Labour's response to the Tory manifesto

MarkPopple325

Typical Labour, they just can't except that they're continuously intruding into everyone's lives when most of them don't need it. They have created a police state. The polls are all over the place but i still predict a tory majority. We can't afford 5 more years of Labour, they've wrecked the country, can't people see that!?

Richard of York

It is a powerful message that will hit home with many people.

People really do believe they will be on their own with the tories.....they thought this before the manifesto launch they will believe it even more now.

General Zod

So the response is standard Labour 2010: ignore the facts or the question and just state the message you want to get across.

Then the BBC will report your message just the way you want it to do.

JONNY

Tautological rubbish.
I'd be amazed if more than five voters have the foggiest what they're talking about.

RobertE

Posters Look the Same Shock:

A poster using text and a photo looks suspiciously like another poster using text and a photo, says top Spectator sleuth Peter Hoskin.

Writing in the Coffee House blog, Hoskin said, "Labour will stop at nothing to copy the Tories' posters - they're also the same shape."

Verityred

Empty, negative, tired attack from an empty, negative, tired Labour party.

Truly pathetic, yet nasty and mendacious at the same time.

Nicholas Hallam

I would rather be abandoned by a Tory government than taken care of by a Labour one.

Ghengis

Tit for tat childish nonsense.

Rhoda Klapp

Please may I be abandoned by government ASAP?

Publius

"an agenda for abandonment"

-- Well I certainly wish I could be abandoned by the bullying busybody box-ticking in-your-face Stasi-state bureaucrats that plague my life, film and monitor my every move, and force me to pay them lavish salaries for the privilege, while my own life is reduced to crushed penury.

ajs

Richard of York STILL alive? must be a connection with Dr Frankenstein here.

BigAl

The words would have more meaning if Gordy's picture was accompanying them!

RoY you do spout rubbish

Liberty

But the gap between the Tories and Labour is narrowing so Labour must be doing something right, the Tories something wrong or both.

echo34

We've already been abandoned by government.

No police attendance unless its a PC crime of course.

Call any government helpline and you're not allowed to take a direct line number or full name for reference, that's if you're lucky enough to get through to a english speaking human.

Abandoned in an A&E broom cupboard so the NHS can claim a waiting time target.

Faceless remote bureaucracy that's more interested in your money than your problems.

Tiberius

The crucial question, Pete, is whether the electorate see the Tory manifesto as a chance for liberation, or as an approaching cold winter where the nannying politicians (even the reviled ones) will leave them to suffer. This manifesto may make many Tories of the Janet Daley kind happy, but is it too much for the electorate to absorb.

It was fascinating to hear David Starkey on This Week on Monday. His knowledge and analytical capability is excellent. If he is right that the public is still wedded to to the Blair fantasy (as prolonged by Mandelson and Brown), then the Tories are in trouble. I have always favoured the softly, softly approach from the Tories, but have also trusted the judgement of Cameron and Osborne on when to break cover (such as the IHT tax break).

They have played it right so far, and I trust that they are doing so again now.

As for the polls, well they are hardly consistent (3% to 10% leads). But what is consistent is the huge swing to the Tories in the regions (see the tabulation on PoliticsHome, reproduced on pb.com) and Cameron's positive rating compared to Brown's negative. No one has really reconciled this inconsistency, apart from unsubstantiated claims that the weighting is cock-eyed.

AndyinBrum

It's a bit shit really. Surely they could do better?

I mean that Chameleon one 4 years ago was considerably more cutting. Sticking a photo of Cameron looking prime ministerial can't be that good an idea surely?

toco

I wish Labour and the alarmingly dysfunctional Gordon Brown had left us all alone for the last 13 years.No financial collapse,no wars,no state control,no record youth employmant just peace,freedom and prosperity.Bliss.

Ghost of Stalin

At my first glance I thought it was referring to Brown.

saddleworth

Is there any real surprise in this? This election should be about some very real issues starting with our train wreck of an economy. So far all campaigning has been unreal with all vying to [a] rubbsh the others and [b]to avoid setting out any realistic policies to deal with the major issue.
Has any party put forward concrete proposals that would create a framework to to eliminate the annual deficit and then reduce the debt? They all seem to think that reality need not be faced and instead we will buy big ideas and continued spending.
To get a hung parliament out of this would be no surprise at all. Indeed losing this election is starting to look the best option for any party. The real election on real economic issues will then follow within 12 months and then campaigning will have to face issues.

Fox in a box

Can they afford to stick it anywhere?

Percy

If you haven't followed the manifesto launches very closely you won't have a clue what this means; even if you have been following you have to read it a couple of times then think about what it means.

And do Labour actually put these things up anywhere? I have seen loads of the Tory ones attacking the great helmsman and a few UKIP ones about immigration but nothing from Labour.

John Lea

Fellow Speccies, if you really want something to get annoyed about this morning, have a look at this: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7096786.ece

Warning: I stumbled upon it, made the mistake of reading the whole thing, and now I'm in a foul mood!

Isn't it infuriating when some libtard (as Rod Liddle would say) wittingly distorts the truth. And another thing, her books are sh*te.

Major Plonquer

Am I the only one to notice that 'A Future Fair for All' is actually an anagram of 'Arful for a Failure'? Obviously this is a MUCH better descriptor for Labour and their supporters....

Nicholas

toco, moi aussi.

Olaf Rye

Well, I am delighted if the state abandons me provided they also leave me in peace and stop taxing me to fund their social engineering initiatives. It may be that Labour has mis-calculated in this poster--many people want to be left alone. To be sure, some of those frightened of not being protected by the state will worry, but they were always going to vote for Labour so there is no vote loss.

Bob Cat

It shows a frightened mind (incredibly !).

By putting Cameron's face on their own posters they are' bigging' up the opposition whom they should ignore. As after 13 years in power they should be telling us of their past achievements, on which they intend to build.

But then again............

Fox in a box

Percy,

Indeed, the Tories posters are everywhere, I am yet to see a Labour one yet.

Although I did notice that local activists had been doing their bit and chucked red paint all over a Tory poster in Whitechapel High Street. It was replaced the following day with a shiny new one.

Thank Maggie for Ashcroft, eh!

Mark M

It’s an outrageous manifesto from the Tories and Labour really are struggling to find something in it to hammer against them – mostly because it’s all common sense. I get the feeling Labour’s biggest problem is that they can’t argue against decentralisation of power when the expenses scandal has shown politicians at their worst. Against that, it’s almost impossible to argue for more control for Westminster and less for local councils and residents.

Any Colour but Brown

"Fox in a box

Can they afford to stick it anywhere?"

I can think of one place, in York.

deVoter

Labour is like a used stub of an aeroplane boarding ticket. After the journey you come home, empty the pockets and there it is on the kitchen table. It’s for the bin, but what memories of the trip! Once you gripped the boarding pass as ticket to a new destination. That was yesterday. Today it looks forlorn, maybe useful as bookmark for a while but its day has gone really, to be recycled as something more positive one hopes. Blair took us on a flight to Fantasyland, castles in the air, the advance of the righteous blah blah. Brown never got off the ground and we were stuck interminably in a transit lounge, waiting for Aerofloat when the dastardly Mississipians came along and sold our banks down the river, or so he grumps: “due to unforeseen technical faults, your aeroplane is no longer airworthy, this is only temporary as we fully expect to get it up after a whip round among the remaining passengers to pay for repairs, unfortunately ongoing airport taxes need to paid as we wait for vital spare parts, and as these are rather expensive you’ll all have do without food/sleep/toilet for as long as it takes, sorry for the inconvenience, we’ll be handing out vouchers guaranteeing your next flight with us to a mystery destination of our choice.” Please sir, I’d rather just go home, like now.

Rivere

I was pleased to see many of the idea presented in the Conservative Manifesto yesterday were covered in "The Plan: Twelve months to Renew Britain". I read it last summer and thought it was a great read and had a real sense of progress if a government ever took it on. However the biggest problem for any party that chooses to instigate the ideas David Cameron outlined yesterday is people have forgotten what freedom is, it is not only forgotten it is not understood. The public will always fear to an extent what they don't understand. Thirteen years of New Labour rule as created a sub-culture of dependence and dare I say in some corners even indolence. Cameron's ideas are in principle excellent but it is difficult to tell whether the electorate is ready and willing to undertake the task and merits of freedom. More over both the government and liberal media are keen to state that Cameron is pointing to an almost medieval "laissez-faire" style of government. In fact he is doing just the opposite Cameron has recognised the limits and failings of post-war politicians and recognises quite correctly that politics, prosperity and society starts at home.

c0nfused.con

I think this is an attempt to take the wind out of the Tory poster campaign sails

If all the adverts look the same and interchange showing their man with the other's and mangle the English language equally then it won't be long before your apathetic Joe will give up working out who the poster is backing and who they are attacking.

Saves a lot of money on expensive billboard campaigns in the long run if it is proved that everybody just ignores them.

logdon

"If you're there for him, he won't be there for you?"

That's it? That's all they can come up with?

Obviously the line now parroted, (until the next gem comes along) is that a vote for Cameron is a vote for abandonment by the state. Pathetic dissembling bordering on libel.

I notice that the BBC is bowing to it's master's voice in repetition of this lying message. Crick, last night was particularly galling.

I also notice in Con Home today that the biggest concern amongst voters is immigration.

Cameron needs to attack this and thus attack Labour.

He needs to talk of the wholesale destruction wreaked in political immigrant gerrymandering as exposed in Neather.

Both he, his fellow Tories and yes, this site poo-poo'd the explosive message. Now it's top of the agenda and look where the above it all haughtiness has got them.

An average of five to seven point lead whilst ignoring the biggest scam to hit our shores in decades is the reward for such prissiness.

You know, I'm almost thinking that with such a missed open goal, they bloody deserve to lose.

It was there for the taking, Brown is the most hated post war PM ever. He is despised.

As are self serving politicians and quangocrats in general.

But back to the meme of the post.

Here's a taster from the Mail....

"Civil servants charged astonishing £1bn for taxi rides, restaurants and hotels to state credit cards"

Then in the same piece, read of Trevor Phillips' expenses paid lifestyle.

"Controversial equalities chief Trevor Phillips racked up more than £6,000 over two years, including a £94 bottle of wine.

It is quite sickening and all at our expense. What has this racial muckraker done for Britain? Race relations is at a nadir and he basks in featherbedded glory, a cast iron payoff and an annual pension which would support most real pensioners for years.

These are the new toffocracy, forget Eton and all that pseudo elitist crap. Public service (what a joke in itself) is the arriviste on the block and without contributing one penny to the state they rake it in like nabobs.

That's the real divide. State v The Rest and Labour's poster could be demolished in a trice.

There's anger out there. It is self evident in all the polls. Whilst businesses struggle, people work two or more jobs and security of income is a mere memory , a bloated State wallows in self righteous wealth.

So much for that fucking poster! It is a total outrage.

Tiberius

Logdon: you've probably read Frank Field also on immigration in the DT today.

The Conservative candidate in my (marginal) constituency has mailed a leaflet on immigration. Maybe keeping the discussion away from the likes of Crick is the way to go.

Ken

That's telling it like it is logdon!

The country needs some Canadian backbone but instead the main parties dribble around on the edge while the game is in a huge ruckus without ref or rules.

It is gazillions of debt we're talking about here and while Gorgon finally admits to being the cause of the disaster, none of them has the guts to talk of doing more than shaving a few billion here and there.

Its criminally irresponsible.

logdon

Here's a message by a World War Two veteran from the BNP site.

"Today, look at the terrible state of our country! Many cities and towns resemble third-world slums, crime is out of control, pensioners are freezing to death in winter, we are ruled by the EU, our politicians are greedy and corrupt, and our British national identity is being dismantled and abolished!"

Who can argue? It's all there in one honest, tight and succinct message.

Rather than all the synthetic racial outrage and self congratulatory sneering, Tories must heed it.

The BNP are heading for a Clause Four moment of reinvention. OK, they are basically a one man band who stand no chance of overall victory but who will put money on Labour in Barking and Dagenham, Burnley, Morley and Bradford where immigration has without exaggeration completely transformed areas into the third world ghetto's they talk of?

There's little integration. There's little coexistence. There's little in common. It is a massive confrontation just waiting for it's moment.

And for pointing this out the BNP are demeaned as racist slugs.

This is not real, it's a political topsey turvey land of inverted truth leading to national suicide.

Melanie Phillips, on this site and her own columns seems to be the only one willing to address this imbalance and it's telling that muslim sites quite openly refer to her as Mad Mel.

Try such slander on one of their fave raves and await the reaction.

Could it be that the fizzing blue touch paper of islamic sensitivity is now calling the shots on what we are, what we say, what we believe and above all, how our law is utilised in enforcing our acquiescence to the creep of shari'ah?

Yesterday, Verity pointed out the instance of how our science founded rulings on hospital hygiene are being second placed to a superstitious and questionable edict formed by a seventh century desert tribe.

It is quite ludicrous that here in Britain where tiny, insignificant crosses are banned amongst NHS staff, yet this sign of cultural dominance which can endanger lives is endorsed.

No mention of this by authentic voice of Britain, Cameron of course. Voters are craving a return to some semblance of reality and honesty from our corrupted system. The call remains unheeded and a hung parliament just awaits.

Just what we don't need at this pivotal point.

Simon Stephenson

Liberty : 11.07am

"But the gap between the Tories and Labour is narrowing so Labour must be doing something right, the Tories something wrong or both."

Or perhaps that 50 years of the finest socialist "education" has at last created enough asinine and stupid people for the donkey-brained Labour Party to be competitive in an election, despite having given no indication whatsoever that it has the faintest idea how to govern the country.

Ian C

This poster is the most extraordinary thing to do. What was Mandelson thinking when he approved it.

First, it appears to be Cameron talking about his opposite number, to anyone (most people) just glancing at it.

Second, it is the most complicated of messages IF you do get it and

Third, you have to be 'tooled up' about the Tory manifesto to understand it.

In PR terms this is a misfire. But probably not of dramatic proportions because of its likely low impact. But an amusing waste of limited Labour resources.

Tiberius,

I have substantially agreed with you on the 'softly softly' approach, lip-biting that it has induced at times. But the debates are the place and time for what is necessary and so far missing.

A high risk strategy but here's hoping he pulls it off. An adequate performance may do for the floater, but natural Conservative voters need something more.

Marcher Baron

I'm all for abandonment - I'd like to be left alone to get on with my life without State interference!

Osred

This poster is just hopeless. Liebour Central must be desperately short of ideas putting something like this out. 1st reaction is EH!? WTF does that mean? 2nd reaction is to go back to your tea. Feeble utterly feeble.

Roger Helmer MEP

Not very clear. Not very clever.

Simon Mennie

Logdon:

It's all part of the plan;Brown's Britain not only increasingly resembles a failed state but the existence of a bloated and privileged client bureaucracy particularly at the upper levels, is the hallmark of a one party state.T This state/party elite were known as golden pheasants in the Third Reich and the nomenklatura in the USSR and their tastes were as expensive if not more so as any of the present day NuLab bureaucratic elite. A Conservative government will have its work cut out draining this cesspit.

Verity

Simon Stephenson ... astute. You are correct.

Verity

Simon Mennie - "A Conservative government will have its work cut out draining this cesspit."

A. There is no "Conservative government" on offer.

B. There is no interest in draining the cesspit on offer.