Tory media never criticise the Tories because of the obituary rule: never speak ill of the dead.But it pleases their proprietors if they speak at least a bit of ill of the living and lively Labour party.That's why they're so horrified at John McDonnell for pointing out that the left will opposefurther cuts by a Labour government.
So they should. But the shock horror is overdone. First it's so one sided. They only ask about Labour splits and ignore the bigger ones on the Tory side about the scale of the cuts to come and the argument over what is to be cut,or indeed the gaping chasm over the EU : in or out, rengociate about what, referendum or not.
More important they ignore the nature of the new politics. Now that majority government is over, parties must negotiate deals to shore up what will be a minority government.They'll needan agreement over support on confidence and supply and pact partners will be able to pick and choose about which policies they support as well as voting for their own policies which in the SNP's case will be to the left of Labour's in the case of the LibDems to the right.
That freedom can't be confined to pact partners.Government Rebels will demand it for themselves Minority government means power for backbenchers.They can't be denied the freedom pact partners have, so it sets them free to vote against whatever they don't like provided they support the government on any confidence vote arising. Which is OK because they won't want to bring their government down. Just teach it a bit of sense.
That's an important new freedom for backbenchers. They'll no longer have to be herded around like sheep as they have been for so many years. Life's going to be exciting in the new Parliament,though there will be an added chore. Backbenchers will have to think! Never been allowed to do that before!
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Cameron is promising to create so many new jobs he'll have to bring in more immigrants to fill them. But then he doesn't fulfil his promises does he?
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I started political life as a Liberal , wearing a yellow rosette on my meat round in 1950 and acting as Liberal agent in the school elections in 1951 (pas mal pour un Lapin) So I can testify to the joys of always being right. It's something you don't get in a major grown up party where you're often wrong but accept that pain because on balance you do more good
Which is why I feel so sorry for my Lib Dem friends now: good sincere honest men and women conned by the closet Conservative Clegg into betraying all it once stood for to enable the worst government since the war to do so much damage to the good society.
Now that they face decimation as punishment for this betrayal it's pathetic to see Clegg and Alexander (RIP) claiming credit for the accidental recovery produced by the Bank of England's cheap money policies (of which Liberal Keynes would have approved even if Liberal Gladstone wouldn't) but not entirely convincing. Sorry guys. I once I thought we were friends. But that's a long time ago Now you're just rubble in the way .
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The essence of the Tory election campaign is fear. Fear of Miliband (mixed with a lot of abuse) fear of tax, fear of Labour policies, fear of the SNP. Not much forward thinking, not many policies for the future, but lashings of fear.
It won't work because electors want hope and policies to make things better and only Labour offers either, but it sets me a tremble because I really do fear. I fear the return of a Tory government committed to more cuts, to greater inequality, to lower wages and an ever growing trade deficit.
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Just seen my first election poster-Tory. Looks like the trees will be voting Conservative again !
Sent from my iPad
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