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There was another, wearily obvious, title for this thread, but I have managed to resist it.
It was tricky.
No doubt many words will be expended on the nature and wisdom of Ed Balls’ lobby briefing. Here is another example.
Apart from expounding on the sudden amazing imploding of labour, there are just two words needed.
“In denial”.
Oh, I’ll add a few more. He’s not really very clever is he?
‘Guido’ also covers this, but also has a much more amusing story about Northern Rock shareholders offering to bail out the Labour Party. Actually the joke may be on us as it appears that all those mortgage assets are not quite as gold plated as we were led to believe. Perhaps this is the only subject Ed Balls would not want to dwell on.
The government has agreed to waive taxation on an elite group of highly paid entrepreneurs, businessmen and entertainers. Footballers, that is. If Wembley gain the Champions League final in 2011 then no tax will be chargeable to overseas players and we must assume club staff. Logic says that the same will apply to overseas athletes at the 2012 Olympics
As pressure mounts on the government it seems increasingly likely that the Treasury’s plans to further ensnare more conventional businessmen into its net may also have to be watered down.
“Whew!”, they must be saying in the bowels of the Treasury, “thank God for the middle classes.”
An article in todays Telegraph points out Frank Field’s view that Brown may well have to go if things do not improve. Now Field may well be behaving like a man with his foot on an opponents throat, but I, from the depths of the folds of my sofa, cannot help but agree. For a whole host of reasons Brown seems totally compromised. The amazing schism with Scottish Labour is just the latest example of a party and government out of control. Brown is on his way out - as sure as night follows day.
The electorate hold his fate in his hands, not least the electorate of Crewe and Nantwich. Labour faithful are hopeful. Well maybe. But it does not matter about the hard core labour rump (many of whom will be distinctly miffed by the 10p tax shambles), if the middle classes and long suffering pensioners rise up as a mass they can destroy Brown for good. It could happen.
Now it may be that if Brown goes it will create a whole load of new problems for Labour but it seems realistic that if Labour are truly to confront the problems they face they need to remove the man responsible for most of them.
Of course whoever leads Labour they will have to persuade us they are worth voiting for. The curent attempt seems to be based on improved social care. Small problem. It will cost billions – so where is the money to come from? Hey presto! Up steps Yvette Cooper (possibly the most odious woman on the planet, which given the rest of the rivals in the Cabinet is a tough poll to top) to say that Labour plan (yet again) to save £7 billion in ‘waste’. A likely story. Labour need to tell us some good news, so make a spending pledge and invent future savings to pay for it.
Step forward anyone gullible enough to believe it. It may be just as well that the great policy announcement is in fact only a pledge to ‘consult’. Is this what the next two years are going to be? An endless series of initiatives and consultations all to be paid for by regurgitating the same savings in waste?
