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Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

I really do find John Rentoul who writes for The Independent, a great read even when I disagree with him and today, fell about laughing with the opening paragraph of his article:

“If we are isolated and we are in the right, then that’s the correct position.” The Prime Minister was emphatic. Just because he had used Britain’s veto, he said, did not mean that he, or the British, were anti-European.” It was apparently what Tony Blair said after using a British Veto in Helsinki back in December 1999.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-any-pm-would-have-done-as-cameron-did-6275402.html#disqus_thread

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A couple of recent stories, which may seem rather disconnected at first glance set me thinking about the way politicians “manipulate the truth” and whilst it is easy for the electorate to condemn them as “Liars prepared to say anything to get elected…” The real question I suspect should be asked of ourselves: “Are we being realistic in our demands and expectations of them ? Do we even listen properly or is our hearing both selfish and highly selective ?

There were two ‘stories’ this week that highlighted this for me, the Unison strike over pension benefits and Angela Merkel’s speech to the German Parliament promising to save the Euro etc… To my mind behind both of these events sits a damn big lie or, a rather large Elephant sitting over there in the corner of the room…

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I believe that David Cameron is a pretty good Prime Minister, truly a man for the times we live in, pragmatic not dogmatic, a cool and relaxed character so, I find his stance over the EU Referendum Debate not only odd but totally misguided, what on Earth is he thinking of in putting down a 3 line whip ?

Sorry, this is piss poor judgement and could have easily been avoided. David Cameron should never have painted himself into a corner over this one, it has a “cost” but no benefit for these Islands, him personally or even his Party in return for that cost. Daft Bugger this is where “Feet of Clay” get exposed !

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The resignation of Liam Fox was inevitable given the time the ‘scandal’ had run, the ‘common wisdom’ being that if you can’t kill it within 2-3 news cycles, you are in trouble, longer and you are ‘Toast’ and 10 days or so in, the consequences were obvious especially as more “revelations” came out.

In addition, his personal ‘connections’ and relationships, were not ‘above suspicion’ as “Caesar’s Wife” must always be… However, from the beginning and whilst acknowledging that Dr Liam Fox was very foolish in all this and therefore deserves the outcome, at the same time I was very amused by just how this played out and how many people may well have shot themselves in the foot in the process of “shooting their Fox”. Be very careful what you wish for in this Life comes to mind…just in case it comes to pass…

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The often repeated “common wisdom” concerning the Tories getting booted out of Office in 1997 was that following the ERM débâcle, they had lost their one trump card in the mind of the public even if those people normally voted Labour that the “Tories were good on the economy…”

Personally I never bought into this, Major had a tiny majority and a group of troublesome anti-EU MPs, I suspect that this disunity which made this Country look stupid plus they had been in power for a long time led to people wanting a complete change and a fresh start. A house divided will always fall and myopic politicians constantly riding their hobby horses are never an attractive sight…

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This week it is the turn of the Conservatives to have their annual Party Conference and that is quite an amusing thing to ponder because for them as for the others, LibDems and Labour previously, what can they say ? Even the biggest dimwit in the electorate has likely worked out by now that in a global crisis, the British Government has very little ability to alter the consequences.

There is very little real debate on policy or even alternative directions to go in. Perhaps as a seafaring nation, at heart we all know that when a gale blows, you sail your vessel to survive and ride out the storm, all thoughts of any preferred course and direction, for the moment put to one side.

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Yesterday on a reader’s comments section of one of the papers, a chap who claimed that he was a Tory wrote that in his opinion, Labour were “odds on” to win the next Election and it made me stop and ponder the possibility, my conclusion was that whilst all results are possible, Labour “odds on ?” I really can’t imagine that under pretty much any circumstances.

The economic situation will get considerably worse and it will lead to the greatest fall in real living standards for the vast majority of the UK population within living memory with the poorest taking the biggest ‘hit’ but that will just reflect what happens globally. In theory this should lead to lots of waving and singing of the “Red Flag” but it still won’t lead to the current Labour Party getting elected, the British public is far too sophisticated for that…

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In a sense, the Labour Party Annual Conference that runs through this week, is likely the most pointless exercise that anyone could imagine this year. Just how does any Party Leader following 13 years in power that resulted in abject failure, “Rally His or Her Troops” ? The answer of course is that you can’t except lead them off into some cloud cuckoo land where they feel ‘comfortable’.

Ed Miliband was voted in by the Unions quite cynically, they knew that any “next leader” would be a political space filler, rather like the Tories electing IDS as their leader so, why waste any effort on them, “make ‘em nice, human and we will dump them as soon as favourable opportunities arise…” It is called ‘politics’. The funniest thing that will be on view this week is Ed Miliband knowing the score, trying to make headway and upset all expectations…

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I know that both politicians and their symbiotic friends in the media like to project the idea that under the current economic circumstances, “Something can be done…” but the reality is that there is very little that any government can do, there are no magic wands to be waved that will end the situation overnight, it will take time.

However there are real dangers in the current situation and it is only by them being addressed by politicians that they may be averted. The current global crisis could all too easily lead to a wave of protectionist trade measures as nations seek to protect their people and their economies. We all know that such events all too easily can lead to major wars, Cameron and his Government seem to be aware of this as his speech to the Canadian Parliament demonstrated.

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As I contemplate the “Party Conference Season” all that comes to my mind is that they always have seemed disconnected from the electorate at large, an introverted gathering of the truly converted to whichever party but this year, more than most, they are little better than a series of pointless charades.

I am tempted to use yet again one of my favourite Bill Shakespeare quotes: “…Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” But in all fairness, is there really an alternative to a “National Party Conference ?”

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