Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 August 2009
09:4726982#1
Parliament is on holiday and the media are in search of stories to fill the otherwise empty pages.
Some old stories get dug up and relaunched as if new, others are full of exaggerated outrage with little substance (Mandy running the UK on a Blackberry for instance).
I suppose the newspapers have to fill their pages somehow.
In between all this there is something happening and that illustrates the difference in morale, motivation an leadership in the the major political parties.
The Conservatives are conducting a series of speeches delivered by front bench spokesmen. Those of us who are political anoracks will be fully aware as will the readers of the broadsheets.
This last week we have had policy annoucements on health, on education and today George Osborne is making a big speech. On writer described Osborne's speech as marking a significant moment in project Cameron. There is a continious trickle of news coming from the Conservatives, for those who are on the look out for these things.
From Labour there is nothing by way of policy. No real thinking at all really.
Why is this happening? Whay are announcements being made when no-one is listening? What is going on?
It is all about preparing for Government. Its building up a head of steam towards the Conference season, its about preparing journalists and commentators rather than the public as a whole. That said, those members of the public that are really interested will be aware as well and that is not a bad thing.
The election is close now, in 9 months time we are likely to have a new Government (May being the most likely election date rather than June).
Even Brown is reported now to be resigned to losing the election (Ok, that may be a silly season story, but it did come from a good source to a journalist on the Spectator who is not one of the usual sensationalist suspects).
It is difficult to find any serious journalist who thinks Labour can win.
The conference season staring next month will be the start of the end for Labour. The big question is, will Brown stay with it and lead Labour in the next election. Increasingly people are thinking not....
We shall see.
Well, now back to sleep until the end of the silly season......
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
11 August 2009
09:5726983#2
Its not so bad though having a silly season as you do indeed get these wonderfully unreal stories and other ones a good deal more real. Only yesterday I was delighted to see Hazel Blears sitting in her car with all four tyres slashed and the windscreen broken. One shouldnt delight in such things I know, but this woman with that awful fixed titanic sinking smile, has really got up everyones nose.
Her constituents hate her as was clear yesterday , but the Labour Party itself I suspect hates her too...especially after that 'rocking the boat' badge on her chest. She took leave of her senses for a while, fell in love with her own hype, and shot her career in the foot. But worst of all she let her colleagues down, she let her government down. Unforgiveable. she thought a Premier toppling revolution was coming but it didnt...Brown stood firm.
Although she could always go on to write the following book
"How to go from being a Minister to being a nobody in three easy lessons!" by Hazel Blears!!
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
11 August 2009
10:0426984#3
I dont think anyone would be very interested in heavy grade speeches right now BarryW by frontline Tories or anyone else. A kind of creeping inertia climbs over everybody here during august and I feel it myself. I long to do nothing all day!! We seem to be getting more like the French in that way, they seem to abandon august entirely. So if someone made a speech telling me my pants were on fire I dont think I'd care.
Save all the heavy speeches for the autumn when the media frontrankers will be back from the Maldives and the Bahamas and will pick over the speeches to make them appear more interesting, and us lowly types will be woken up by the fresh breezes of autumn swirling up our kilts!
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 August 2009
11:3926987#4
Thats right PaulB, hence my comments about why the Conservatives are providing a run of policy statements. Its not for most people out there as only a minority of us are interested.
I feel it myself, that lazy feeling of not wanting to get out of bed. I had a hard drive failure yesterday on my main office pc and I am waiting for a new box. Thankfully I have a good back-up and while I could load the data to my second office computer it is easier just to leave it a few days until I can load it onto my new box. August, its quiet, I can relax about it, make the most of a bit of spare time and do those things normally unimportant and overlooked.....
Or, well,,,,,, just go back to a silly season doze,,,,,,
Night, night!!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
11 August 2009
17:4326998#5
you were merely delighted at the attack on ms blears car paul?
the rest of us were clutching our sides and rolling on the carpet.
i see that mr ancram has decided to stand down at the next election.
why was he allowed to stand down?
why did the blues not sack him?
they are trying to portray themselves as go getting and progresive, but they still doff their caps to the landed gentry.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
11 August 2009
19:3626999#6
I like Michael, he is a real old school gent who enjoys a pint and would fit in with anyone.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
11 August 2009
19:5427001#7
And old Vic matcham is just waitng for the Big K.O.
Sid Pollitt
12 August 2009
15:4127041#8
It wasnt really a big speech by Osborne was it though, he got right into the silly element of the season and said that the Tories are the progessive party and claimed that they'd be a government of reform [hinting at the social policy proposed by IDS no doubt] and then garbled something that seemed like the political equivelant of a silk purse out of a sow's ear which went somthing like they'd slash and burn, cut and cut and from that they'd provide more services. Total fantasy, especially regarding being progessive.
Why dont they come clean and say which path they would take coz they cant go both ways. For instance if they want to make cuts in local government, my estimate that their plans for a council tax 'freeze' for a local authority the size of DDC would be as much as 3 to 5 million pounds of cuts over two years and that hasnt been challenged, and I know we've been softened up by claims of non-jobs [we've been given no example at DDC] but wouldnt this just result in more unemployment and less services for the public, and maybe compound social problems [this is where the more right-wing of the rightwingers shout about them GETTING ON THEIR BIKE, or some other nastiness], but how is this progessive?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 August 2009
19:0127051#9
Cant expect any different from you Sid. The fact is there must be huge public spending cuts and it will happen whoever wins the election. The Conservatives have a reform agenda and aim to do so without front-line services suffing. We hear nothing from Labour about how they will do it, they clearly have no new ideas and know only how to spend our money.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 August 2009
19:3627055#10
huge public spending cuts without front line services suffering.
it will be interesting at election time when the opposition repeat that and are brought to task by the media.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
13 August 2009
06:1727072#11
Howard - these cuts will happen whoever wins the election. Any politician who says differently is a lieing.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
13 August 2009
16:5027129#12
of course cuta are inevitable barry, but my post referred to front line services not suffering.
no member of the public will swallow that.
the media will demand to know what services will get the chop.
Sid Pollitt
25 August 2009
18:5927987#13
Have you seen the latest? The Tories have said some parts of the UK are like those portrayed a fictional US television programme. Maybe it's because if they get in at the election they want the country to be more like a Carry On film. Well anyway, they have asked one of the most corrupt US politicians to act as an advisor to them. When contacted Clay Davis said 'No sheet'.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
25 August 2009
19:2927988#14
Well I go away, after agreeing with Barryw on earlier postings and look wa
what happens, barryw then nods off and goes back to his dream world.
Let me make a few pointers on all the postings;
HAZEL BLEARS
About 2 years ago I visited Warrington and at that time the main speaker was none other than HAZEL BLEARS It was my first conference in this organisation, I listened patiently to her Spin and wondered if I was in the same world, She didnt convince many, but have to say it was interesting that even her husband all alone looked bored, so chatted to him!!
Having given HAZEL BLEARS a piece of my mind, and having unanswered questions I questioned her again at the end, still not convinced i was called back to the meeting to speak so had to go.
All of this was before her latest fiasco.
Im all for defending the Government, but if there are issues/problems be honest and say so people think more of you for it.
ON THE TORIES
As Sid has said before today, this election is far from over, and as howard says once they announce all there CUTS people will think again about voting for them.
AUGUST
Yep it is silly season but lets be honest Barryw yep your an onarak bit sad for you, but that is your choice, and no matter what the tories said they are in your rose tinted glasses the vision.
In reality people are starting to ask questions, so the tories will be the party of BIG CUTS,
(b)Will D Cameron be allowed to stay in the middle ground, when the general
Tory party is made up of the right wingers, and now and again we see the
old tories return.
LABOUR
Labour used to have the problem that Tories are presently experiencing, what used to happen is the days leading up to an election T Benn, or D Skinner
(both whom i have a lot of time for) would make a maverick speech one that
would not have the people behind them and labour would go on to lose the election.
Blair recognised this (as did kinnock before him) and moved the party towards
middle england, to the dismay of many of us, but it did get Labour elected 3 times
an likely to be a 4th !!!!!!!!!!
VIC
I have said before VIC as a friend don't make yourself look silly, i'm not alone in trying to help you, you have far more to offer, But the election is of course your decision, and mine just friendly advice that i wish you would take.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
25 August 2009
19:3827993#15
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
25 August 2009
20:0327994#16
VIC
aLL i CAN DO is advise, I was sad to see how down you were last time and it will happen again, just stick to what your good at
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
25 August 2009
20:2727995#17
Keith, you have said that time after time,I was not down last time and will not be this time I like doing what I do and that will carrie on, just get me that pint of full cream milk.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
25 August 2009
20:3027996#18
Keith - it must be increasingly difficult for you to keep your spirits up.
Brown's Government is doomed, make no mistake. His lack of leadership ability as demonstrated over the last 5 days is the best illustration of why that is, rather than the economy. Labour could get rid of Brown but they are now so generally discredited it will not do much good in the long term.
Another illustration of this is in the detail of the two latest polls. In the August NHS skirmishes it seems the Conservatives came out on top. In both polls, the only two since all this blew up, it is the Conservatives who rate the most trusted with the NHS - we are hitting well into what Labour usually consider to be 'their territory'.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
25 August 2009
20:4827999#19
i see that the "guardian" today led with an opinion poll showing the blues heading for power.
they seemed quite triumphalist about it, could it be that they have heard boy dave wears sandals off duty?
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
25 August 2009
20:5228000#20
Barryw
Its so sad you are starting to convince yourself(but no one else)
in the real world, nobody trusts the tories with the NHS except the tories!!!!!SMILEY:
I will always have my spirits up, whaever the result, im no longer active in politics as i was in the past.
I dabble at election time and come on here but not much more, im much more the armchair person now.
VIC
Happy to get you that pint.
To say you were not disappointed is a fib
You even came up to me in disbelief that only 660 had voted for you.
you were down most of the night.
But it is ofcourse your choice im trying to save you embarrassment
