One of the many problems with Labour

[andrewducker]

Is that they've been utterly unwilling to actually to take a stand on things. They seem to have this assumption that the entire country is made of Daily Mail voters who voted for them by mistake, and that if they want to keep in power then they have to do all the things they want to secretly, without ever actually standing up and saying "Actually, we believe X."

This has meant that after thirteen years of power they're still pretending that they haven't raised taxes (rather than having the conversation about what they want to do with more tax, and why they need it), and it means that they haven't stood up and said "Here is why we believe immigration is a good thing" and are instead stuck publically appeasing people who talk about immigration negatively, and then calling them bigoted behind their backs.

I know that expecting honesty from politicians is like expecting high quality type O blood from stones, but I really do think that Labour would be having a lot less trouble now if they'd been willing to have a fight with the Daily Mail back in 1998...

Comments

[andrewducker]

The Conservatives, meanwhile, are doing much the same thing from the other side. "Oh, us, we hate bankers. And when we lower inheritance tax it's because we love poor people."

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

Yup. They watered themselves down to get in, and never had the courage of their convictions. But then Blair never had any convictions (pun to be made about war crimes there if you like...)

[hano.livejournal.com]

what you have to understand is that the New Labour project was exclusively about attaining then retaining power. Principle and/or beliefs had nothing to do with it. It's worth noting that once they got into power, they had very little idea what to actually do with it, except to pursue a short term populist agenda that ensured they stayed there. And boy are those chickens coming home to roost for them now. And fortunately we all will be paying the price for their shallow hubris.
What's really depressing is that the other parties don't appear to offer much in the way of a viable alternative, with the partial exception of the Lib Dems. God we're so fucked.

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

It's pointless at this point anyway. It's obvious that the Lib Dems are going to get enough seats to make them the kingmaker and they'll go with Labor because they figure that Cameron would screw them and that Brown will be easier to manipulate.

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

I think you made a very good point in the top bit there.

[avatar.livejournal.com]

I believe I've found a rather critical flaw in your argument.

You say actually they believe "X", but what if they believe "Y"...?