The Coffee House | Politics and News Discussion Forum

If you must deceive, deceive competently

David Blackburn — , 08 Nov 2009 15:15:03 GMT

On 15th September, Gordon Brown finally uttered the word ‘cuts’, but he diluted the shock by pledging that frontline services would be protected. He told the TUC:

“But when our plans are published in the coming months, people will see that Labour will not support cuts in vital frontline services on which people depend. Labour will not put the recovery at risk, protect and improve your frontline services first and make the right choices for low and middle income families in the country.”

Today, some of those plans are]]>

A question of dates

James Forsyth — , 08 Nov 2009 13:59:06 GMT

The news that Labour’s financial problems are restricting its campaigning activities with its call centres running at a quarter of their usual pre-election level does suggest that Brown might decide to go to the country earlier than the expected election date of May 6th, as Isabel Oakeshott notes. For Labour there is a real danger that the Tories could so out-spend and out–campaign Labour between now and the official start of the election campaign, with its attendant spending limits, that the Tory lead in the battle ground seats could be insurmountable even before]]>

A great shame

David Blackburn — , 08 Nov 2009 11:11:21 GMT

The Afghan war has claimed its 200th British soldier killed in action, a tragic milestone for this Remembrance Sunday. There is growing concern that younger generations are not as engaged with the act of remembrance as previous generations. Widespread public involvement at Wooton Bassett would disprove that, but that so many of the war memorials erected in towns and villages across the country in the wake of the two World Wars have been allowed to fall into disrepair is a national shame.

A war memorial is a symbol of community, a reflection of]]>

A healthy policy development

James Forsyth — , 08 Nov 2009 09:53:25 GMT

Tory health policy is often criticised for not being radical enough. But Andrew Lansley’s announcement last week that the Tories would encourage John-Lewis style employee ownership and provision of services in the NHS is to be hugely welcomed. The scheme would cover outpatient clinics, health visitors and community nurses among others.

The idea is what Phillip Blond, the Red Tory guru, argued for in The Ownership State. Blond’s aim is a “breakup of monolithic state provision by employee driven buyouts to form social enterprises making better use of public money by]]>

Rank desperation

Fraser Nelson — , 07 Nov 2009 18:32:37 GMT

Gordon Brown’s suggestion for a Tobin tax would, if implemented, crucify the City of London. We are the largest foreign exchange centre in the world and that Brown is seriously suggesting hitting this industry is a sure sign he does not expect to be in government after the election.

It is the proposal that a British prime Minister should be dying in a ditch to kill off given that the City generates about a tenth of Britain’s economic wealth. The kind of proposal that might be aired by a Frenchman, purely to]]>

Scorching the earth

David Blackburn — , 07 Nov 2009 14:45:59 GMT

Tim Montgomerie is right; Peter Oborne is at his best in the Mail today – a mix of relevant history and sharp analysis of current affairs. Like Callaghan and Major before him, Gordon Brown faces electoral defeat. Brown’s predicament is deep – consistently loathed by the electorate and the target of unhatched coups and constant intrigue. How does a prime minister defend a hopeless position? Does he govern in the best interests of the country, his party, or himself? Oborne remarks about the magnanimity of Callaghan and Major and notes that Brown has]]>

G20: the way ahead ignores unresolved issues

David Blackburn — , 07 Nov 2009 11:46:44 GMT

Home of golf and full of five star hotels, St. Andrews is a lovely spot for a weekend shindig, so it’s no surprise that the G20 have convened there for their latest navel-gaze.

This meeting was supposed to be the preserve of finance ministers, but you can’t keep a statesman down. Gordon Brown delivered an impromptu lecture on 'the way ahead' to ministers who have, by some fluke obviously, stewarded a return to growth in their respective countries. Brown is adamant that curbing stimulus packages and inaugurating exit strategies be]]>

Obama's three Afghan mistakes

James Forsyth — , 07 Nov 2009 10:45:04 GMT

The Obama administration did not inherit a good situation in Afghanistan. But decisions it has taken have made the situation there worse. First, during the transition it flirted with the idea of withdrawing US support from Hamid Karzai but did not follow through. The result of this was that Karzai—worried about losing American support—came to rely ever more heavily on the support of the worst elements in his circle making him an even worse partner than before.

Second it downplayed the importance of democracy promotion. Some might claim that this was sensible pragmatism. But]]>

Hain’s hollow rhetoric

David Blackburn — , 06 Nov 2009 19:03:59 GMT

This week’s interviewee on the BBC’s Straight Talk with Andrew Neil is Peter Hain. One of the topics for discussion is Labour’s disengagement with its core vote and the rise of the BNP. Hain admits that this can be ascribed to Labour’s failings and Westminster’s disengagement with voters.

Certainly, Labour’s failure on housing and migration has been a major factor in Griffin’s rise. But there is nothing to suggest that Labour has the political strength to re-engage. Even after the recent furore, there have been no new initiatives on housing or migration, just pitiful]]>