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Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

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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This week sees the publication of Alistair Darling’s memoirs covering the period that he was Chancellor when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. Along with previously published tomes of the like from those who were intimately involved with the “New Labour” Government, it does not make for good reading.

That Gordon Brown was/is a dysfunctional creature with a far greater opinion of his own abilities than the facts demonstrate is by now a “given” and from that arises perhaps the most interesting question of the lot, the one raised by John Rentoul writing in The Independent on Sunday: “Why wasn’t he stopped ? http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-why-did-nobody-stop-gordon-brown-2348855.html

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The ever interesting journalist John Rentoul wrote an article in The Independent on Sunday comparing Clegg with Cameron and in particular, how Cameron understands the necessity of the “impossible promise” that chimes with the public sentiment whereas Clegg doesn’t. As ever, an interesting article that takes an amusing sideways view at the Coalition and well worth a read: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-coalition-doesnt-work-for-clegg-2345088.html

Perhaps what lies behind this is the view that this “Coalition” may well prove to be a one off that will not last beyond this Parliament but it has been an interesting “experiment” none the less that for me has thrown up some surprises.

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There was an interesting article by John Rentoul in the Independent in which he was speculating about any ambitions Boris Johnson, Mayor of London might have for the Tory Leadership. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-what-can-boris-johnson-be-up-to-2319519.html

Whilst an amusing article to breakaway from the rather tedious “hacking scandal” and avoiding writing about the pointless horror inflicted in Norway this Friday by some demented and evil man, it opens up a number of broader and more serious thoughts concerning a rather murky and unknown future for not just the UK but the world as well.

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The latest bit of scandal that has fallen into the hands of the Daily Telegraph concerns leaked papers from the “Desk of Ed Balls” that chronicle his involvement in the coup/negotiations to remove Blair and replace him with Brown after the 2005 Election. These papers include hand written notes by Brown commentating on Blair’s written proposals in a highly derogatory manner.

When approached by the media, Balls was his usual simpering, denying self, a pose we have seen before. Of course there was no plot, these were just part of the normal political negotiations between two people who disliked each other, I was just helping… Yes Pinocchio and what is this really about ?

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Whilst I appreciate that in earning a living political journalists need to make lots of fuss about these things and most certainly some of the average members of the LibDems will be running around in a blind panic fearing carving knives about to cut off their tails, but what happened the other Thursday has little to do with Nick Clegg having been outsmarted by the Tories or making poor judgement calls.

But still the headlines proliferate as in this one from the BBC: ‘Elections will force Lib Dems to face identity crisis’ By James Landale at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13325236

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As I start to write this, not quite all the results of last night’s Local, Celtic National and AV Referendum results are in but way more than sufficient to describe the outcomes and the shape of the “story” if not complete in every detail.

The most obvious headlines focus on just how much of a kicking the LibDems got, how lightly the Conservatives got off and that for the first time the SNP have a majority in the Scottish Parliament. The story for Labour is hardly worth bothering with and as Ed Miliband is such a daft looking bloke, I didn’t want to spoil my banner picture by including him in it.

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Although to be expected from a left leaning newspaper written by and for the “Chattering Metropolitan Classes”, there was an interesting Editorial in the Independent on whether capturing Osama Bin Laden would have been better than shooting him and then burying him at sea. Whilst I think that the Americans were correct, it is a valid question to raise: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-nagging-questions-that-refuse-to-go-away-2278947.html

If you read the article, do read the comments from readers, we seem to have our fair share of ‘conspiracy theorists’ here in the UK today.

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