Byers remorse
James Forsyth 5:46pm
Just after Christmas, Stephen Byers declared Tony Blair to be history and that Labour needed to unite behind Gordon Brown if it was to win the next election. Byers was asking that the policy ideas that he and fellow Blairites put forward be seen not as mere mischief-making but as genuine contributions to the debate.
One suspects, though, that Brown sees Byers’ article in The Sunday Times as the former rather than the later. This is Brown’s loss as the reforms that Byers is proposing to the tax system—raising the personal allowance to take more people out of tax, hypothecating more and coordinating the tax and benefits systems to lower the effective marginal rate of tax—are both good policy and good politics.
At the moment, a lot of criticism of Brown is centering on his personal flaws and lack of political skills. But it is worth remembering that the Brownite policy agenda—as much as there is one—has also failed. It is hard to think of a ‘big idea’ that has emerged from No 10 since Brown took over.
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Comments
Oscar
May 11th, 2008 8:18pmIf Brown's not listening I hope George Osborne is. Byers is, after all, the man who proposed raising the threshold for inheritance tax (in 2006) and got slapped down soundly by the Brownites.
Henry Rogers
May 11th, 2008 8:42pmI don't think Byers really gets it. Labour aren't 'misunderstood' by an electorate which would see things their way if only..........
Labour have made themselves hated and distrusted because they have consistently lied to the electorate and messed them about for good measure. I seem to recall a few incidents where Byers himself had a hand in both processes. Now they have been rumbled. Life's tough!
And to think, back last autumn, at least one contributor here was posting about Brown the all conquering street fighting politician who would sweep all before him.
Mind you, there is plenty of time between now and May 2010 for the Tories to cock things up really properly. Let's just hope that doesn't happen!
salieri
May 11th, 2008 8:56pmByers needs a job. He was always a poisonous, devious, under-achieving nonentity and his departure from front-line politics is, DV, irreversible.
David Lindsay
May 11th, 2008 10:55pmIs it because these people now control the Tory Party that CH is so preoccupied with them? I can't think of any other reason.
Diablo
May 11th, 2008 11:34pmAppropo previous thoughts that some Conservative MPs might prefer to lose the Crewe and Nantwich by-election as it will ensure Brown's continuance as PM, would the opposite be true of some Labour MPs?
After all, if he is beaten (doesn't matter by how much) they will have the excuse to rid themselves of their perceived liability? But in the convoluted and divided world of the Labour Party there are three factions: the Brownites (we're right and everyone else is wrong); the Blairites (we we're right and you are still wrong); and the Old Left (you're both bloody wrong and what we need is some good old fashioned socialism).
A wonderful recipe for disaster!
"Bring it on" as someone recently said.
TomTom
May 12th, 2008 10:00amThis Clawback Problem of escaping Benefits dependency was a theme back in 1972 under Keith Joseph at DHSS. Why we are still discussing this mess 36 years later shows how politics here goes around in circles.
People who need benefit should NOT be paying tax. People in the public sector should not be claiming Tax Credits - their employer should pay them properly and re-engineer their jobs to make them economic and well-organised.
Diana
May 12th, 2008 10:13amAm I the only one who finds herself appalled at the argument that it would be good long-term for the Tories if Labour were to win Crewe and Nantwich so therefore GB stays in power, and therefore even greater disillusionment with Labour grows, and therefore the Tories win an even greater majority in a GE in two years' time?
This is sick party politics. Nothing less.
That's not good for the country.
The Tories should believe in themselves - their capabilities and their policies - with, or without a large majority.
Kevyn Bodman
May 12th, 2008 12:05pmDiana,
No you're not the only one who thinks that the Conservatives should be attacking hard and hoping to win Crewe and Nantwich.
They should,indeed, believe in themselves and their policies and they should be doing what is good for the country,not playing sick party politics.
Alf Tupper on a recent thread said something similar;and I agree, so there are 3 of us at least.
PeterA
May 12th, 2008 12:32pmHear hear TomTom: Gordon's micromanagement, though the details make look beautiful to spreadsheet wizards, is just a disasterous spell gone wrong in reality when the button-pushers who have to implement his schemes put their spokes in the wheels. Will Gordon et al ever learn that Government has to be about making things work rather than gumming up the works with screwball and fanciful ideas?
Ian C
May 12th, 2008 1:35pmDiana, Brown needs putting out of our misery as fast a as possible. That way we get an election soonest.