LBJ used to tell a story about an old Southern Senator who, depressed by the repetitive politics of race baiting and populism, yearns to return to his state one last time to give a “good old Democratic speech”. Today, Gordon Brown found his voice and gave a good old Labour speech at a forum attended by all three party leaders:
As obituaries for the 13 year reign of New Labour are already being written (and they’re not all entirely gloomy), Gordon Brown’s task is to rally the Labour faithful, and to sharpen the contrast with the Tories in 100 or so Tory-Labour marginals where the current electoral system would facilitate tactical voting by Liberal Democrat supporters. Brown’s mind might also be concentrated by the rumours that Peter Mandelson is orchestrating his replacement post haste after Thursday’s election. But it’s surely interesting that he articulates a good reason to vote Labour at the end of an era.
NB: Previous LP discussion of the UK election here.
Elsewhere: Jonathan Freedland.
It’s still looking like a hung parliament, although Tory support has stiffened in the last few days and the LibDems look like taking quite a few seats off Labour. The Guardian came out for the LibDems, too, which made quite a few people sit up and take notice. More here:
http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2010/05/03/the-fat-lady-is-warming-up-her-vocal-chords/
It’s still looking like a hung parliament, although Tory support has stiffened in the last few days and the LibDems look like taking quite a few seats off Labour. The Guardian came out for the LibDems, too, which made quite a few people sit up and take notice. More here:
http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2010/05/03/the-fat-lady-is-warming-up-her-vocal-chords/
some commentary
http://leninology.blogspot.com/2010/05/leaders-debate.html
and the record
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/05/03/the-parasites-in-labours-brain/
still, stiring stuff. He must be getting desparate.
some commentary
http://leninology.blogspot.com/2010/05/leaders-debate.html
and the record
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/05/03/the-parasites-in-labours-brain/
still, stiring stuff. He must be getting desparate.
Cameron cited the same poverty statistics as Monbiot in the third debate. Whatever Labour has been doing, it clearly isn’t working.
Cameron cited the same poverty statistics as Monbiot in the third debate. Whatever Labour has been doing, it clearly isn’t working.
Labour has consistently opposed reforming the first-past-the-post electoral system since 1997, because it was clearly working for them. In doing so, they have now lost the one thing that would save them – a Lib-Lab coalition. Electoral reform is likely to be the big winner out of the 2010 election, and it will not work well for Labour, particularly if the Tories trigger a Scottish seccessionist uprising, as they well might.
Labour will be trapped in a cloth-cap strip between Nottingham and Sunderland where – as the whole “Bigot” saga sadly indicated, there is a huge gulf in attitudes between the Labour MPs and the people they represent. The Guardian jumping ship, and professional grant-getters like Will Hutton calling on Labour to make Nick Clegg the PM, indicates that the crisis Labour now faces with the middle-class London-based soft left is a big one, and they can no longer buy support with offers of cash.
It will be 1983 all over again for Labour this week. Interestingly, 1983 was the year that both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were elected to Parliament.
Labour has consistently opposed reforming the first-past-the-post electoral system since 1997, because it was clearly working for them. In doing so, they have now lost the one thing that would save them – a Lib-Lab coalition. Electoral reform is likely to be the big winner out of the 2010 election, and it will not work well for Labour, particularly if the Tories trigger a Scottish seccessionist uprising, as they well might.
Labour will be trapped in a cloth-cap strip between Nottingham and Sunderland where – as the whole “Bigot” saga sadly indicated, there is a huge gulf in attitudes between the Labour MPs and the people they represent. The Guardian jumping ship, and professional grant-getters like Will Hutton calling on Labour to make Nick Clegg the PM, indicates that the crisis Labour now faces with the middle-class London-based soft left is a big one, and they can no longer buy support with offers of cash.
It will be 1983 all over again for Labour this week. Interestingly, 1983 was the year that both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were elected to Parliament.
I haven’t kept up with the British gossip, but I have a feeling that Mandy’s impact on any Miliband ascension will be of as great importance as Richo’s role in delivering all the votes to replace Hawke was, i.e. he will have to sell the story in bookform if he is ever to convince people he was the kingmaker.
So your money is on the Randian Party that isn’t in this race, eh, squire?
I haven’t kept up with the British gossip, but I have a feeling that Mandy’s impact on any Miliband ascension will be of as great importance as Richo’s role in delivering all the votes to replace Hawke was, i.e. he will have to sell the story in bookform if he is ever to convince people he was the kingmaker.
So your money is on the Randian Party that isn’t in this race, eh, squire?
Well the anti-Gordon Brown vote is running at about 75%. I can’t see a Clegg-Brown coalition, nor I suspect can most of Gordon’s colleagues. Some may be kicking themselves for not committing more wholeheartedly to the many coup plots against him that have been a recurring feature of his tenure in office. Its a real possibility that Britons will be back to the polls within 18 months.
Well the anti-Gordon Brown vote is running at about 75%. I can’t see a Clegg-Brown coalition, nor I suspect can most of Gordon’s colleagues. Some may be kicking themselves for not committing more wholeheartedly to the many coup plots against him that have been a recurring feature of his tenure in office. Its a real possibility that Britons will be back to the polls within 18 months.
Elsewhere: Jonathan Freedland.
Elsewhere: Jonathan Freedland.
Brown keeping the faith? Hardly, New Labour has done more to damage Old Labours natural supporters than any party in the last hundred years. I was appalled at the hypocrisy which dripped from every word he spoke.
Brown keeping the faith? Hardly, New Labour has done more to damage Old Labours natural supporters than any party in the last hundred years. I was appalled at the hypocrisy which dripped from every word he spoke.
That’s the passion I like to see in Brown. There’s still fire there.
N’
That’s the passion I like to see in Brown. There’s still fire there.
N’
This address was at a “debate” where a large portion of the crowd gave him a standing ovation as he entered, and chanted “gordon brown!” during one of the other speakers’ speeches (according to the guardian). I reckon I could produce a pretty good effort at stirring speech if I had a roomful of psychophants cheering me before I came on – jesus, even Bon Jovi can do that.
I reckon this is a sign that Brown is now desperately trying to shore up his core voters. He’s started throwing out the passionate class war rhetoric that he’s deliberately eschewed for 10 years, because he knows if he doesn’t even his core voters will desert him for lib dem.
I wonder if we’ll be seeing this implosion in our own Labour party in 10 years’ time? I really hope not…
This address was at a “debate” where a large portion of the crowd gave him a standing ovation as he entered, and chanted “gordon brown!” during one of the other speakers’ speeches (according to the guardian). I reckon I could produce a pretty good effort at stirring speech if I had a roomful of psychophants cheering me before I came on – jesus, even Bon Jovi can do that.
I reckon this is a sign that Brown is now desperately trying to shore up his core voters. He’s started throwing out the passionate class war rhetoric that he’s deliberately eschewed for 10 years, because he knows if he doesn’t even his core voters will desert him for lib dem.
I wonder if we’ll be seeing this implosion in our own Labour party in 10 years’ time? I really hope not…
I suppose figures like these are made up?
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/03/labours-robin-hood-legacy
but economics is so boring to some
I suppose figures like these are made up?
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/03/labours-robin-hood-legacy
but economics is so boring to some
sg, I trust your “psychophants” was deliberate usage?
When I google, it does appear that it has been coined previously, but it was new to me. I will vocabularise it, to coin another word, and deploy it round here next time I get into an argument that causes me to refer disparagingly to group-think leftists. ie Probably tomorrow.
sg, I trust your “psychophants” was deliberate usage?
When I google, it does appear that it has been coined previously, but it was new to me. I will vocabularise it, to coin another word, and deploy it round here next time I get into an argument that causes me to refer disparagingly to group-think leftists. ie Probably tomorrow.
“psychophants”
It could be a combination of ‘sycophant’ and ‘psychopomp’ which strikes me as a pretty accurate description of die hard Nu Labour supporters these days.
“psychophants”
It could be a combination of ‘sycophant’ and ‘psychopomp’ which strikes me as a pretty accurate description of die hard Nu Labour supporters these days.
Remembered: Brother Peter Heathfield, late of the NUM.
Gone but not forgotten …
Fraternal Condolences to the NUM …
Remembered: Brother Peter Heathfield, late of the NUM.
Gone but not forgotten …
Fraternal Condolences to the NUM …