How Labour should behave
James Forsyth 9:21pmSunder Katwala at Next Left, the Fabian Society’s excellent blog, has laid down some rules for how Labour supporters should act during the current crisis:
“1. Behave sensibly. At all costs, avoid triumphalism about an economic crisis, however well the Prime Minister handles it.
2. In particular, could anybody banging on about the Falklands please stop it. It is in very poor taste all round.
3. And, particularly particularly, if any MP wants to say 'when the crisis is over, perhaps there might be an early election', perhaps arrangements could be made for them to be quickly taken out and shot.”
This is wise advice. Considering the damage that the election that never was did to Brown, Labour would be nuts to start flirting with the idea of going early. It would revive all the public’s concerns about Brown.
Labour would be well advised to sit tight at the moment and see how the Tories react if Labour continue to move up in the polls. As Tim Montgomerie notes, a few Tory MPs are getting jittery and if Labour were to get close, or even ahead, some might panic.
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Dirty Euro
October 14th, 2008 9:34pm Report this commentI am sorry Sunder Katwala is being too weak to the tories. I We need to be tough against the tories.
In reply to his points.
1. But we should be proud on how we are doing well. The tories were triumphant about the falkands where people actually died. So where was the poor taste police there.
2. I did not say anything about the fallands until you brought it up.
3. That is a bit extreme. I thought you said not to mention the falkands. LOL.
Chris Miller
October 14th, 2008 9:46pm Report this commentConservative MPs would be bonkers to get jittery. Brown has given ample demonstrations of his utter uselessness. Once this 'crisis' period is over, normal uselessness will be resumed, against a backdrop of a painful recession. Irritating as the completely undeserved bounce is, the guy is still useless and will become toast as soon as the electorate gets a say.
Pete
October 14th, 2008 10:20pm Report this commentSimple: Labour should call a General Election.
We have an unelected Prime Minister signing away BILLIONS of pounds of taxpayers (my) money without at least having a say or vote.
From the joke of Mr Bean to the dictatorship of STALIN!
TrevorsDen
October 14th, 2008 10:25pm Report this commentAvoid triumphalism at dropping Britain in to the biggest financial crisis in history?
Well that should not be too difficult.
Avoid triumphalism at inflation at 16 year high - thats a bit more tricky
Avoid triumphalism at unemployment rising to over 2 million, at gas bills rising by 25%, at falling revenues, rising spending, at a deepening recession, at astronomic levels of indebtedness, at rising house repossessions, at tumbling house prices - oh and at ruined pensions ...
hell no, lets hear Labour shouting that from the rooftops.
John Ward
October 15th, 2008 12:09am Report this commentI agree with TrevorsDen and some of the other comments here.
By the way: I am disappointed that the generally good Coffee House has anonymously-written articles. A decent outfit would make that technically impossible in its authoring software, so it needs to be fixed. I'd really like to know who is posting nonsense such as calling anything to do with the Fabians "excellent", for a start!
Spiro
October 15th, 2008 2:13am Report this commentThe 3 or 4 people from the Tory attack unit who go around every forum on the internet making the same 2 points over and over must be getting tired.
The ideas that 1 - Brown is responsible for the global financial crisis and 2 - that the greater risk to taxpayers money is to buy into the banks and increase liquidity, are now patently absurd given the scale and nature of the crisis.
What's more pathetic is your failure to give any credit to Brown who has rightly been receiving a great deal of praise for his global leadership. He has certainly made mistakes, but on this issue, you're putting your hands over your ears and shouting "I can't hear you" like some sort of self indulgent children, whenever anyone says anything vaguely constructive.
Paul B
October 15th, 2008 8:40am Report this commentDE But we should be proud on how we are doing well.
Doing well? Proud!!!!!
Nationalising the banks, unemployment going through the roof, house repos` mounting day by day, inflation rising, government borrowing out of control, taxation out of control, school building badly behind time, your governments 42 day detention plan kybosched, identity card plans all over the place, shall I continue. You call that doing well? What exactly are you on, whatever it is, it must be good.
Paul B
October 15th, 2008 9:49am Report this commentJust for the benefit of Dirty Euro. Latest unemployment figures- up by 164,000 between June & August. Footsie 100 at 0930 apprx, down a 119 points. I do not take any pleasure in pointing these figures out, especially the unemployment figures, where real people will be suffering real pain. Thats 164,000 less taxpayers, probably the vast majority from the wealth producing side of the economy. Yes,your man is quite a Hero isn`t he?
mac
October 15th, 2008 10:02am Report this comment@John Ward - re. 'Excellence' from the Fabians.
Is Fraser the culprit? He used 'superb' about La Toynbee recently!
James Forsyth
October 15th, 2008 10:07am Report this commentFolks, I'm the guilty party. But Next Left really is worth reading if you want to get a sense of the debate on the left.
Fraser
October 15th, 2008 10:20am Report this commentCan someone please explain Yvette Cooper to me? Why does she keep saying that everything is the right thing to do?
Nicholas
October 15th, 2008 10:59am Report this comment". . . if you want to get a sense of the debate on the left". No, thanks. I've had 40 years of the "debate on the left" and its impact on my country and to say I'm a little weary of it is an understatement.
These are people whose endlessly tiresome ideology when translated into policy has "left" this nation seriously harmed. The deluded fools really think it has been "progress" and "change" for the better simply because the actions taken are within the parameters of their very narrow and limited agenda. The consequences are another matter. If you live in the dreamworld of the left you are blind to the nightmare of the reality you have created for everyone else.
Nicholas
October 15th, 2008 10:59am Report this comment". . . if you want to get a sense of the debate on the left". No, thanks. I've had 40 years of the "debate on the left" and its impact on my country and to say I'm a little weary of it is an understatement.
These are people whose endlessly tiresome ideology when translated into policy has "left" this nation seriously harmed. The deluded fools really think it has been "progress" and "change" for the better simply because the actions taken are within the parameters of their very narrow and limited agenda. The consequences are another matter. If you live in the dreamworld of the left you are blind to the nightmare of the reality you have created for everyone else.
TrevorsDen
October 15th, 2008 11:14am Report this commentDear Spiro - I am not a member of the Conservative Party.
But thanks for the compliment.
No one is saying Brown is responsible for the 'global' financial crisis but he is responsible for the lax, 'light touch', 'risk based' regulatory structure that encouraged out banks to their ruin.
He is also responsible for our huge credit bubble (which he has passed off as 'growth')
Barrow boy bankers are to blame as well but Brown PROMISED an end to boom and bust and PROMISED that his regulatory regime and modern City practices were the way forward to wealth creation.
Only last year he was proudly telling us he was going to sell his version of City regulation and activity to the world. Hah!
He was utterly utterly utterly wrong. Its led to the OPPOSITE. Pardon me if I point that out.
The Conservatives have been warning of this for years but the thick lefties of the BBC have been ignoring it - and as for Browns perception in acting - well the day before Darlings disastrous non-statement last Monday (which precipitated a run on the banks - is the odeous Simon Heffer reading this?) Osborne was on TV telling us that it was likely that there would have to be a recapitalisation of the banks and it might need govt money. he even said so in reply on the Monday and was dismissed by Darling.
As ever Brown/Darling arrived LATE to the game.
Mike. Brighton
October 15th, 2008 11:26am Report this commentDirty Euro & Spiro - if things are so great and Brown has done such a good job, then call an election. Brown can't lose can he?
Brown could hold an election on the 1st Thursday in November which with pleasing symmetry is probably the date pencilled in for the election he bottled last year.
Paul B
October 15th, 2008 4:25pm Report this commentNote to DirtyEuro, where are you mate? Footsie down about 7.5pc 323points as of 1530- Dow Jones heading the same way, still feel confident that the (Swedish) medicine your beloved imposed on us all , with our money is working? Anyone update with a overnight Libor rate as well, has that moved much from last week?
mitch
October 15th, 2008 6:07pm Report this commentI have been made redundant 3 times during Browns economic miracle and it may well happen again.From 1981 on leaving school till 1997 it never even crossed my mind.
It stops your whole life,all your plans go in the bin.
I would not wish this on anyone except G brown and his useless bunch of clowns.
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