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Blogging has been temporarily suspended for reconstruction work. On me. I’m still on painkillers but that gives me a much happier view of New Labour. I’m using the same brand as Tony so I know exactly how he feels - or doesn’t - but I hope they don’t have the same effect on my hair.
Last week was peak pain killer time. Prezza is near his three shags and you’re out limit (he’s actually well past it but the others kept quiet so as not to get expelled from the women’s movement). Now he’s in a position where he can’t go because it’s too humiliating but he can’t accomplish anything by staying because he’s so humiliated. Yet at least he got more from his Clinton moment than Clinton. I’ve always been his admirer since YTV days. But he is a serial groper and should keep his hands to himself.
As for Pat Hewitt she was right really. The NHS has had its best year in terms of dosh, doctors and numbers but she’s barmy to expect gratitude. The nurses have had an increase but not as generous as the rest. They are far more overworked under the reforms. Too much money is still flowing out of the NHS to the private treatment centres which get overgenerous fees whether they do the operations or not, to PFI contracts and to the agencies. So Patricia should have known the first rule of NHS ministers: it’s a black hole. Our duty is to pour money into it but never expect gratitude.
Charles Clarke shouldn’t go either. Not his fault the Fred Karno Home Office, never very good even at doing one job, has had too many other daft jobs suddenly thrown at it by Blair so it’s failed to do anything at all. They’re all keeping quiet about the fact that if they do catch all these bastards the countries we want to send them back to won’t take them. We’ll have to alter the law to ensure that anyone convicted of a crime greater than non payment of congestion charge can’t apply for asylum. Charles should stay. For the moment so should Blair. But remember: all the ministers who’ve blown it are Blairites, From Mandy Upwards (the title of Wegg-Prosser’s forthcoming autobiography). Tony needs to stay to carry the can until things get better.
All this makes the strongest case for my proposed constitutional rule that for leaders, and particularly Prime Ministers, it should be eight years and then out. After that they’re broken or barmy or both. Which makes Wilson our greatest post-war PM as the only man to realise that.
Gordon is the inevitable successor yet he should have shown himself tougher in pushing and in setting out an alternative better than Blairism with added kindness to the unions. A left candidate for the sake of precipitating a contest would be daft. Who’d be our Anthony Meyer?
There are alternatives. Alan Johnson stands high among them and has done brilliantly yet he’s no chance unless Blair drags it out to 2009 when he’d be prime candidate. At which point thoughts also turn to Harriet Harperson and a blithe smile suffuses my face.
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After years of studying political science I’ve decided that what this country needs is a Labour Party. Not a new one, nor an old one, just a Labour one. The market widens wealth gaps. The people need a party to close them. The market showers benefits on wealth. The people need fairer distribution. The market exploits workers, diddles consumers and tries to evade its obligations whether environmental, fiscal or social. The people need them properly regulated, controlled and forced to live up to their obligations. The people need the truth. The market gives them PR slush.
Our trouble is that we’ve given up ideology for marketing and ideas for managerialism. We don’t particularly like the people and we love, even fawn on the powerful, the wealthy and the celeb culture. So we’ve given up our job after having done something for the people but nowhere near enough.
The great handicap of the left is, because we have to give a little to a lot whereas the Tories give a lot to the few and everyone else hopes to benefit, there’s no gratitude vote. People are better off but not much. They are all being pushed and worked harder. More jobs, but badly paid ones. The benefits of health and education improvement aren’t widely realised because expectations rise with spending.
So it’s no use Tony prating on about how well he’s done for them. They see he’s done much better for the wealthy and powerful and he’s so brilliant at explaining they’ve ceased to listen. Or believe besides.
So we’re left with a political system with no Labour Party, two alternatives who don’t know what they stand for and no one to speak for the people.
If the economy slows and unemployment rises we’re as fucked as Prezza’s secretary. The over-valued pound, high interest rates and a too restrictive approach to public borrowing mean that we can’t expand, demand or get the pound down. If it begins to come down (as the dollar probably will) because the markets see we can’t pay our way in the world then the Doomsday Policy Committee Gordon has created will increase interest rates to hold sterling which in turn will increase inflation requiring another rise and that’s the end of our long period of modest growth. As you can see I worry a lot.
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But never mind, at least we’re better off than Europe. Their big economies are all in a trap trying to cut back on social spending and "reform" labour markets while totally unable to boost demand, reduce interest rates or get their exchange rates competitive because the Bankers (who’ve taken power from the commission and national governments) won’t let them. The Italians can sling out governments, the French can riot, the German Trade Unions can turn nasty but there’s nothing anyone can do in the Euro trap. Otto Niemeyer thou shouldst be alive at this hour. "The heart is gold the name is Otto. Women and children first the motto."
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After the elections we’ll have the long delayed reshuffle. Nominations please for dead wood to cut. Like Hilary Armstrong.
Blair should promote a lot of unused talent but can’t. Forgive or forget anyone who’s ever criticised him. Which rules out three quarters of the PLP. So it’ll be a creeps carnival. Step forward Hazel Blears, Jacqui Smith, Paul Goggins and Beverley Hughes. |
