign.

Gong snub is another broken promise

I defy anyone to read the Times this morning and feel a sense of injustice has taken place.

When Gordon Brown came to power he promised to recognise the civilians that turned from commuters to heroes of the 7/7. Instead they have been snubbed! Again!

What I find disgraceful, more than anything is that this was a personal promise from Brown that has been broken, not just a manifesto one that we are used to being broken. These people are the true embodiment of the word hero.

To date a number of people have been honoured for their contributions on that day from London Underground staff to emergency services personnel. But their heroic acts where made in the call of duty. After all, I speak from an informed point of view as I was on of the many LU staff that answered that call of duty of that day, and worked my knackers off in some very unsavoury conditions. However, these people didn't have a call of duty, they were simply commuters. Their call of duty was to get to their place of work, instead they dived in, helped out wherever they could, and by their actions they probably prevented more lives meing lost.

So, what thanks do they get, none!

The ethos behind getting an honour is going beyond the call of duty, and giving service beyond the expectations of your role. So how did they not get an honour? It becomes even more of a disgrace when people that have been honoured are pen pushing civil servants who have simply done their job for the government, or in the case of Richard Summersgill puts half of the nation's personal details at risk and gets a CBE as a thank you.

Sometimes this government's actions don't just make me cringe, on days like this it makes me physically sick. But then the government has been doing its level best to brush the whole events of July 2005 under the carpet, with their insistance of not holding a public inquiry, ever since.

A Happy New Year?

Here is the opening paragraph from a report in today's Daily Telegraph: "The scandal over the Labour Party's £670,000 illegal donations will return to haunt Gordon Brown in the New Year as criminal charges may be imminent, according to an authoritative Whitehall source."

Happy New Year Gordon?

Betrayed

As I write this post, David Miliband on behalf of the government has committed the final betrayal of this country by breaking an election pledge, and signed the EU reform treaty.

Gordon Brown will now have to face the next election with the full knowledge that he has made a decision to sign the treaty even though 80% of the country were against it. To top it off the election bottler didn't even have the guts to sign the treaty in public himself.

Now, doesn't that show just how much contempt that the Prime Minister has for his electorate!

Just how many are involved?

Another day and another development in the donations scandal that is dogging this government. Yesterday it was Peter Hain's turn to admit that he accepted a proxied donation from Mr Abrahams. The list of people that knew about this is getting bigger, and they are all key members of Gordon Brown's inner circle.

However, old clunking fist is still claiming that he did not know anything about it. Now, considering that Gordon is even more of control freak that Tony Blair was, I find that very hard to believe. But what I find even more inconceivable is the lengths that he is going to to keep his cabinet together.

Gordon has issued a "don't you dare resign" order to Scottish Labour Leader Wendy Alexander, who has admitted to receiving an unrelated illegal donation, and if other blogs are to be believed he has done the same to key members involved in the investigation into proxy donors. Personally I believe that Gordon is trying to keep on to the right to fire them from their posts, in order to spin the line, "look at me i'm taking action". Admittedly that last bit is pure speculation on my part.

But it does beg the question how come Gordon Brown is able to to deny all knowledge, unless of course his team are too afraid to tell him any bad news. It sounds like the old line the John Reid used to use when he was at the Home Office, and we all remember how many disasters he faced.

Gordon's Vision?

Gordon Brown one had one dream when he became Prime Minister, and that was to do better then Tony Blair. Well, he has finally achieved that. It took nine years in power before the police started investigating improprieties in the Labour party, but under Brown it has taken just a few months.

Gordon's record since September truely has been shocking.

Wanted: A Government fall guy

The problem with Gordon Brown at the moment is that he simply will not admit that he is the cause of Labour's slump, and that it is all someone else's fault. So with that in mind the PM is obviously going to try and find a fall guy to blame.

Now, who would fit in to that category? Of course, the most Blair-like Labour politician, and only person who could've given him a run for his money in a leadership contest if he'd had the bottle, David Milliband. Which is why today's report in the Mail comes as no great suprise.

Gordon's luvvies have been busy this weekend trying to lay the blame at the Foreign secretary's door for the Government being somewhat rocky at the moment. The usual briefing within the Government have blamed Mr Milliband for destablising the Prime Minister over a row on an EU speech he delivered recently, in which Gordon is his usual cluncking fist way told him to write a speech that HE was happy with.

Like I said none of this comes as a surprise, as Brown is a control freak of a level that makes Tony Blair look easy going. He is a bully. No two ways around it. He meddles in all his departments and doesn't allow any of his ministers to do anything with his say so. Which makes some of the quotes in today's Times laughable, as Ministers try and rally round the PM with silly anecdotes of how he isn't a bully. Although if your a cynic like me then you know that Gordon probably had those soundbites written for them.

You see, that is the crux of the problem that Gordon still has not to terms with yet. He seems to be blaiming everyone else for the governments failings, but forgets that any foul ups with regards to policy is actually down to him for his meddling.

Gordon feels the backlash.

This may seem a bit of an odd way to start a post, but all will become clear. You know when you walk in half way through a coonversation it always seems as though the two parties that were having that conversation were talking complete filth? Well, that how I felt (ish) when I got home from work to switch on the debate on the Queen's speech.

To my confusion I managed to switch on my TV to see David Cameron answering questions from Labour backbenchers. Then there was a lot of David telling the Labour benches about what he would do. This did not help my confusion, because for a short moment it was though I was in a parallel universe where there had been an election and the tories were in power, and answering questions about their Queen's speech.

Seriously though, it was all quite bizarre. Camerons looked fresh, and on a mission, and Brown bored the pants off me. It was a little unnerving though the amount of times that he said he would gladly give way on subjects, admittedly trying to draw David Cameron out, but Tony Blair to my knowledge never did it, he carried on harder and harder, grinding down the opposition to a point where, and let's be honest, the tories were not a credible opposition.

But Brown today just did not do that. The majority of his speech is old policy, and old ideas. there was no new, and if this is his vision then this country will now face paralysis over he next few years.

However, the biggest surprise was to come, and it came in the form of Vince Cable! As the acting leader of the Lib Dems, stood I thought "here we go", obviously thinking this will be as boring as Ming, but it wasn't. In fact I was shocked at just how direct he was at criticising Brown. He was straight to the point in attcking the repetitivenes of the policies, and how this proved that we now had a tired Prime Minsiter with no new ideas.

When you consider the fact the Lib Dems were contemplatung being in a coalition goverment with Labour, if the election had been held with a hung parliament the result, the attack on Brown seems all the more bizarre.

Overall, this can't go down as a good day for Gordon Brown, and if an acting leader can score points off you, then you know things are badly wrong.

The week ahead

This week we will finally get a chance to see this great "vision" of Gordon Brown's in the Queen's speech . To be honest, and desperately trying not to be cynical, I cannot see where there will be any difference from Blair's last speech, last year. Most of the policy content will be the same, a lot of any financial annoucements have already been made, and there won't be any new money, and any "new" ideas will be ones pinched from the tories.

We will hear yet again an announcement about improving education, even though over the last ten years there has been little improvement. There will be another about the an NHS deep clean, and reduction of superbugs, even though numbers are soaring. Immigration will probably get a mention, which will make the debate afterwards interesting, as the Government have not only lost control of our borders but also of the statisticians that provide them with their figures.

So all in all this speech will be amke or break for Brown. If, and this is a big if, he has been keeping things back for this speech we can at last see the "vision". I personally believe that the only vision he has is to try and distance himself from Blair, but by doing that the only success he has had was to destroy a very comfortable poll lead.

Old ideas wil be churned again, old money will be reannounced making it sound like new investment, and the control freakery that is Brown will see even more control of the NHS, and dare I say it, more top down targets.

Brown wanted it to be business as usual, and it is in some respects. After all, there hasn't been any real change at all.

Keep your promise

A campaign advert from "I Want A Referendum"

Don't let Gordon destroy our democracy