Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for nine years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
He could make a start on that by abandoning plans to extend the 28 day detention limit to 42 and ID Cards. Then we might just have a chance, in 12 months time, of contemplating four in a row when the time comes.
It seems unimaginable to most Labour supporters that we could sacrifice another term in power on the alter of these two policies.
Are the people on the street really that concerned about increasing the detention time limit to 42 days!?! It might trouble Labour's chattering classes but it's not a big enough reason for anyone to vote Tory.
It's far more important to turn schools around in poorer areas, improve access to NHS dentists, cut taxes and reduce immigration levels that affect the working classes far more than any other group. Are BNP supporters all middle class!?!
Are people on lower incomes still enjoying the process for claiming tax credits!?! Do they think it's fair!?! Would an across-the-board increase in personal tax allowances have been cheaper and more popular?
How about those people on low incomes working hard to make ends meet only to see spongers earning more than them by relying on state handouts!?!
How many people support Labour's desire for Turkey to join the European Union!?!
There are lots of reasons not to vote Labour but tragically few reasons to vote Tory!
I think you're broadly right, Snafu. However it is not just the Labour chattering classes that are concerned. I don't think Labour will lose votes to the Tories anyway in the inner city heartlands, but we might lose some to the liberal democrats over issues like ID cards and detention times in the key marginals.
However, whilst I agree with you that Labour should address the issues that affect our core vote (although I suspect we would almost certainly disagree how we should do that) without being able to form a government we will end up with a Tory/lib dem coalition. We have already seen in Birmingham that with the exception of a few bob extra for leading lib dems, they have sod all influence on the Tories in power.
newmania said:
December 31, 2007 10:44 PM | permalink
on the 'alter' of these two policies......
What does this mean?
'It's far more important to ..... cut taxes and reduce immigration levels that affect the working classes far more than any other group.'
December 31, 2007 4:57 PM | permalink
Are the people on the street really that concerned about increasing the detention time limit to 42 days!?! It might trouble Labour's chattering classes but it's not a big enough reason for anyone to vote Tory.
It's far more important to turn schools around in poorer areas, improve access to NHS dentists, cut taxes and reduce immigration levels that affect the working classes far more than any other group. Are BNP supporters all middle class!?!
Are people on lower incomes still enjoying the process for claiming tax credits!?! Do they think it's fair!?! Would an across-the-board increase in personal tax allowances have been cheaper and more popular?
How about those people on low incomes working hard to make ends meet only to see spongers earning more than them by relying on state handouts!?!
How many people support Labour's desire for Turkey to join the European Union!?!
There are lots of reasons not to vote Labour but tragically few reasons to vote Tory!