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Sometimes one ‘story’ leads to another which whilst related is in fact entirely different. As I am in the throes of major re-decorations and the TV is buried in a room full of furniture, I didn’t see it but there was a TV Debate between Darling, Osborne and Cable – the Three Money Men. To be honest, would I have watched it anyway ? Hmm, rather like the TV Leader Debates, I suspect not.

The Independent wrote an Editorial on this which frankly, I thought a bit crappy but, judge for yourself: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-mr-osborne-has-given-the-voters-something-to-chew-on-1930685.html

Their Statement

Sometimes, journalists write stuff to do what ? Reassure their readership, themselves or, whoever that they “understand” something when clearly they don’t. I took this Editorial apart and the following I found particularly inept:

“…because it alienates people by being so patronising, insulting the intelligence of the average voter who does not want to be fed a diet on pulpy political platitudes.”

This is totally wrong and I thought that John Rentoul had it exactly right in his last article when he suggested that the shrinking Tory lead had much to do with the following:

“People have received and understood the message that the Tories are serious about cutting the deficit, but they don’t really believe that the deficit is a threat to their well-being. So people think Cameron would put up taxes, which they do care about, to fix a problem that they don’t care about.”

The reality is that a considerable percentage of the electorate have become “infantile” under 13 years of Labour misrule and are quite likely to “Cling to nurse Brown for fear of worse”. In other words, both Labour and Conservative have got it right, the first one to attempt to be honest with the public, will lose the election. When some time back the Tories were honest, they got a boost in their ratings but then the election wasn’t imminent, now it is so the picture has changed.

Politicians Being Honest

In this respect, the LibDems can be ‘honest’ about what they would do and even put forward detailed proposals. A large section of the public will approve, even applaud but then, the public know that there is absolutely no chance of the LibDems forming a Government, it is the same attitude.

If there is either a Hung Parliament or another Labour one, there is a distinct possibility in my opinion that there will be blood on the streets within two years, even sooner if there is a Sterling collapse, this “me, me, me” society will have to be destroyed before Phoenix like, Britain rises from the ashes of this consumer. celebrity culture and becomes a proud nation once again.

It still surprises me that some on the Left even today, blame it all on Thatcher but she left the scene 20 years ago, young people don’t know who she is. The real culprits of the current mess are Blair, Brown and their “easy money” world where both the Government and many in the population, consistently lived way beyond their means now, it is time to pay the bill and the “children” just want to runaway, but where can they go ?

The only truth is that whoever gets in, for all the fine words it will be “Squeeze and Tax”, that is the only thing the electorate need to know. Their only decision is whether to vote in again the fools who caused the mess or someone new to sort it out. I would go for the latter if only because I am sick to death looking at Brown, Harmon, Balls etc and hearing their dreadful voices talking crap and never apologising for anything.

Regular Contributor – on me being unfair to LibDems

Another regular contributor to the Independent who is I must assume a Liberal Democrat, took me to task for “dismissing” the LibDems which wasn’t my intention but it was a good intervention as it made me think about other things and in particular, a coalition situation which I realised could well bring us more grief than enough…

My Reply

Frankly, I would be delighted to see the LibDems overtaking Labour and reclaiming the “crown” of leading the radical wing of UK politics but let us be realistic here, on current form they are nowhere to be seen in terms of being in serious contention.

Whilst a savage reduction in the number of MPs down to around 400, would inevitably, because of the larger constituencies require some form of PR, right now and for a very long time, FPTP and a two Party system is what seems to suit the British Electorate. If this was not the case, the Liberals and latterly, the LibDems would have split the two party bias long since.

It is totally irrelevant what I say, even less what the Labour or Conservative Parties say about the LibDems, it is what the public ‘says’ through the Ballot Box which DOES count and the best answer thus far has been about 10 percent of seats in the Commons. This is commendable and the views they represent should, be listened to by whoever forms the next Government. But do you seriously imagine that Clegg and Co can make a 500 percent improvement on that by May 6th ?

I am not dismissive of the LibDems except that I thought that they were totally nuts to have got rid of Charles Kennedy, they should have ‘managed’ the situation, he was a far greater electoral asset than either Clegg or Hune are to their party. Also, they do have some interesting policy ideas but even if they were “stunning” which they are not, without the possibility of power, it is irrelevant. Be realistic, they aren’t even in contention and a hung Parliament with the LibDems holding the balance of power is more likely to destroy the Party as Clegg has been clearly pondering in his public statements over the past month.

I can remember at the end of one Football Season when Man United didn’t win the League, Sir Alex Ferguson saying: “The League Table never lies, either you have sufficient points to top it or you don’t”. Whereas you are talking about LibDem policies, I am not, at a time of maximum economic peril for this Country and given the low esteem politicians of all parties are held, a “Coalition Government” could seriously harm our democracy, we need to give this “very shitty stick to just one” party so if it gets worse, we can blame them, have a coalition with things getting worse and people will blame the whole system and under such circumstances Dictatorships flourish.