Conservative Parliamentary spokesman for Norwich South, Antony Little, has spoken out strongly against Labour’s handling of the economy whilst stating what the Conservatives would have done instead. He said that despite there being political consensus over the recapitalisation of the banks, the truth of Labour’s failed economic policy should not be hidden.
Speaking to a group of UEA politics students, Councillor Little said that Gordon Brown had failed to regulate public and private debt in Britain. He promised that the Conservatives would fix “our broken economy” with a responsible fiscal policy bolstered by independent oversight and a renewed role for the Bank of England.
Councillor Little said: “The country will not forget that it was the Prime Minister who stripped the Bank of England of its powers to supervise the City, that it was he who actively encouraged the risk-taking culture in our banks and that he promised time and again that he had abolished boom and bust.”
He said: “We need a responsible attitude to economic development that fosters more balanced economic growth. Labour accuses us of talking Britain down, but it is this Labour government which has brought Britain down. Only the Conservatives are offering the change that Britain needs.”
I am literally just back from a pretty exhuasting couple of hours on the doorsteps around Christchurch Road. Amazingly the cloud seems to have kept people indoors and there were plenty of people to chat to about their issues. One thing that came through loud and clear was the failure of the government to tackle anti-social behaviour; it’s strange that as a SNAP Chairman in Bowthorpe and Costessey I see the work that goes on behind the scenes and the amount of investment the police are getting. Yet residents don’t feel as if they are being supported and think that yobs are running the streets. Note to Labour: maybe endless investment isn’t working here – is there something we are missing? Employment, education, family breakdown? Also there was a strong feeling against Labour’s re-organisation in the NHS and the creation of polyclinics. I spoke to 3 retired nurses all of whom were shock by the plans. One (blush!) even came to watch Niki George and myself pass a motion against the plans in council last month.
Generally people felt that Brown’s time was up. Again and again they asked when the election was; and the truth is that both he and I dont know! The feeling od the doorsteps was positive – we got 2 new members and residents saying that they hadn’t voted Tory in years but were going to next time. Perhaps thats why Brown isn’t so keen on the election?
Emily’s new toy is a singing daglo orange plastic bag which belts out a samba tune. I do hope the batteries run out, but no signs of that yet.
Yesterday morning a big campaign group went out around the University to do some survey canvassing, and the views of people can be summed up in two words – transport and economy.
There was a lot of anger locally about the speeding traffic down some of the main roads (and the council response to this) but also the state of the roads and pavements. There are some atrocious cracks and holes that need urgent attention. However the grass verges are destroyed and the areas where 2 buses are forced to pass leave holes like a canoe run in the road where one bus has to mount the verge to get pass the other. Sadly, again, little seems to be done to solve these issues and residents feel that they are “on their own” – once again. They seemed genuinely pleased to be able to explain their issues to the Conservatives and there is a feeling that they have been let down.
However the overwhelming majority of people were very worried about their financial situation in the coming months and years. I met businessmen who were having to lay off staff, builders without work because of the slowdown of the housing market and a family who are being forced to cut down on buying food to make ends meet. And the blame for this was all laid squarely at the feet of the Prime Minister (interestingly not the Chancellor – most people think this all has its legacy in Brown’s days at the treasury).
Overall a lot of people were very disengaged with the whole political process. They felt very much the choice was between the Conservatives and Labour; we didn’t find a single open LibDem voter in a ward they used to hold with a sizeable majority. People are moving away from Clarke and Labour but haven’t yet found their way to the Conservatives in this part of Norwich. It’s our job to give them a reason to do so.
Today I am speaking at a public meeting at the Greenstock Festival at Heigham Park; I do hope that despite the weather you make it!
There must be seething Ministers and the sound of smashed Nokia’s across Downing Street tonight with the news that Tory Leader David Cameron will be visiting war-torn Georgia. Mean a lot to the average voter? Perhaps not, but it will mean a lot in Brown’s Bunker …
The massive advantage that the ruling party has is, well, being in power. A Prime Minister should strut his stuff on the international stage wherever and whenever possible and not, for example, hide in the dark to sign important international treaties. A Prime Minister should judge the national mood and do just enough of this to look statemanlike without ignoring the “home front”. Actually, I mean a good Prime Minister should do that. It is something that the Leader of the Opposition just can’t do. He can do photo calls outside of Tesco, he can deliver a speech to the CBI and he can appear on the Today programme. Hence whenever a Leader of the Opposition gets a sniff of international back slapping he takes it and whafts it around all over the place (the Cameron and Obama stuff was plastered all over the party branding for ages). But if a Leader of the Opposition is snubbed (Michael Howard was famously not allowed in the White House) then you know you are in trouble. The World Stage is the only place Brown can go where he knows Cameron can’t follow … not so much the last, as the best, fox he has.
The Cameron trip is a brilliant move because it kills that fox dead, it raises the Cameron profile both home and abroad as inevitably our next Prime Minister and makes Cameron look af if he was born for this stuff. The pictures of Cameron abroad (for example, with troops etc) always look refreshed and civilised – Brown always looks uptight.
But this is more than just Cameron’s usual PR savy stuff; he’s been allowed to get away with it and that’s what’ll be the biggets regret at No.10. Cameron has been clear and direct on Georgia – the Prime Minister and his Foreign Secretary (who are, no doubt, in constant contact !!!) have dithered and been slow in their response. Apart from being morally right, it is also politically right to be fast out of the traps on this issue. Would Blair or Thatcher have held back – would even John Major have done so? No, but this goverment looked like the rabbit in the headlights on Georgia. So a power vacuum is created and Cameron has filled it now. Whatever Labour do – even if, say, Milliband goes go out there – they’ll be walking in Cameron’s footsteps.
This is great for the Tory Leader and another disaster for the government team. And when they look at it all, and are honest with themselves, they’ll know they are to blame.
In today’s Daily Torygraph, Mayor of London Boris Johnson writes of his 11pm realisation that Brown will hold his job – cheese in the fridge gave it all away. Boris argues that he could go on a diet, rather like Brown could be given the boot. But rather like starting his diet, he reckons that Labour MPs just can’t be bothered to start the process. I disagree.
I think that Brown will survive but for a very different reason; no senior level MP will wield the knife. The backbenches may want Brown to go, but they need some heavyweight support to do it. If any cabinet minister does that, then not only will the cash strapped Labour Party have to foot the bill for a contest (which they can’t afford) then they might actually become leader themselves. They would then have to go on to lose the next election, no matter who becomes leader, and take the blame for a drubbing. Now Jack Straw may be willing to do this, but no serious contender will. Now that the polls show Labour badly behind under all leaders, they are going to wait and let Brown fall on the grenade instead of them.
I may regret saying this, but the next Labour leadership contest will be held against the backdrop of Cameron’s first government.
Labour had a candidate but no campaign in Henley. Labour have a campaign but no candidate in Glasgow East. Labour have no candidate and no candidate in Haltemprice & Howden.
In the past few weeks there have been concerns, touted in the press and on the blogosphere, that Brown was finally getting one over on Cameron at PMQs; but some Tories batted this off saying that this was part of Dave’s great plan to be soft on Gordon and help cement his position; after all, Brown is the secret to a Conservative landslide at the next election.
However today was a classic example of where Cameron wasn’t interested in the win-lose-draw aspect. He had a fantastic issue – a news story in itself. A handwritten letter from Labour’s Chief Whip Geoff Hoon to Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee Chairman Keith Vaz saying that he hoped that Mr Vaz would get an appropriate reward for doing a policy U-turn and backing the government in the crucial 42 days vote.
Cameron went rather softly on it; and the media and bloggers picked up on this and said he let Brown off lightly. I don’t think so.
Cameron was putting an issue into the public domain – he got the good soundbite out (tell the truth, don’t take us for fools etc) and has really been at the forefront of yet more good Tory publicity.
If he has wanted to bash the PMs head in, he could have taken all 6 questions on this issue and massacred him. Cameron chose not to, because he had done his job. Rather like Blair when his sprung the Cranbourne deal on Hague back in the 90s.
So for once, PMQs isn’t about winning – it’s about a narrative to an excellent media story. The Hoon-Vaz issue will never be sorted (because we’ll just never know what that ! meant) but that won’t stop this government taking yet another kick in the balls – because if just confirms that view most people had already about this shabby 42 days vote.
Wendy Alexander made a fairly small error regarding party finance (in terms of cash sums) and has been punished by parliament. She’s stuck out a lot of abuse from her opponents, notably the SNP, and also the media. And now, suddenly, she quit. Now I should be delighted and using this blog post to gloat. But this resignation has left me more confused than pleased.
Why go now? The pressure was finally lifting, Labour have a by-election in Scotland they’ll need to fight hard and leadership is important. But she walked away … a two fingered salute to politics? A moment of weakness? Well, Wendy is sister of International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander. I just can’t help wondering if he knew of her intent before she quit – in fact, I wonder if she sought her advise?
Brown, at the time of his anniversary, is battered by a second by-election bruising and depressing polls. Blair’s leadership was challenged by a volley of PPS resignations; I just wonder if Brown’s leadership is being challenged by a higher authority?
The resignation of Tory Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, not just from his frontbench job but as an MP, is a remarkable piece of political drama. Quitting to force a by-election on the 42 days issue is an honourable and brave move; but for some of us, we’ve come to expect this from Davis who has a long history of speaking up for civil liberties. Tonight, a strong coalition is building around Davis and they clearly plan to take this fight to Brown and the country; persuading the majority of Britons who still believe in 42 days.
Any MP giving up his seat (and Davis could lose it) is remarkable.
Taking on a government backed by a large majority of people on a complex issue is remarkable.
Putting the right thing to do above your career is remarkable.
David Davis has a huge job to do and is now the unofficial spokesman for everyone who cherishes liberty; be it on ID cards, 42 day detention or the removal of trial by jury. Far from being a stunt, I am tonight very proud of Davis and if he brings the country with him on this, he could yet be the man who brings down Gordon Brown.
I am against 42 days detention without trial; not least because it won’t actually work but for 2 other reasons – firstly the loss of our historical rights in this country to have a fair trial without being detained by the force of law, and secondly I believe that works fills the time given to complete it – so if you give the police 42 days they will take it; I just don’t believe they need this time because they could do the same work (technical or not, Mr Brown) in 28 days, which for the record I believe is still too long.
So the utterly pathetic sight of a Labour government (a LABOUR government) relying on the votes of Northern Ireland MPs who, quite frankly, sold out to Brown in order to introduce a piece of legislation that will both be authortarian and ineffective is sickening in the extreme.
I am disgusted; as you can tell; and I hold every single one of the Labour MPs and the sole Tory and UKIP MPs that voted for this law to be personally responsible for the erosion of our liberties.
Thank God for the House of Lords, and I cannot wait for the day when Clarke loses his seat and a new Conservative MP for Norwich South can vote to repeal this nasty piece of legislation.
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