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Speaking on behalf of Grimsby and the entire Mitchell for President Launch team, Austin Mitchell today officially welcomed the New Year.
"Tony wants this to be the year of change. Quite why we need to change everything after eight years of steady improvement is beyond my comprehension. But we are now embarked on change in the Police Force, the Fire and Ambulance services, the Health Service, the Primary Care Trusts, in Education, in the Probation Service, and David Miliband is thinking about reversing twenty years of big means better in local government and starting over with parish councils and even neighbourhood teams running the Superoutput areas. Are we expected to face all this at once? If Cabinet can’t rein Tony in then the PLP will have to do it for them. If we can’t change the policies, change Tony."
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Spokespersons for all thirty-three and a third wings of the Liberal Democrat "Party" agree that Charles must go but can’t develop a common position on where or when. They want a more dynamic leader, like Ashdown, who’s turned jogging into a system of politics but avoided decisions on where to jog to.
"The Liberals won’t deserve Charles until they become a grown up party. He’s been instinctively right on all the big issues but they’d rather be wrong. They’re not really a party at all but a collection of egomaniacs who happen to wear the same colour underpants. They’re so good at the headless chicken routine they don’t want a leader at all. Particularly not a canny lad.
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As for the Tories, they’ve selected their Blair and got a bounce out of it. Now they’ll have to lurk round the centre ground with little Sir Echo.
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As for the People’s Pioneer Corps, it will be another year of boring rearguard actions against Tony’s Change Offensive. Back in the trenches when we should be basking.
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The change strategy is to demonstrate Tony’s radicalism and take ground away from the Tories.
Gordon wants to build a liberal, compassionate, consensus to replace the right wing, mean market ethos, and let the middle class will see the benefit of a more equal, fairer, society. That demands growth at a higher level than we`ve had so far to mould altruism.
Tony’s strategy is the exact opposite: implement Tory policies before they do to pre-empt them and occupy their ground, however polluted and nasty.
So we got the Education agenda: choice, freedom for schools and parent power is exactly what the Tories proposed in their manifesto. Often in the same words. Ditto asylum. Ditto crime. Ditto Foundation Hospitals. Ditto privatisation of council houses, prisons, probation service. Ditto anti-terrorism, respect, and the attack on the yob society.
So we’re lumbered with disastrous policies which the party doesn’t like and which won’t work. By moving onto Tory ground we validate it, give up our unique contribution and create a climate in which they’ll easily outbid us. Start down that road and the pilgrimage to the market society never ends.
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"Change isn’t just for underpants". Gospel according to Tony.
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The parts of the newspapers which aren’t filled by reviews of 2005 are topped off by predictions for 2006, including Tony’s exit. Here’s my note to console him.
Hi Boss
Don’t get upset. We all love you; some more than others. You’ve done good things for us and we don’t treat our leaders like the Tories. Besides we’ve no power to get rid. It’s up to you. So why not stay on and break the ten year prime ministerial barrier? Then go at the start of 2008. That will allow Cameron’s charm to wear off, Gordon to get the new leader bounce, and refurbished labour to emerge. Bliss in that dawn to be alive but to be Labour. Very heaven.
But don’t screw the party up in the meantime. You’ve been leader to help us win. Your powers there are failing and you’ve abdicated the job. So you hold office durante party placito. Recognise that it’s betterment we need, not change for the sake of showing your virility. The people need to feel better off. Which they don’t, even though they are. Restless change is the enemy of contented glow. So you’re under an Anti Party Behaviour Order supervised by Cabinet and Caucus. |
