The New Labour stitch-up - coming apart at the seams?
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the splits within the Labour Party, which have existed since 1997 between the Parliamentary Party, the grass roots and the Cabinet, are coming to a head.
Over the last few weeks the splits within Cabinet have become so apparent that even the New Labour Spin machine is unable to waffle its way out. Blair’s hospitals policy is coming apart at the seams, there was a huge cabinet row about smoking policy and the concern about proposed education reforms is out in the open. Today we read that Blunkett and Blair are at odds over reform of sickness benefit.
There are 3 possible reasons for this. One is that the Labour Party have become less disciplined, the 2nd is that the press are no longer letting the spin machine control the agenda, the 3rd is that Blair is becoming more desperate to make his mark as his experiment in Government lurches towards its failed end. I suspect the reality is a combination of all three.
Two of the biggest areas of reform, Health and Education, are returns to previous Conservative policy, which the Labour Party both rejected and lambasted. The reforms to the Health Service will recreate something very similar to the boundaries which Blair ended with the introduction of Primary Care Trusts and will also see the reintroduction of something akin to an internal market. The Education reforms have some very similar aspects to the Free Schools policy that the Conservatives proposed back in 2001.
This shows 2 things – firstly, far from trying to make his own mark, Blair’s current reform agenda is proving that everything he has done over the last 8 years has been a failure and secondly, that the thinking of the Labour Party is years behind that of the Conservatives.
Over the last few weeks the splits within Cabinet have become so apparent that even the New Labour Spin machine is unable to waffle its way out. Blair’s hospitals policy is coming apart at the seams, there was a huge cabinet row about smoking policy and the concern about proposed education reforms is out in the open. Today we read that Blunkett and Blair are at odds over reform of sickness benefit.
There are 3 possible reasons for this. One is that the Labour Party have become less disciplined, the 2nd is that the press are no longer letting the spin machine control the agenda, the 3rd is that Blair is becoming more desperate to make his mark as his experiment in Government lurches towards its failed end. I suspect the reality is a combination of all three.
Two of the biggest areas of reform, Health and Education, are returns to previous Conservative policy, which the Labour Party both rejected and lambasted. The reforms to the Health Service will recreate something very similar to the boundaries which Blair ended with the introduction of Primary Care Trusts and will also see the reintroduction of something akin to an internal market. The Education reforms have some very similar aspects to the Free Schools policy that the Conservatives proposed back in 2001.
This shows 2 things – firstly, far from trying to make his own mark, Blair’s current reform agenda is proving that everything he has done over the last 8 years has been a failure and secondly, that the thinking of the Labour Party is years behind that of the Conservatives.
posted by Martin Curtis at 11:00 AM
3 Comments:
You Tories never learn do you? A bit of born-to-rule arrogance is what gets you through the day. Well, newsflash baby: people might not like New Labour much, but they HATE you bunch of creeps for your hypocrisy ("rolling back" the permissive society while knocking off the mistress), the greed (Archer, Aitken, Hamiltons. cash for questions, meanest man in Britain is now a Tory MP) and the sheer nastiness (ask Mrs May).
This makes my case. 8 year old thinking!!
"You Tories never learn do you?"
Actually, yes, we do. We've been learning at speed recently and we're coming to get you.
And there's nothing to reinforce the lesson like a ridiculous New Labour diversion. Imagine the scene:
Cabinet splits, ministers attempting to ban any activity in sight, Blunkett (again), Mandelson (well, okay, maybe not, but it's always a good bet, isn't it?!).
And what do we get as an explanation for the parlous state of our Government?
"HEY - Over there! LOOK - Tories!!"
Is that really the best you guys can do? Doesn't Britain deserve so much better?
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