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Posts Tagged ‘Conservatives’

As a rather clear sign of what the public think about Local Elections generally, a turnout of under 30% on Thursday rather paints the picture all too well. The truth of course tells us absolutely nothing of any value because only those with some kind of commitment and/or anger, will bother to turn out. In this sense, it is rather like those unreliable “satisfaction surveys” on owning particular models of cars.

The results are always suspect because the only people who bother filling in the surveys are those wanting to ‘justify’ their original purchase decision or, those who have had reliability issues and/or bad customer service who want to give the brand a severe kicking. Whatever the motive, the results are unreliable to say the least and of no use in your decision about what car to buy next yourself.

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Although I find the “reader’s comments” on the Telegraph these days, increasingly shrill and stupid, apart from the sheer ‘fun’ of BoJo’s Monday column, Benedict Brogan is also a wonderful “fresh breath” in the dens of the “Right Wing Nutters of the Telegraph”.

He wrote an interesting piece the other day in which he asked, “Where will the voters come from in order to get Cameron re-elected as PM ?” It is an excellent piece which you can read here: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100140226/where-are-the-voters-who-will-turn-david-cameron-into-a-winner-in-2015/ But more than that, he raised a series of interesting questions too…

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I was quite struck by a couple of pieces in The Telegraph by Benedict Brogan. In the first of which he was giving his “take” on the tactics being employed by David Cameron to remain in power after the 2015 General Election.http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/benedictbrogan/100134556/why-wont-ministers-speak-up-for-david-cameron/

Whilst I found his article interesting and in a sense, “timely”, I am not too sure that I agree with it all in the sense that whilst for now, that may be an ‘intelligent guess’, reality means that as it is as all such things, a moving target or a “World in Motion…”, and how the game plays out over the next 3 years, may well be very different…

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As someone who updates this personal blog fairly frequently and “follows the news”, I can understand to some extent, just how difficult life must be for a professional journalist tasked to deliver “opinion pieces” for the national dailies at set intervals. But all that said, sometimes it might be better to ‘not deliver’ than to deliver half baked tripe as Peter Oborne did today in The Telegraph, check it out for yourself: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100120951/george-osborne-should-be-looking-after-the-purse-strings-not-the-politics/

My ‘objection’ to this piece was nothing to do with whether or not I agreed with the author, it was quite simply down to what in substance was a really stupid stance to take so for me, it was not one to ‘let pass’…as it were.

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I have already expressed previously my view that David Cameron and his party managers laying a 3 line whip on this vote was totally foolish and ignoring it would have been far better, I am apparently not alone in this. Mary Ann Sieghart wrote a very good article in the Independent on just the same theme of “Cameron Picks a Fight when he doesn’t need to”, worth a read: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mary-ann-sieghart/mary-ann-sieghart-cameron-picks-a-fight-when-he-doesnt-need-to-2375093.html

What intrigues me over this most obvious mistake from a normally deft politician is just why he let this happen ? Could it be because he feared speaking the truth at this stage would be counter productive, even dangerous to on-going negotiations ?

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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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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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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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Obviously with the recent riots, one can expect an awful lot of chair squirming and finger pointing as people try to avoid any blame. Although I can ridicule politicians as easily as the next person, I was delighted with both David Cameron and Ed Miliband albeit for different reasons.

Cameron for avoiding that all too familiar “We will hold a Public Enquiry” so much beloved of all Governments caught out by unexpected events and wanting to kick things into the long grass plus for Miliband him accepting that some degree of blame is attached to the Labour years in Office for the attitudes that seem to have taken root so, well done to both of them.

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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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