Writing Labour off

Water

Labour seems to have a precipice in front of them and wolves behind. Though Pollard seems right nobody "entrusted" him thats for sure.

Nicholas

Peter Riddell's observation that Brown feels he must "do something" in an almost panic reaction to his unpopularity is correct. He promised an end to spin but has become completely entangled in it. It is the only thing he seems capable of producing now and it is pretty poor spin at that.

He has surrounded himself with an ideology of spin grown from marketing, obsessed with the idea of selling an image. The image is stout helmsman Brown but nobody is buying it. Frantic attempts to re-package him ain't going to work because the product itself is wholly discredited.

And there is nothing to bolster him. The intellectual capacity of his cabinet is such that when challenged they parrot a list of dubious "achievements" or attack the opposition, or come up with barmy ideas like putting pressure on OPEC to increase the production of oil.

Brown and his cronies are clearly in denial and delusion about recent events, some of their responses are baffling in their bare faced arrogance, not least their assumption of a New Labour right to rule.

The country has sent them a message. We want them gone. If Brown is "entrusted" to do the right thing for the British people he needs to call a general election and let democracy take its course.

Perry

There should be very little more to write on this subject. Noo-Lie-Bore has shown itself bankrupt of ideas, cash, credibility, and consistency. It spins an increasingly thin web to trap those unwary enough to fall for its dubious charms. Worse, it has encouraged fanciful and unnecessary personal and national debt. And all to what purpose? Dogmatic bone-headedness and its own Survival.

To cast about for a Saviour is of course a classic ploy. But usually, human nature being what it is, only the most stupid person will be found suitable. Take your pick from a motley crew.

For the only real rescue is to invoke measures that would be anathema to True Believers and those more interested in their lucrative, or at least, comfortable, career.

Here be the possible entry point for the Conservative Tory party. Yesterday’s posts offered tantalising glimpses of what it might offer. However, would it stay true to its principles – or assuage angst by populist measures? Time will tell. But there is now hope.

Water

"Brown and his cronies are clearly in denial and delusion about recent events, some of their responses are baffling in their bare faced arrogance, not least their assumption of a New Labour right to rule." seems about right.

Pete F

Just heard Harriet Harman on radio saying about Gordon Brown "...he's kept inflation low."
Does she (and nuLabour MPs) REALLY believe that?
No bu@ger else does, and whenever this lie (for that is what it is) is trotted out by Labour politicians, they lose more and more of their potential voters. Perhaps the moral of nuLabours forthcoming election defeat will be "don't lie to the people".

Perry

I found a msg yesterday, - was it in one of Guido’s threads? – wherein the Beloved Leader, He who cannot be dis-swayed, - uttered the word ‘progressive’.

I would very much like the Conservative Tory party to attend to the debasement of our language by Noo-Lie-Bore. Words such as progressive, conversation, equality, listening, education, quality, standards, - the list goes on - have become either senseless and distorted, or so filled with sinister meaning, that they make me cringe.

Progressive, however the Beloved and Supreme Leader, - as least however that deluded mind understands it – is definitely not Noo-Lie-Bore.

John Page

I'm not being personal here, but all the professional pundits are saying the same things now, and at considerable length. Maybe that's what happens after a cataclysm.

Frank Pulley

As one who is worried about the 'progressive' pricing of fuel, may I seek the opinion of the experts about the possibly efficacy of this wheeze that was forwarded to me today:

> "We are hitting £1.15 a litre in some areas now, soon we will be faced with paying £1.20 a ltr. [Name deleted] offered this good idea: This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the 'don't buy petrol on a certain day campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to hurt ourselves by refusing to buy petrol. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read it and join in! Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a litre is CHEAP, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the market place not sellers. With the price of petrol going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of petrol come down is if we hit someone in the pocket by not purchasing their Petrol! And we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. Here's the idea: For the rest of this year DON'T purchase ANY petrol from the two biggest oil companies (which now are one), ESSO and BP. It's easy to make this happen. Just forward this email, and buy your petrol at Shell, Asda,Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons Jet etc. i.e. boycott BP and Esso If they are not selling any petrol, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. But to have an impact we need to reach literally millions of Esso and BP petrol buyers. It's really simple to do!! Now, don't wimp out at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!! I am sending this note to a lot of people. If each of you send i t to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300).... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it... .. THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!! Again, all You have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (and not buy at ESSO/BP) How long would all that take? If each of us sends this email out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!! Acting together we can make a difference . If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE 69p a LITRE RANGE It's easy to make this happen. Just forward this email, and buy your petrol at Shell, Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons Jet etc. i.e. boycott BP and Esso" <

If anyone thinks that it is a viable wheeze pass it on and let's give it a go. Not much faith in Ponzi schemes normally, but this only costs the electicity involved in an email - and your computer was probably on anyway.

Ian C

Once more Mathew Paris has also spelt it out for the Labour party, in language even they might understand, what they need to do. Will they do it?.... that is the question, but where is the seat of Labour's future? It can only be done effectively where that seat is. As far as we can tell it does not exist even in foetus form.

The reason, of course that it does not exist is that GB was supposed to be that seat - and with no-one willing/able to challenge him last year there is a total vacuum where there needs to be a credible 'next generation'.

If they don't take Paris's advice this will become really obvious to the country as a whole (not just to us who observe more closely) and the next election will be their 1997 multiplied by some.

Perry

Of course - Frank Pulley, - and Mz. Prudence of Noo-Lie-Bore, - she who ‘understands our pain’ – could conveniently cut tax too.

How much does Revenue make on a gallon? [And for a thinking point, would the brave citizens of La Belle France put up with this nonsense? Without getting the tumbrels out?]

Max Kaye

Frank, nice idea - but flawed. I have no brief for the oil companies, but they are not the problem. As about 70 per cent of the price of fuel at the pump is tax and duty, the government is the one who should reduce the burden on consumers.

I can't see a solution that would make the government substantially reduce their cut (they're desperate for the dosh) other than civil disobedience - or worse.

Frank Pulley

But Max, surely the price of a barrel of oil, which must affect the pump price. is being fed by speculators betting on future rises. If nobody can stop this sort of speculation and anti-trust laws cannot stop gouging, then what can be done by the consumer? We know the government will not shoot it's milch cow, but if the two major companies lose their customers for a year as is suggested in the 'wheeze' would that not affect the market? At the moment we're between a rock and hard place - the socialist extortionists and the spiv speculators in the City. Don't know how you're faring, but it's doing me in.