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What is happening to the People’s Tone? His star quality has helped us to power and him to popularity. His brilliant presentation, inspired by Alistair Campbell (RIP), made our government triumphant. We have adored him for five years or more, a record for Labour, because we’ve no staying power in love.
Yet what's happening now? Friends on the Liaison Committee say he's looking De-mob happy. Policy is all over the place. It looks as though he's just given up on Europe. He's allowed Cabinet to fall apart. He's in legacy mode trying to build a monument to be remembered by rather than driving a show, which has become dependent on him, forward.
That monument will have to be a bloody big one to eclipse Iraq. In any case, it's going to be so unpopular with the Party that it will either have to be taken in hand by the Party or it will last as long as statues of Saddam in the Brown era.
The Education White Paper is institutionalised Middle Class dominance. Meritocrats rule and screw the hindermost. In Health Patricia Hewitt has embarked unasked and unnecessarily on divisive Health Service reform. The mantra in both is choice. In public services people really want good services, not choice.
At this rate the party will be plunged into two years of bitter argument before Tony goes. Polly Toynbee argues that the Left should be ignored as old hat and counterproductive. Let the opposition emerge in the centre. Sadly that's unlikely. Revolt won't come there until local hospitals and schools are closed or run down angering members in safe Labour areas. The centre will submit to almost anything. If new ideas are to be put into the Leader's head they can only come from the Left. Understanding where Tony's gone wrong. Pointing a new direction. Putting the people first not just the meritocrats. Lefties! Your Party needs you. To make it Labour again.
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Save David Blunkett for the nation. David's daft, but not dishonest. He's lonely, badly treated by a stupid wife. He's naïve. He may even have the Ramsay McDonald syndrome of fascination with upper-class totty, clubs and loudness and certainly too attracted to soft metropolitanism. Yet he's still sterling, honest and tough: a true Northern lad. He shouldn't go just because he's been hounded by a media mob.
Indeed Labour needs him stronger so he can stand up to the Prime Minister's daft views on forcing the disabled down coal mines, not pathetically dependant on a PM who's used him mercilessly. Now he's gone. Had he stayed, David would be the perfect man for taking Tony by the elbow and saying (in French) "Mon Vieux. Un Oeuf est un oeuf.Comprenez eggactement". Now only Prezza is left to do that.
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Went to hear Gore give the Smith Memorial lecture at the Guildhall. Brilliant. I'm a convert, where before I was doubtful. Something has to be done to prevent Grimsby going under water in fifty years' time. I've never heard a more compelling political speech. Shook Gore by the hand at the end and told him I'd given up the idea of buying a holiday flat in Filey |
