Opinions from a loyal Labour Party member
General Election
Labour’s party election broadcast – the road ahead
769 days
Labour’s first party election broadcast – the road ahead
Tory NIC cuts – the truth for small businesses
772 days
Small businesses employ almost 60% of the private sector workforce and without a doubt the Tories are right that Labour’s proposed increasing in NIC will hurt. I run a small business and they will hurt us. If you asked me if I wanted them to go ahead I’d say no I don’t as it’s going to cost us money that we don’t have. For us it’s not about preserving profit margins as we plough it all back into the business to grow and create more jobs. The NIC increase will make this harder.
But, and it’s a huge but, the Tory alternative is far, far worse. For Wolfstar to grow and prosper we need an improving and stable economy. We’re a business that sells services to other businesses. Our clients can only spend more money with us, if consumers spend more money with them. The Tory plans to hack and slash essential public services hurts consumers. That hurts our clients. That hurts us. That hurts the people that work for us.
That’s why Labour’s plans for NIC might not be good, but they are a lot better than the Tory alternative.
I warn you not to be ordinary
812 days
If David Cameron is elected as prime minister this year, I warn you.
I warn you that you will have pain–when healing and relief depend upon payment.
I warn you that you will have ignorance–when talents are untended and wits are wasted, when learning is a privilege and not a right.
I warn you that you will have poverty–when pensions slip and benefits are whittled away by a government that won’t pay in an economy that can’t pay.
I warn you that you will be cold–when fuel charges are used as a tax system that the rich don’t notice and the poor can’t afford.
I warn you that you must not expect work–when many cannot spend, more will not be able to earn. When they don’t earn, they don’t spend. When they don’t spend, work dies.
I warn you not to go into the streets alone after dark or into the streets in large crowds of protest in the light.
I warn you that you will be quiet–when the curfew of fear and the gibbet of unemployment make you obedient.
I warn you that you will have defence of a sort–with a risk and at a price that passes all understanding.
I warn you that you will be home-bound–when fares and transport bills kill leisure and lock you up.
I warn you that you will borrow less–when credit, loans, mortgages and easy payments are refused to people on your melting income.
If David Cameron wins this year –
- I warn you not to be ordinary
- I warn you not to be young
- I warn you not to fall ill
- I warn you not to get old.
Actually it was Neil Kinnock on Margaret Thatcher in a speech in Bridgend, Glamorgan, on Tuesday 7 June 1983, but 27 years later the terror of a Tory government hasn’t changed.
David Cameron is right when he talks today about the need to fulfil your patriotic duty. But he’s wrong in his conclusion. It is our patriotic duty to do everything in our power to prevent the terror of a Tory government. Now is not the time to gamble that Cameron can keep the old, nasty Tories at bay. He can’t. They are waiting in the shadows to clip Cameron’s wings and implement policies that will damage British business
- attack the ordinary
- attack the young
-attack the ill
- attack the old.
#labourdoorstep was great for a future fair for all
820 days
Today thousands of political activists from all the parties, up and down the country, were out tramping the streets and knocking on doors. It was a bright, sunny day and that pretty much matched the feeling of the team out working for Jamie Hanley, the Labour candidate in Pudsey.
By and large we had an invigorating welcome on the doorstep, giving those that wanted them a copy of Labour’s new A future fair for all booklet. What was really inspiring was that some people already knew about it and were interested after seeing it on this morning’s news.
One of the most telling things is that despite the fact that the election is at most 100 days away people still don’t trust the Tories. Even those that are disillusioned with Labour aren’t inspired by the Tories. At the moment it looks most likely that they will stay at home with a possibility of them switching back to Labour. Unless the Tories do something spectacular between now and the general election it doesn’t feel like the swing voters I’ve been speaking to will swing their way.
General election TV debates: Alan Johnson v. Chris Grayling
833 days
Alan Johnson was on fine form on the Andrew Marr show this morning. Other politicians resort to hyperbole and pointless attacks on the opposition (some Labour MPs are as bad as the Tories and Lib Dems) but Alan is nearly always cool, confident and authentic.
Kerry McCarthy tweeted: “Never underestimate the seriousness of the British electorate says AJ. That’s why polls are tightening. How about AJ & Grayling debate?”
That’s exactly what the British public deserve. Debates between the main party leaders are an excellent start, but in a Parliamentary democracy aren’t enough. We’re not voting for a president, so we need to reflect the fact that we’re voting for a party and a leadership team.
The number of cabinet positions mean that it’s unrealistic to have debates between them all. But it would be possible to have debates between the holders of the main offices – Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary.
It’s doubtful the Tories would be for this as it’s one thing for them to risk Cameron against Brown, but if it’s Miliband v. Hague, Johnson v. Grayling or Darling v. Osbourne then it’s no contest. It would highlight just how weak and shallow the Conservatives really are. Not only can Cameron not trust his would be MPs, he can’t even trust his potential cabinet colleagues.
In the four great offices of state Labour has three potential leaders. The Tories have one leader, one failure and two no hopers.
Tackle the binge drinkers, not the sensible majority
852 days
There is a lot of pre-election hot air today around the subject of alcohol and licensing law reform. I’m broadly in favour of Alan Johnson’s proposals, but still don’t really think any party is getting this right.
I was an enthusiastic proponent of licensing law reform and 24 hour opening, even organising a conference ‘Time called on last orders’ to help successfully lobby in favour of the new legislation. I see it as one of Labour’s many achievements in government. So what went wrong? Well nothing much in my back.
The problem as I see it isn’t the pubs, clubs or supermarkets. It is the irresponsibility of a minority of people (not all of them young, so let’s not demonise the wrong people.) What Alan Johnson and the Home Office should be focusing on as far more draconian sanctions against the minority of people who are responsible for drunken behaviour on our streets. If they can afford to get drunk, they can afford to pay big fines.
I propose a zero tolerance approach to drunkenness and rowdiness on the streets. Two sanctions should be introduced 1) On the spot fines 2) Compulsory alcohol education programmes after the first offences (none of this three strikes and your out nonsense.)
The alcohol education programmes would be at zero cost to the taxpayer as attendees would foot the entire cost of the programme themselves. The set-up costs could be levied with a voluntary/compulsory charge on alcohol producers and vendors, but allowing them to recoup the costs from the attendees.
I’d also like to see some sort of reform to the licensing law to force most venues to introduce an at seat service. This would have numerous benefits including slowing down the speed at which people can drink, increasing the cost but also crucially doing so by increasing the number of people employed thus helping to tackle unemployment. Venues that don’t do this would have licenses refused or restricted.
Together these two proposals would go a good way to reclaim the streets for the vast majority who want to sensibly enjoy the night-time economy and achieve the European cafe culture that Britain needs.
Gordon must not go
868 days
Ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you how vehemently opposed I was to Gordon Brown becoming Labour Party leader. It wasn’t because I didn’t rate or like Brown. I rate him extremely highly. He’s the one you’d always want on your team. He’s the one you’d always ask for advice. He’s the one whose counsel you would treasure. It’s just that I never thought of him as a leader. A leader is someone you’ll trust and follow even if your own instincts say something else. A leader is a communicator. A leader is someone who inspires. Gordon isn’t that sort of leader.
But he is the leader that we’ve got. It’s far too late to regret our mistakes. Sheerman, Clarke and Pope need to accept that. We must rally around Gordon and fight to win. Because Labour can win. No matter how poor a leader Gordon is, he’s still a gigantic political figure who gave sterling service as chancellor. And he’s surrounded by cabinet colleagues who bar two or three would all be capable of stepping up and leading the Labour Party and the country. Contrast this with what the Conservatives have. Cameron is it. He’s the best they’ve got. He’s all they’ve got. Who have the Tories got to replace Cameron? The boy George? I hardly think so. William Hague is a possibility, probably the only possibility.
And how popular are the Tories under Cameron? The simple answer is that they aren’t. They might be leading in the polls, but by nowhere near enough. People aren’t making a positive choice in favour of the Conservatives. They’ve lost faith and turned away from the Labour Party.
Labour can still win the general election. But only if we present a clear vision for the future. It’s not enough simply to point to our record or what people would lose under the Tories. We need to offer them something more.