Opinions from a loyal Labour Party member
Labour Party
Gordon Brown’s standing ovation for barnstorming speech
748 days
Gordon Brown obviously believes in keeping the best till last. He’s just given a barnstorming speech to Citizens UK. He was greeted with massive applause as he entered and a standing ovation for the clear Labour policies he articulated.
UPDATE: Full video (via Political Scrapbook)
David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ just didn’t cut it. People who are really involved in community action and volunteering don’t want it.
What the Tories mean by ‘Big Society’ is abandoning the government’s responsibility to the most vulnerable in society, expecting community groups and charities to pick up the slack, because the Conservatives can’t be bothered and don’t think it’s important enough.
What Labour means by ‘Big Society’ is the government helping and facilitating community groups and charities to enable them and make it easier for them to achieve even more. It’s more than a subtle difference. The Tories are setting out to deliberately disadvantage the most vulnerable people in society who are the least able to take on the responsibilities of running their own schools, post offices and police. Meanwhile the privileged, who already have the most, will be able to grab even more as they ‘run’ their own services.
Leaders’ Debate live Qik video streaming
759 days
This evening I’m at at Leaders’ Debate party with Eddie Izzard and Hilary Benn. As usual I’ll be tweeting furiously during the debate and afterwards I plan to do some immediate live video streaming interviews.
You can watch them here on my Qik Live Channel:
I’ll be using a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 for the live video streaming and for reasons of transparency I’ve got to remind you that Sony Ericsson is a client of my company Wolfstar. For the technically minded amongst you it’s a Android phone, and IMHO (in my humble opinion the best available!)
Tory emergency budget
762 days
The Tory Emergency Budget – June 24th 2010
View more presentations from UK Labour.
Answer the question Dave
765 days
I tweeted that Cameron couldn’t answer Brown’s question about money for the police and Cameron didn’t even appear to know what was in his own manifesto (the police are in for it), luckily Gordon did know.
The moment, which was the first ‘punch’ of the debate is already on YouTube (via Political Scrapbook)
Eddie Izzard talks about Brilliant Britain with Labour
766 days
While you’re waiting for tonight’s debate (#leadersdebate) between Gordon, David and Nick you could do worse than check out Labour’s latest party political election broadcast with Eddie Izzard:
UPDATE: I didn’t want to admit this at first, but I’ve now just tweeted about the fact that I cried when I first watched this. Eddie’s right. Britain is bloody brilliant. It’s not all down to Labour, in fact it’s mainly down to how brilliant the British people are. But Labour wants to celebrate that brilliance and help people. I’m old enough to have grown up under Thatcher’s Tories and it was bloody horrible. Whatever you think Labour’s faults are don’t let the Tories wreck any hope we have for a brighter future. Trust me, they will, that’s what Tories do. I’ve experienced it.
Labour’s manifesto launch showcases cabinet talent
769 days
Today’s manifesto launch highlighted yet another of Labour’s key strengths – the depth and strength of Labour’s cabinet.
Cameron can’t put forward his cabinet team, because it’s no match for Labour’s. Can you imagine Alan Johnson v. Chris Grayling? Alastair Darling v. George Osbourne. Andy Burnham v. Andrew Lansley. Hilary Benn v. Nick Herbert. In each and every case it’s no contest.
That’s why Gordon had the cabinet with him to answer questions. He knows he’s got a talented team.
In contrast Cameron knows he’s got to distance himself from the rest of his cabinet. Not only does their appearance highlight how lightweight they all are, but more importantly it shows people that for all Cameron’s slick salesmanship about compassionate Cameron, it’s still the same old nasty Tories underneath.
For all that Cameron likes to pretend he’s Tony Blair’s heir, the big difference is that Blair had the ability and courage to change the Labour Party. Cameron doesn’t even have the ability or courage to change the Conservative Party so how can we believe him when he says he’ll change the country?
Labour manifesto launch
769 days
Labour’s manifesto launch is a bit different to what a lot of people were expecting. Usually general election manifestos are only bought and read by real political junkies*. But the problem with that is that most people just see what the media chooses to report, they don’t actually get to see the real policies free if media spin and distortion.
Labour’s innovation is to provide the manifesto in a multitude of different formats to suit a wide variety of needs. The most innovative is the film produced by Ridley Scott Associates and Saatchi & Saatchi which is ideal for sharing with friends and family. In just two minutes it gives people a real insight into Labour’s policy pledges in its manifesto.
For those who want more detail you can click through and see a series of other films on specific policy areas such as the economy and health. You can also click through to download PDFs of the actual manifesto. It’s in the PDFs that you get the policy detail that highlights how solid, serious and substantial Labour’s manifesto actually is. Douglas Alexander explained that the rationale behind the animated films was to allow voters to “paddle, swim and dive” into Labour’s manifesto.
Labour’s launch is about putting members and voters at the forefront. Before 1997 Peter Mandelson used to talk about winning the ‘air war’ and the ‘ground war’. The air war was the mainstream media, the ground war was pounding the streets talking to voters. Today it’s even more about the ground war. Except the ground war isn’t just on the streets, it’s online with voters and local party activists talking to each other.
In contrast to the Tories negative advertising campaigns Labour has deliberately chosen a positive theme, reflecting bright sunshine coming up over the horizon and a family looking forward to a future fair for all.
The creative manifesto isn’t just creative for the sake of it, but is also designed to reflect the importance of the creative and digital sector to the UK economy.
That’s why Labour isn’t relying on the broadcast and print media for the manifesto launch. The launch wasn’t introduced by a cabinet minister, but by Labour blogger Ellie Gellard. At the same time Labour is sharing the links to the films with party members so they can share them directly with friends, colleagues and family through email, social media and social networks.
Impressed as I am by Labour’s innovation and as new media as I am, I have to confess I’m disappointed that I won’t be walking down to WH Smith to buy all of the manifestos. Keeping an online video or PDF just isn’t the same.
DISCLOSURE: I did have a sneak preview of the manifesto.
* I used to have a collection of manifestos going back to 1979 which was the first election where I was really aware of and interested in politics (I was nearly 11).
XP: Also posted on A PR Guy’s Musings.
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.