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Are Big Ideas Back?

Martin Bright

Tuesday, 17th November 2009

I can't quite decide whether there really is a return of ideas to British politics or whether the political columnists have just grown tired of writing yet another piece about just how bad things are for the Prime Minister this week.

Jackie Ashley's column in today's Guardian complements Janet Daley's in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday. From opposing political perspectives they say the same thing: the two major parties are beginning to develop distinct political visions, which will allow the British public to make a genuine choice at next year's general election. Ashley suggests that David Cameron's speech on the role of the state and Ed Miliband's grasping of the environmental nettle mean that we are beginning to see arguments of substance about the key political issues of the day. "For the first time in ages it seems that a real politcal debate is starting," she says.

Janet Daley gets very close to unfettered praise for Cameron when she suggests that he is developing at least the rhetoric for "a fully-fledged reassessment of the relationship between government and the individual". She is recognising what some on the left have realised for some time: that David Cameron is a conventional post-Thatcherite Conservative. It will remain to be seen whether his no-frills "EasyCouncil" approach to public services will appeal to the electorate when the local playground starts to fray at the edges or when consultation with local people suggests people want more police on the streets or smaller class sizes, but the money just isn't there.

Filed under: David Cameron (154 more articles) , Ed Miliband (3 more articles) , Gordon Brown (249 more articles) , Local government (6 more articles) , Localism (7 more articles)

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Cuffleyburgers

November 17th, 2009 8:13am Report this comment

" It will remain to be seen whether his no-frills "EasyCouncil" approach to public services will appeal to the electorate when the local playground starts to fray at the edges or when consultation with local people suggests people want more police on the streets or smaller class sizes, but the money just isn't there. "

False dichotomy.

Snowman

November 17th, 2009 4:51pm Report this comment

distinct political visions in a straightjacket of statutes that have embedded the pseudo-liberal view of the world? I’d like to see it but, if it amounts to the samples you are quoting, I reckon I’d rather had a nap.

Beer Moth

November 17th, 2009 5:04pm Report this comment

Yep.

You got any?

KB

November 17th, 2009 5:13pm Report this comment

Of course the money's there. All we have to do is run an annual deficit of £175bn.

Herbert Thornton

November 17th, 2009 10:32pm Report this comment

Neither the role of the state nor the environmental nettle are the key political issues of the day. In comparison with the two elephants in the room, they are mere grasshoppers.

The two key issues - not just of today but for generations to come - are first the growing presence and menace of Islam in Britain and second the treasonous, well advanced establishment conspiracy to subject Britain to near-totalitarian government from Europe.

Rhoda Klapp

November 17th, 2009 10:43pm Report this comment

A big idea would be for any party save the extremists to get on the same side as a good half of the population as regards the five issues I mentioned on the Wall.

The issues are:

Immigration, the issue of numbers and control.
Multi-culturalism, the issue of lack of mandate
The EU
Man-made climate change
The war in Afghanistan

Anything else is not really a big idea at all, just footling.

Wily Trout

November 18th, 2009 3:40pm Report this comment

Here's one - call an election.

Bunnykins

November 19th, 2009 11:39am Report this comment

Herbert and Rhoda - this will never happen all the time our main-stream party leaders are too cowardly to address them. They believe England's a spent force and the only political future they have will be in a European Parliament. It's called 'feathering ones nest'. I read the following lines on another blog written by a certain Gerrythepoet -
'A Nation much loved whittles away -
Britain is no longer a beacon but a lighthouse for Pirates'. Says it all really!

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