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Diary - 5th November 2003 |
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Written by Austin Mitchell
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05 November 2003 |
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398th anniversary of the first modernisation effort.
We’re reverting to old style party politics. The Tories back from the dead have relearned their old knife in the back/body in the river skills and put yesterday’s leader in charge. After all that obsession with Yoof (sic) - which in Parliament means gym going forty year olds. A return to the upper class virtues such as charm (never a Labour characteristic) with a nice wife who won’t have to hire media advisors, dressers, stylists, lifestyle, astrological, diet and feng shui gurus before she dares leave the house.
Howard will prick our balloon and de-Thatcherise them. It takes someone from the right to move them back to centre. The reverse of the job Kinnock did for us, probably taking just as long. They’ve got to get rid of their built-in assumption that they were born to rule so Labour in power is an aberration, soon to be ended when the electorate find us out and put them back. Believing this they won’t change. That needs a galloping inferiority complex such as we had. He’ll be a Tory Kinnock. Not great but it’ll be nice to have an effective opposition. It might even make the government feel it needs its backbenchers and the party. Yet it’s difficult to see what the Tory Party stands for. Not conservatism – we’re better at that. Not paternalism – they love markets. Not strong defence – the cold war’s over. Not class – they haven’t any. Not inequality – we’re taking that further than they’d done. Not tax cuts – no one believes that.
How do they differentiate the product from us? – The natural party of management, unless we fail. Even if we do, the Liberals will be splitting the opposition vote. So Tony carries on unrepentant, unreformed, unchanged, as the personification of the Devine Will, ruling with his disciples, listening to no one, satisfied that he’s right and everyone else is daft, and confident that he can persuade anyone to anything. Except Gordon Brown.
Stir this then Gordon. Go next door. Take Tony warmly by the throat. Say “time’s up”. Two clever Dick barristers playing barristers games will destroy faith in politics. Britain needs a Presbyterian. Use a dicky heart (the opposite of Clinton’s complaint) as the excuse. Take over your inheritance. Send Mandy north to defend Hartlepool against pollution. Go to the country while the going’s good. |
