Category Archives: change

So what’s going on?

Posted on by
3

Forgive me here, this may get a little navel gazey for some of you, maybe it’s this whole Mayan thing, but I get the feeling I can smell change in the air. Proper change rather than Brownian, Cameroid, Blairite, Obamamamamaish change. Don’t expect a crashing change, but I detect a definite shift in feeling. It isn’t necessarily opinion yet, but an almost tangible. . . something.

What am I blithering on about? I’ll start with a topic close to home; that being the continued coverage of the UKIP members fostering story. This story seems to have taken on a life of its own.

Last night in the car I had Radio 5 on. Yes, I know. Sitting in the chair was Andy Crane. That’s right, that one, of Ed the Duck fame. That in itself was bizarre, listening to some guy I used to see sat in the ‘broom cupboard’ as a kid hosting a very earnest discussion on fostering policy.

Anyway, the guests on this show were Roger Helmer, the UKIP MEP and some bloke who’s name I don’t recall, a campaigner type for fostering, a black guy who himself went through the system as a lad. Both were strongly of the opinion that the decision to take the three kids out of what appears to a stable and loving home was a spectacularly bad one. It was no surprise to hear Roger Helmer espouse that view, but I was mildly surprised to listen to the guy who I thought had been brought in to represent the standard anti-UKIP BBC stance to agree. I was expecting something along the lines of, ‘it isn’t great, but they were UKIP members’, so yes, there was mild surprise.

What I then heard nearly caused me to lose control of the car. Sunny Hundal spoke. ‘Here we go’, I thought to myself. He too said that the decision was wrong, in this case, and then went on to infer that UKIP were a bit racist and not to be trusted and wouldn’t the world be nicer if they just went away? The second half was predictable enough, but for Sunny to say the decision was wrong was really startling.

Meanwhile, in Rotherham, UKIP have revealed that a good number of people have walked into the party’s campaign office for the forthcoming by-election and signed up. Without doubt the justifiable outrage of the foster parents has given UKIP a great deal of free publicity. Looking at it cynically, it has afforded UKIP a wave that could be ridden to raise their profile, not just in Rotherham, but also in Croydon North. Croydon North being particularly interesting, as the team built to contest that by-election fits an ethnically diverse profile that one would not normally associate with UKIP, and has allowed the party to display a quality and depth that people did not appreciate with them. In a seat with a wide ethnic mix like Croydon, it is useful not only to demonstrate that UKIP is not a racist party in ideology, but can and will reflect the constituency it seeks to represent without a top down or heavy handed selection/shortlisting policy.

This is a very good thing for UKIP as it will help it move away from the image of being a second clubhouse for corduroy wearing golf bores. I think UKIP have ridden the wave fairly well, they’ve certainly mobilised the big players, but I think it could have been done better, I don’t think the immigration message has come over as well as it could have done, I think Roger Helmer on Radio 5 allowed himself to be led a little, and whilst the party’s bullish tone is often gratifying, I think on this occasion a softer tone was needed, more fireside chat than kerbside soapbox. At least I would have pointed out that ‘Eastern European’ is no more a race than ‘Western European’. Just as the British, Iberians and Vikings are different ethnic and cultural groups, so are the Poles, Bulgars and Slavs. Sometimes ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ isn’t completely helpful, it is easy to level accusations of racism against Eastern Europeans, but surely the logic would extend to the same accusation of racism against the Swedes and Austrians.

It’s a lazy accusation, and one that really doesn’t hold water, I think I’d have taken the tack of attacking the accusation as much as defending the policy of a nationally set immigration policy. There is also an aspect of our Western European colleagues not taking as much advantage of our benefits, etc, as our Eastern European. Surely, if we point out that Eastern Europeans aren’t a homogenous mass, we demonstrate that this is a policy grounded in economic necessity rather than racial preference.

I digress. I’ve been asking myself the question why these people in Rotherham have been signing up. Is it because UKIP have just come to their attention? If that is the case, it still doesn’t explain why. Perhaps these people were considering joining in the past, but were concerned that the party was a bit racist. But if that is the case, why join when a fresh accusation of racism has been made? Surely this is only going to make the waverer waver more?

Here’s an interesting theory. Is it because people have started to have enough? Have people had enough of being told that just questioning the status quo is sufficient to be labelled as a racist, as a swivel eyed nutter, let alone actually stating an opinion contrary to it? A few years ago I thought this was going to be a recruiting sergeant for the BNP, you tell me I’m a racist, therefore I must be, thus I shall vote for the racist party. However since the furore surrounding the election of BNP MEP’s, they’ve almost vanished off the radar. Meanwhile UKIP continue to grow, despite being subject to softer, yet similar, accusations.

I think I may have misjudged the situation. Is UKIP’s current rise in popularity down to, not only dissatisfaction with the big three, but also a tiredness of being constantly badgered and hectored? Not only are we all racist, or in danger of becoming racist through our thoughts or deeds, but we all smoke too much, drink too much, eat too much, drive too much, use too much water, use too much electricity, spend too much time watching TV, and so forth.

UKIP don’t continually badger people, they don’t tell people how they should live their lives. They haven’t had MPs fiddling their expenses, they haven’t been renting homes to each other, they haven’t been taking bungs to support one initiative or the other, they haven’t picked on different sections of society, penalising them with more tax, or not taking enough tax. That has to make them an attractive prospect. It doesn’t mean that UKIP MP’s wouldn’t do the above, I would hope they wouldn’t, but there’s no assurance of that.

However at the moment, they are demonstrably different. In that respect they represent what the LibDems used to, an entity that is completely different to the parties that do hold power. Something the LibDems have lost, indeed something they gave away with almost indecent haste. I wonder how many people will turn out to vote UKIP at the next GE who voted LibDem in the last purely because they weren’t tainted with power?

I think the LibDems had a real chance to progress, but squandered it. They have shown themselves to be just as big a nannying control freak as the Tories and Labour. Perhaps the LibDems didn’t have the ideological support from the public they thought they did. Perhaps UKIP don’t either, but they’ve not done any harm yet. Perhaps all people want is to be left the hell alone. And perhaps politicians of any stripe, even UKIP, are unable to do so, for fear that they make themselves irrelevant.

The immediate future will, I think, prove to be very interesting. And UKIP have a very clear decision to make about what they want to be. They claim (rightly so in my opinion) to be more than a single issue party, and they would do well to promote their ‘otherness’ in this current maelstrom of press coverage, but it will be a difficult trick to pull off, especially for a party that is effectively semi-pro.

They must also be careful not to fall into the trap set by Michael Fabricant over talk of some sort of pact between the Tories and UKIP. Offering UKIP an incitement to stand down in the face of a ‘cast-iron’ or ‘written in blood’ undertaking to hold an in/out referendum doesn’t wash. Firstly, it wouldn’t make me vote Tory for more than election certainly, and even then I would be very hesitant. Secondly, if the Tories want, really want, an in/out referendum, then they should call one because it is what they want and what they believe is right, not to safeguard what they consider is ‘their’ share of the turnout.

I think the number of voters UKIP are attracting from the Tories is being over-estimated, and the party would be foolish to neglect those of us who came from elsewhere, those of us who wish to vote for any alternative with reasonable prospects and those of us who are waiting to be engaged with.

If Tory voters and members are that passionate about a referendum and a more libertarian view, let them come to UKIP. UKIP doesn’t need to be dancing with this prick-tease of a devil.

Moving on.

Posted on by
4

 

Well, after yesterday’s scare and some swearing, hissy fits, tantrums and despairing phone calls to Brother Snowolf (he really knows his shit and I’d have been hopelessly lost without him, here’s to you, Bruv) I’ve grasped the nettle and migrated this place elsewhere as I’m afraid I just don’t trust Google with data and I don’t trust them not to screw things up.

Sooooo, announcing the launch of the lovely new thesnowolf.com for all your politico-lupine blogging needs.

I’ll be mirroring each site in the other for a week or so, just to cover any teething troubles, but I’d be most ‘umbly grateful if you’d update your bookmarks to the new gaff (although I understand I can insert a bit of code on Blogger that should auto-direct) and if you are a lovely, lovely blogger wot has me on their blogroll, I’d be pathetically grateful if you’d update that. If you don’t list me and I don’t list you, then drop me a line at my lovely new email address, wolfers@thesnowolf.com and we can indulge in some mutual ego massaging.

 

 

 

Oh, and take your shoes off in the new place, the carpet is very expensive, very vulgar shagpile and I don’t want you bastards treading crap into it. OK?

UPDATE

The site seems to be going up and down like a tart’s knickers at the moment, Brother Snowolf reassures me this is something to do with the DNS needing to settle down. I don’t know what they are, but they sound like a right bunch of bastards.

The One That Is Finding It Hard. . .

Posted on by
1

It’s odd really. Since the election, and certainly since Dave and Nick did the deed, I’ve found it hard to get posts up here, I don’t know how many I’ve started and then binned.

For the last thirteen years my daily mantra seems to have been ‘oh foR FUCK’S SAKE!‘ as idiotic policy follows cretinous initiative. I despaired as every day something emerged to further clip our wings, waste our money or engineer our society. But since that bunch of bastards got thrown out, things have been, well, kinda good.

Granted I will not support everything they come up with, a good deal of what they do will make me angry and see me wheel out my mantra again. But it is early days yet, and the work thus far has been, in the main, welcome.

Anger is a good motivator.

There are problems, like a city overtaking by a liberating army, the guerillas will take up position on the hills outside the walls and the old guard in the offices will do their best to resist and frustrate. The civil service is hugely politicised now, believe me, I know, I work there.

So, given the story that Michael Gove has decided to do away with the General Teaching Council because of its abject failure to deliver on its mission, I am not in the least bit surprised to see that the response is thus:

“We are seeking legal advice on our position and will be seeking urgent clarification from ministers and Department for Education officials on the implications of today’s announcement for the GTCE’s work over the next period and for its staff and members.”

So what’s that? A government department threatening to sue the government? This is what happens when you give a faceless department effective say over the life and death of people without accountability. The people that have say over their life and death give them a taste of their own medicine, and all of a sudden it is the threat of court. And who’s money is going to pay for any legal advice? Yes. Ours.

Game over, sorry.

It’s not all sweetness and light. This new administration will be duped or dragged along by some of the old guard, as we’ve seen in the recent chatter about booze pricing. The ConDems would do well to give Liam Donaldson’s acolytes and the fake publicly funded charidees a wide berth. Hopefully they’ll learn.

What has been done in the past can be undone now, we’ve seen proof of that. So perhaps, just perhaps, any decisions over booze made in haste today can be countermanded tomorrow.

All things being considered, I’m happy that we now have a government that says this in light of yesterday’s events in Cumbria:

David Cameron has said there should not be a “knee-jerk reaction” to changing the laws on gun ownership after 12 people were shot dead in Cumbria.

The prime minister said everything must be done to make sure it “cannot happen again”, but existing controls were among the “toughest” in the world.

When the shadow (and former) Home Secretary is saying this:

After the Home Office revealed that the killer had held a shotgun certificate for 15 years, as well as a rifle licence gained in 2007, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson said a tightening of checks needed to be considered.

Mr Johnson said there might be a case for incorporating mental health checks into the system following claims that it is too easy for rural residents to gain access to firearms.

Knee jerk and quickie legislation, always a recipe for bad law, and one of Labour’s hallmarks. Something must be done, this is something, so it must be done. To be seen to do nothing is the worst crime. With Labour it isn’t about effectiveness or fairness, but the perception of the party.

The sad thing is for Labour, that even now we (and they) have been rescued from the downward spiral of desperate ideas and legislation, there is still a significant part of the party which cannot help themselves. It’s like watching a cat trying to jump through a closed patio window every day. In its heart of hearts it knows what the outcome will be, but it does it because it has no idea what else to do.

Sadly again for Labour, the worst practitioner of this is currently leading the party.

And that is why I’m finding it hard to get motivated at the moment. No longer do we have a government which comes out with utter bottywater like this:

Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman says the party rules should change so half the shadow cabinet are women.

No, you see, Harriet, what we really need is for the cabinet to be 100% staffed by absolutely the best people for the jobs they have, regardless of anything as irrelevant as gender, sexuality, race or preferred method of potato preperation.

Let’s hope it will be a long, long time before we see them back.

The One That Wants Frank . . .

Posted on by
3

So, the monocular, snot-gobbling, nokia throwing, old lady insulting, macavity impersonating, foaming at the mouth, tantrum expert, denialist supreme, prime mentalist has finally faced up to the inevitable.

But of course this is the Labour party, so it won’t happen, can’t happen, overnight. It’ll drag on until September. In a way this is bad, as this really needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later. It is also a good thing, because the scramble to jump into Brown’s grave, plus the huge egos of those involved means it will all be conducted very publicly and members and non-members alike will be thoroughly sick of the sight of them all come conference season.

It could actually be very entertaining. No-one bitch fights like a socialist going for the top job. The smears, innuendo and tears will be wonderful.

I am however not without sympathy. And that sympathy is squarely with the long time, traditional membership of the party. Why? Well, let’s look at the early runners, shall we?

  • Miliband Majority
  • Alan ‘Postman Pat’ Johnson
  • Harridan Harperson
  • Badger Brows Darling
  • Blinky ‘Kick Me Inna’ Balls
  • Miliband Minority
  • Andy ‘Max Factor’ Burnham
  • John Cruddas

Cruddas aside, who whilst undoubtedly representing the views of the largest section of the membership has the ability to make people shuffle away from him looking in the opposite direction, none of them are representative of that party’s membership.

The Milibands? Really? I mean. . . really? The banana boat captain and the work experience boy?

Alan Johnson? Because? What? He’s not quite as bad as the others?

Harman? Imposing an ‘equality and diversity’ programme at all costs, even to that of her party. Unless of course it’s her husband.

Darling? Jesus Christ on a little purple trike.

Balls? Hated now. Would make Brown look popular after six months. Would lose his rag three minutes into his first PMQs. And then there’s his wife.

Andy Burnham? Out of his depth in a bird bath.

Really Labour party members, and I say this with real concern for your views and your party, if this is the best your party can muster, then I could weep for you. Your ideals and views have been sold down the river completely. You’ve been evicted by a family of cuckoos who stole your legacy from you on the promise of a few days in the sun.

Now the sun has gone in, and they will all squabble and fight amongst themselves. Don’t worry, you’re not expected to do anything. Just smile and nod and elect the person you’re told. Just like you did with Blair.

I do not, will not and never have agreed with the Labour party, but at least under Foot they stood for something. At least when The Beast, Skinner, opens his mouth he does it because he cares deeply about those he represents. Sit him on the awkward squad bench. Keep an eye on him. The snakeoil salesmen hate him, and with good reason, he sees them for what they are.

For fuck’s sake Labour members, take your party back. Make it speak for what you want, you’ll never have a better chance, or a better time.

Jesus, look at that list. Come on! Where’s Frank Field? Where’s Tom Harris? I don’t agree with them that often, but they have substance, they have conviction, as an outsider they sound like you. Come on, apply some pressure, get yourself a leader I can at least respect, someone who holds opinions that don’t need to be rejected out of hand.

I want Frank.

The One That Wants To Time Travel . . .

Posted on by
1

What a country has been built over the last thirteen years. When I think back to those first few months of the Labour administration in 1997, I think of the hope that coursed through the veins of the British public, the great and good (and Oasis) queuing up to shake the hand of Blair.

Good God, how did he do it? How did he get them to file into his house like star-struck teenage autograph hunters? Say what you like about Blair, but man, his PR was good in those days.

In 1997 it was going to be different this time. The old remnants of a divided, corrupt and arrogant Conservative party had been swept away, replaced by a shining new Labour party, shorn of the old hateful, envious, nationalising mania of the past; waiting to carry us in to this glorious new Jerusalem to the sounds of masses cheering, screaming guitars and hip dance music.

Truth be told, the Tories really haven’t changed over this last decade, they dress in a more modern fashion, they’ve learned how to present and have dulled that edge which many found so objectionable, but the PR transformation is nowhere near that of Labour in the mid 90’s.

We now look at a Labour government which is just as divided as the Tories ever were under Major, and as far as my memory serves me are more corrupt and light years ahead in the arrogance stakes. That those Tories had to be kicked out in 1997 is without doubt. That a good many people called warnings from the sidelines is well remembered. Did anyone, even New Labour’s most venomous critics, expect what we have now?

The vista of British society and community is as devastated, as unrecognisable as the Haitian capital. If you had shown a picture of today’s Britain to everyone’s thirteen years younger selves in 1997, what would their response have been?

How would they have reacted to see legions losing their lives to infections in hospital? They would have heard of nothing like it since the charnel houses of the Peninsular campaign.

How would they have responded to being told that they would have no choice but to be electronically stripped searched before heading off on their holidays?

How would they have accepted the notion of a government that declared a legally questionable war, especially when the threat to our security was almost nil?

What would they have said upon hearing about real suspicion falling on the government following the death of one of its prime experts in suspicious circumstances, especially when they then decided to bury the records for 70 years, after having him thoroughly smeared and discredited?

How would they have felt upon learning that they would face a good chance of arrest, or at least questioning, for taking pictures of famous landmarks, and being suspected of terrorism by a politicised police force?

What would they have thought about the pandering to the professionally offended, or at least those who quake in their boots at the prospect, to the extent that jobs cannot be advertised with a request for reliable and hard working people?

How would they come to terms with a government that illegally imprisons people in their own houses, freezing their assets and allowing them £10 a week to live, because it is suspected they may be involved in terrorism, whilst the convicted are released early and an increasing underclass can claim the monthly average wage in handouts and are penalised even if they do want to work?

How could they have understood that in a democracy, you would have had to apply for permission from the authorities to hold a demonstration outside parliament?

How would they have stared with incompetence when they learned that they had been lied to over getting a say in the signing away of our sovereignty?

How could they deal with the fact that the lowest earners had seen their tax burden sky-rocket whilst the country attracted more debt than had ever been conceivable?

The list could go on, when you look over this government’s achievements you see nothing but failure, deceit, vanity, hubris and the almost complete humiliation of those who elected them.

It will be different this time, there will be no cheering crowds, no film and pop stars waiting patiently in line to be seen pressing the flesh, no glorious new Jerusalem; there will be the knowledge that there will be no change, and a flinty look in the eye of the electorate waiting for the Tories to show themselves to be as feckless, reckless and thoughtless as Labour, and for an opportunity to remove them from power as soon as possible.

Let’s see how the ‘others’ column does over the next five years. Democracy is not dead in Britain, it is just being born.

Update:

A very interesting item over at Captain Ranty’s place, not a million miles removed from my ramblings.

The One That Is Asking Himself A Question . . .

Posted on by
Reply

In light of yesterday’s Norwich North bye-election result, there has been quite a bit of soul searching (some would say navel gazing) over at the LPUK blog.

I’ve been asking myself the following question:

Do I want a government with a Libertarian bias running through it, or do I want an LPUK government?

The only answer I can come up with is that I joined LPUK because I want a Libertarian government, I don’t particularly care who provides that. LPUK are the model that reflect most closely what I would like to see, at present. If another party started displaying the qualities that LPUK demonstrate, then I would be delighted.

It is the nature of the policy that is important to me, rather than any particularly named party delivering it.

As unlikely as it seems, if Gordon Brown woke up tomorrow morning and said ‘Wait up people, I’ve been thinking about this, we’ve got it all wrong and what we need to do is what these guys are up to’, then I’d be delighted.

In a way we’ve seen this happen to an extent, and we may see it continue. Labour have started trying to sound a little like the BNP with all their (futile) talk of British jobs for British workers, although this seems more like a cynical attempt to stop the drain of Labour voters to the BNP rather than a real change in the policies which are driving them to the BNP’s door.

The Tories have been at it too, after about 20 years of fairly fruitless campaigining the Greens are now finding that a version of their policy is finding favour in Tory central office. An attempt to reverse the party’s fortunes? Quite probably. Will it be succesful? Who knows, we all know that governments lose elections, and it doesn’t really matter what the Tories say between now and the general election, the buggins rule is in full effect. Interestingly the policy which seems to most closely reflect the wishes of their natural constituency is firmly off the menu, which is why UKIP look so strong at present. I believe the Tories would be stronger if they took up the Eurosceptic line again, and they may well do so if Brown is booted out after the conference season and Labour start to recover a little ground.

Do I want us to leave the EU? Yes. Am I bothered about whether this withdrawal is brought about by UKIP, LPUK, Conservatives, BNP or the English Democrats? Not in the slightest.

I guess the question I’m asking is ‘Is it more important for US to be in power, or for us to influence and change those who are in power?’ I think it is the latter, not that the former wouldn’t be great.

The One That Is Trying To Make Sense Of It All . . .

Posted on by
2

(Warning, this might go on a bit, but I’ve found it quite interesting.)

Well, it isn’t the end of the world, although listening to BBC Radio 5 this morning, you would have thought the SA were patrolling the streets looking for ‘darkies’ to repatriate.

Out of what, 700 seats? The BNP have taken two of them. That’s as much as I’m going to say on the subject of them.

It’s a strange one this morning, watching Sky News last night, they were saying before it all kicked off that anything below 20% of the vote would be a disaster for Labour. As I write this we’re still waiting for confirmation from the Scots but it would seem that the SNP have done very well and taken the lion’s share of the vote north of the border. Fair play to them, a projected share of 29% of the vote is a good whack, and leaves Labour with around the 20% mark, a figure that Sky put next to a picture of a glum looking Brown when they did their preview. Not a good result at all.

Nationally, it is obvious that UKIP are the big winners, whilst the Lib Dems have effectively been treading water since last time round. The stats however make very interesting reading. Labour have had another disaster, with a 7% swing away, that would spell curtains for a huge number of their MPs. But who have profited from this swing? Certainly not the Tories who have only managed a 1.2% increase in their take, similarly despite UKIP firmly establishing themselves as a force in British/European politics (it will be interesting to see how they perform in a general election) their share only went up by 0.5%, the Lib Dems suffered a minor 1.1% downturn, not a disaster, but it can’t have been what they were hoping for.

The arrogance of the phrase ‘protest vote’ annoys me, it supposes that the main parties feel they have a right to peoples’ votes, and those that vote against them in the Euros will file back to their default position at a general. I’m not convinced that is the case any more. The big winners last night were, in reverse order, the BNP (of course) with an uplift of 1.4%, the Greens who picked up 2.5% and then ‘Others’ with 2.7%.

UKIP have not been without their share of fraud scare stories, so perhaps they’ve been tainted a little. I doubt they’ll care this morning, they have after all just finished second in a national election. You’d have expected a bigger rush to the side of the Greens, but perhaps people don’t take them seriously or take them very seriously and treat them with suspicion. The BNP story is well documented, both here and elsewhere.

The interesting tale is in the ‘Others’. On the BBC Website they are grouped together on the national overview, so we’ll have to drop into the regional level to see how it divvies up. I’ll pick the South East region for two reasons, firstly, it is where I live and secondly. . . because it is my blog and I feel like it.

Here, the Big 4 (for the purposes of Europe) all suffered losses in their share, Conservatives lost 0.4%, UKIP lost 0.7%, Limp Dems lost 1.2% and Labour bucked the national trend by only waving goodbye to 5.4%. A better showing from the Greens in the SE where they perked-up by 3.8% and the BNP came in right on the average of a 1.4% gain, But even that doesn’t add up to the losses suffered by the established parties, all down the list the real minority parties have picked up around 0.5% to 1.4%. What I’m trying to do is make some sense of it all.

Are these ‘protest’ votes? Does the scatter gun pattern to these increases suggest that the electorate is saying ‘I’ll vote for you because you aren’t the big corrupt parties?

Are these votes that are going to parties after the electorate, having decided againt their old tribal affiliations, have then taken the time to investigate and feel some affinity with?

Are the electorate just closing their eyes and sticking a pin in the ballot paper?

Have the electorate come to the conclusion that they can bring about the removal of the most unpopular PM of all time from No. 10?

What is for sure is that a snap election could prove very uncomfortable for all the major parties, and despite Cameron and Clegg’s bluster, I don’t think either of them want an election anytime soon. They think that between now and May the outrage over expenses will die down. But I think it goes deeper than that, I really do think that the expenses scandal has caused a lot of people to re-examine their relationship with their traditional party, it has been a catalyst rather than the story in its entirety. I don’t think they like what they see, What they see is a Labour party that for the last 15 years has divorced itself from its traditional constituency, a Conservative party that is so light on policy that a strong breeze could carry them away and a Lib Dem party that has made no headway since the last election. There are no major idealogical differences between them.

One thing is for certain, following a catastrophic local election showing and a European campaign which has seen the BNP pick up seats in what is squarely Labour territory, Brown’s ‘meeting’ with the back-benchers could be explosive this evening. These people are now fearful for their jobs, forget retaining power, that has gone, and their position will not improve with Brown staying on another 11 months. Whether Brown wants to go or not is irrelevant, if the back-benchers decide they have to cut him loose to save themselves, that is exactly what they would do, and it would be nigh impossible to pass off a third PM in one term.

Interesting times.

The One That Is Counting The Days. . .

Posted on by
2

Just been watching Julie Kirkbride on Sky News, she’s finally come out of hiding and produced an interview laden with patronising language, self pity, excuses, refusal to admit that anything wrong has been done and refusal to answer the fucking question. She regrets the situation she’s in. That speaks volumes, she doesn’t regret doing what she did, she just regrets being found out.

Her hubbie did the same. Let’s hope history repeats itself. Actually, scrub that, let’s hope she digs her heels in and then we’ll get to see how tough Call Me Dave’s stand actually is, if we’re lucky she’ll be allowed to contest her seat and we can all enjoy seeing her come in behind the Hug A Hedgehog For God Party.

Anyhow, to the matter in hand. It is now but one week from the European and local elections and I’ve never looked forward to any election as much as I have this one. I’m buzzing with anticipation at the thought of staying up all night with a selection of fine Kentish ciders, secure in the knowledge that I have the following day off work, and watching the results come in, the party gophers wandering around like dazed bomb blast survivors and the great and good looking ashen faced as they stare their immediate political fate in the eyes.

I hope beyond hope that all the big three get an absolute savaging, it is a pity that it won’t be the troughers in Westminster getting the gooner, but I look at this as the wonderful starter in what promises to be a feast fit for a monarch, the main course won’t be far behind. Going off on a tangent for a moment, I noted with interest yesterday that The Sun was leading with a story detailing the gravy in Brussels, well done for catching up lads, keep it up.

As I said, this is just the starter. The Tories and Lib Dems will have performances that would result in much shuffling about and self-conscious staring at feet, but it will be nothing compared to the complete mauling that promises to engulf Labour. Let’s deal with one target at a time, and Labour are squarely in my sights.

Although I do not trust nor particularly like the Tories or Lib Dems, I downright hate Labour, and here is why. In 1997 I was 21 years old, and although I didn’t buy into the hysteria, I was well aware that changes had to happen, the Major government was a disaster, full of relics who had grown complacent with the feeling that they had a right to prosecute their own personal agenda to the very end. They had to go.

I never felt that Labour would be different, but at least it wasn’t the lot in power. Initial satisfaction that the Tories had gone was tempered with the nagging voice in the back of my mind saying ‘That’s a very big majority they’ve got there, Wolfers’. Satisfaction turned into unease, going through suspicion, resentment and anger before settling into outright hatred.

Those last 12 years have sold my generation down the river in grand style, we have been lied to, stolen from, measured, controlled and insulted in equal measure. The day of reckoning is at hand and every generation is absolutely furious that this government has proved to be as self serving, if not more self-serving, than the one that went before.

There comes a point for the lobby fodder where this doesn’t become a question of losing power, I think they are resigned to that fact, the point now is that people on healthy majorities are looking at losing their jobs. Bugger party loyalty, these boys and girls can see their livings being taken from them, if the rank and file backbenchers feel that they’ll be trying to get jobs elsewhere after an election next year, then Brown will be out faster than a round from an AK47. I can’t see how Parliament, let alone the public, could be expected to wear a third PM in a single term.

Thursday night next week will be bad news for Labour, if it is really, really bad (and God do I hope that it is), I don’t see how Brown can hope to hang on to his position. Let’s hope that when the inveitable happens, people don’t take so long to realise that they’ve made a like for like substitution.

The One That Thinks The Colour Grey Has Outlived Its Use. . .

Posted on by
Reply

This is unprecedented, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this before, and one can only wonder how much worse it is going to get for the big three.

The Mail on Sunday has published a poll this morning detailing a collapse for all three main parties in the run-up to the Europeans, and I see no way for them to turn this around. The poll standings are listed here on Sky News and make startling reading.

Conservative – 30%
Labour – 17%
UKIP – 17%
Lib Dems – 15%
Green – 7%
BNP – 5%
Others – 9%

When I heard that UKIP had tied with Labour, my main reaction was amazement that they had been beaten into joint third by the Lib Dems, but no, they’ve limped in in fourth place.

That’s six points down for Labour and the Tories, and a one point drop for the Lib Dems.

Not wanting to blow my own trumpet but I said this a little while back:


Just watch that ‘others’ column on Euro & local election night, just watch the minority share of the vote leap up.

The revelations about MPs on the take and on the make just keep coming and the anger on the streets is almost tangible, is there any way back for the big three? All of them are suffering and not one of them can take the moral high ground on this subject, all the big three parties have shown themselves to be morally bankrupt, but they certainly aren’t financially bankrupt, God knows they’ve trousered enough of our money.

I really do think that time is swiftly running out for this parliament now. It has ceased to be a problem with the Labour party and is now all elected parties demonstrating that this parliament is rotten is to the very core. When was the last time you read a story about the Monarch voicing concern over the performance of their Parliament for crying out loud?

The Queen wading in, a party normally expressed in grey and lumped in with the others on the polling graphics now deserves a little purple and yellow column of its own; these things just do not happen.

‘May you live in interesting times’ is normally taken to be something of a curse, but I find this fascinating and more than a little exciting. Could it be that the electorate have awoken from their slumber? Has the arrogant, unlistening stranglehold of the big three been severely weakened, if not broken? Let’s hope so. Let’s have parties actually representing something, and someone, rather than engaging in a show of representation.

There’ll be talk of upheaval with polticians pursing their lips in disapproval. The commentators will warn of the ‘danger’ of marginal votes (the danger being it makes predicting what is going to happen that much more difficult) leading to instability. The main parties will tell scare stories of coalition governments, look at Italy. Well, yes, but look at Ireland, how they’ve been a model of stability, working under a system that was designed by the British to de-stabilise them.

I’ve no idea how this is going to pan out, but it could just be that the venal, grasping nature of those representing the ‘established’ parties has brought about one of the biggest shifts in British politics for decades. If that is the case, then our politicians will now have to listen what the electorate want, rather than telling them what they will be getting.

The One That Is Waiting For The Backlash. . .

Posted on by
1

One of the problems with this blogging lark is that is a little incestuous, a great deal of preaching to the choir goes on, and there’s very little ‘engagement’ (to hijack a horrible peice of nu-speak) outside of those who share your beliefs.

I’m used to getting strange looks when I start ranting about this, that and the other. ‘Don’t worry, it’s just Wolfers going off on one again,’ is the view amongst my friends whenever the subject of politics raises its head. To be fair it is normally me that raises the subject as well.

My phone and Facebook have been glowing red-hot for the last few days. The message? ‘I get it now. I understand why you’re always so angry.’ They seemed puzzled when I would respond to their shrugged shoulders and claims of it being none of their business with cries of ‘Oh just go and watch bloody Eastenders.’

Now ‘they’ are angry. Not just us sad little bloggers railing against the world. People who have never shown the slightest interest, those that have always voted the way they vote, regardless of what the parties say or do. Those that have always considered voting to be a waste of time, or something they don’t want to get involved in, they are really pissed off.

A number of these people have been chatting with me throughout the last few days, and they’re going to vote, alright. None of them seem too keen on voting for the big 3 though, all of them seem very keen in voting to give the ‘little parties’ a chance. And not just next month, they can’t wait to dish it out in the ‘proper’ election when it comes.

UKIP
BNP
Green
Libertarian
English Democrat
Monster Raving Looney
Socialist Raving Looney
Badger Underpass Indie Raving Looney

Whether I agree with some, all or none of those listed above is irrelevant. The important thing is that they’re not those greedy fuckers draining a moat or having a second home re-furbed at my expense to the tune of £10k.

Just watch that ‘others’ column on Euro & local election night, just watch the minority share of the vote leap up. The same will happen in the General Election, the media will play ball, newspaper sales must be through the roof. Bugger partisan loyalties, they could actually make some money, all they have to do is keep the anger bubbling away.

Protest vote? You bloody bet. Not brought about by indifferent mis-trust, this is all out hatred, and they hate every last one of you. As Old Holborn is fond of saying; 646 of them, 60,000,000 of us. Well, the 60,000,000 have just done the maths. Let the games begin. . .