Wednesday 30 September 2009

So I'm Pleased to Announce...


In the early to mid '90s, when John Major's Government defined what a clapped-out administration looked like, Cabinet Ministers would save up 'juicy' policy announcements for their Party Conference speeches. Senior Labour figures, Prescott in particular, were scathing about this pointless attempt at titilating the public and were suitably dismissive of its likely effect on voting intentions.

Now we fast-forward 12-15 years, we find Labour playing exactly the same game. Brown's speech on Tuesday was a catalogue of tears; national care service, more child nurseries and help for single-mums. Some new policies, like electoral reform, had not even been discussed with the relevant Ministers. (It may have sounded initially progressive of him but Brown blew the only chance to lock the Tories out of power. Polly Toynbee in the Guardian summarised this gross error with her sparkling prose, "forever triangulating, his vapid promise of a referendum in the manifesto offering only AV, was as meaningless as he meant it to be. How bitterly Labour will come to regret this folly.")

Brown was obviously feeling pretty pumped about his policy anouncements. He did a round of interviews next morning (above) and felt he had earned the right to talk about the issues of his choice and which did not include his leadership, the allegiance of the Sun newspaper nor the inevitable public service cuts. Such is the fragility of his confidence, the PM began to interupt questions from Sian Williams (BBC) and Adam Boulton (Sky) when he didn't like their direction.

Even old Jim Hacker from Yes Minister could handle interviews better than this. Jim would have advised; ignore the question, answer your own, don't get rattled, if necessary put the interviewer down mildly and always show good humour. Brown then sealed his embarrassment when he tried to storm off, forgetting he was still electronically attached.

It seems likely Gordon will agree to the request to hold 1,2 or 3 Presidential style debates with Cameron and perhaps Clegg. He clearly feels it is policy and substance which count not presentation and soundbites. Well on TV with two minutes per question, slick superficiality looks favourite to triumph. I would never liken Cameron to Jack Kennedy but it's not hard to place sweaty old Gord into the guise of Nixon.

One can but hope he doesn't use the occassion to offer new policy bribes to the voters at the same time. Just don't bet on it.

Monday 28 September 2009

I Don't Feel Your Pain


Andrew Marr's been in the trade of journalism for almost 30 years and certainly understands the nature of the 'news beast'. His interview with Gordon Brown yesterday, overlooking the shimmering English Channel from Brighton's Grand Hotel, was a mostly plodding affair. Then Andy switched suddenly from the grand picture of the economy, Brown's leadership and prospects for next year's election to a highly personal point.
"I wanted to ask about something everybody has been talking about in the Westminster village, he said pausing, "a lot of people in this country use prescription painkillers and pills to help them get through. Are you one of them?'
Beyond the word "no," Brown would not be drawn and waffled on about his rugby injury as if were the same point, on his eyesight, asked by Brian Williams of MSNBC last week. His refusal to even normalise the tone, by admitting the odd asprin, could be put down to Brown's notorious Presbytarian stiffness. But as the denials and counter-claims begin filing the blogosphere, the story begins to gain some little credence.
This news cycle is somewhat reminiscent of the Charles Kennedy's boozing rumours. So far there is no real evidence but all the early tracks point to Marr elucidating what many others daren't. But he also calculated his question would unleash a hundred different and very unhelpful phrases, as journalists sought to find new ways of saying the same thing.
"I'm not on drugs, says Gordon," was the Express's take. " Brown furiously denies popping pills," said the Sun. Curiously the Guardian switched from referring to painkillers to anti-depressants. Can one imagine Gordon taking Prozac?
Peter Mandelson put up a spirited defence on the GMTV sofa denying Gordon's "addiction." Of course, the best attack would be to demand Andrew Marr probes Davis Cameron about his drug use. Although his were illegal, at least Dave would able to say it was all in the distant past.

Tuesday 22 September 2009

The Biter Bit


Any Government minister's improper action resulting in a £5,000 fine would usually be such a serious offence, there would be no debate about whether to resign or not - they would just get the bullet.

But our Attorney-General, Patricia Scotland, has survived in post because this huge fine is not tied to a criminal offence. Her minor misdemenour/appalling behaviour was to employ a cleaner for a few hours a week and not to photocopy her documentation.

When the Daily Mail uncovered the cleaner, Ms Tapui, was an illegal with a false passport, this oversight became a front-page story. Tories and Lib-Dems made miserable attempts to claim her untenability but when Nick Clegg was asked if it were possible he had employed an illegal himself, he just said, "of course." He rather shot his own fox with that remark.

It is only such a significant story because of this massive fine. The reason it is so ludicrously disproportionate to the 'offence' is Labour ministers' pandering to pressure from papers like the Daily Mail to be insanely tough on rules surrounding all migration.

Pat Scotland is a first rate AG, her decision to appeal against several judge's lenient sentences has really riled the old men in wigs. Her political antennae are not so acute; she may have been technically correct in saying the "administrative penalty was like the congestion charge, " in illustrating its legal difference to a criminal fine. But it allowed the same papers to portray her as aloof and unapolagetic.

Brown was quite right not to force her out, although it is rather disheartening to think his best decision recently is not to sack a highly competent minister.

Monday 7 September 2009

I Warn You Not to Be Sick


Tory policy commitments are almost as rare as Gordon Brown jokes. But slowly Conservative thinking is emerging on various policy areas including education and defence. Rising star of the party, Daniel Hannan (left) Conservative MEP has proven to be an intellectual influence on various right-wing elements of the party through ideas set out in his book 'The Plan' which he penned with MP Douglas Carswell.
Hannan's articulate attack on Brown in the European Parliament was quite a Youtube hit among the Silver Surfers. But Danny rather urinated on his own slippers by appearing on Fox News in US and putting the boot into the NHS, calling it "a 60 year-old mistake" and claiming it commonplace for old people to starve to death on trolleys. Hannan's march to the front bench may have stalled a bit but his views on benefits are solidifying into Tory policy on decentralisation.
Under Danny's plan, the Conservative Sec of State for Work and Pensions would simply send to each County Council a lump sum for benefits and it would be up to them how they allocate it. There would no national framework or agreed minimums, benefits would be vulnerable to every prejudice against any particular group.
Senior Tory peer, Lord Hanningfield, said,"The cost of living is far higher in Essex, say, than it is in Cornwall, so people do not need the same level of benefit," he said. "And someone who is 17 does not need the same amount as someone who is 30."
How does he know? Levels of benefits are determined by a large amount of criteria depending on an individual's circumstances and so to be fair to all, is set centrally. One would assume Tories aren't expecting each county to establish its own standards and systems, thereby losing all economies of scale. Perhaps they are, Hannan/Carswell's book sources US as a shining example of how to cut benefits though decentralising from Federal to State level.
I hope it hasn't escaped David Cameron's notice but the UK does not have a federal system and counties do not have the same level of autonomy as American States. Clearly Hannan is something of a zealot. The fact that his crackpot ideas are gaining credence in the party should be a warning to all those who blithely wish for PM Cameron as it is simply, 'time for a change'.