The Labour Government is now in its declining years.
- the backbenchers are looking to the day when Gordon Brown takes over. Many of them never agreed with Tony Blair's 'modernising' agenda. Now they don't see much need even to pretend to. Increasingly the same goes for the cabinet. It is therefore going to be virtually impossible for Mr Blair to push through any 'modernisation' of the public services or tightening up of welfare benefits. Yet this 'modernising' agenda is what he has said was the purpose of his third parliament as prime minister. As he cannot do what he intended to do, what is the point of him remaining prime minister?
- he will therefore probably be pressured to give up his job to Gordon Brown rather earlier than he intended.
- but while the many 'Old Labour' elements about MPs and Labour party supporters may regard Gordon Brown as a a good thing - a welcome dose of 'real Labour' - he will not have the same appeal in the country. Yes, he may still have a good popularity rating. But that is on the basis, however flawed, that he is an effective Chancellor. Being Prime Minister is altogether different. Mr Brown on television appears dour. His character has not got that superficial likeability that Mr Blair's has. I doubt that he will have such a secure hold on the affections of the middle classes as Mr Blair.
- Meanwhile, the failings of this long-lived Labour administration have been irritating more and more people as time goes by. That happens to all administrations.
- Labour under Gordon Brown will either do some things that are necessary, like raising the age for public sector pensions, which would be unpopular with their own core vote. Or else it will do things which are Old Labour, which will be unpopular with the floating voters (like raising taxes or giving more power to the unions).
- one sign of the times: James Naughtie, arch Labour supporter, giving a hostile, rough ride to Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, on the Today programme this morning. It is almost as if there was blood in the water and the sharks are circling.
Labour is surely on the way out now. It could even lose the next election or, if it wins, do so by only a modest, fragile margin.
Posted by James Bartholomew • Indexed in Politics
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Thought that the idiots had been raising taxes since 1997 .......
What will happen. More taxes aimed at ripping off the productive and being handed to the unproductive, or alternatively handed to the armies of nobodies to police (uncontrollably) large numbers of laws interefering in people's lives.
What did Ken Clarke say ? Labour governments ALWAYS run out of money. Well, they're spent up now, so anything else will be on hidden tick (like PFI).
Posted by: Paul at November 3, 2005 05:26 PM