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!
I wrote last year, during David Cameron's darker days, about the fact that he seemed to be forever launching and relaunching 'fightbacks'. Well, the wheel has turned a circle, the Tories lead the opinion polls, and guess what, Gordon Brown is launching another 'fightback'. As I indicated last week, it is about being seen to be doing something. Any bloody thing.
Well, not much really. More immigration controls, more spending on schools in some areas, and.... appointing a trade union bloke to be the new General Secretary of the Party.
With the greatest respect to my Party leadership (anyone who uses the phrase 'with the greatest respect' is about to piss on your chips, by the way) I don't think appointing Mr Ray Collins as General Secretary of the Labour Party is an initiative, nor will it interest anyone outside of the handful of people at Party HQ.
As for Liam Byrne offering British workers "the first crack of the whip" instead of immigrant labour, I really hope and pray that wasn't the phrase he used. In any event, we are unlikely to ever 'outflank the Tories' on being nasty to foreigners. It is what people expect of the Tories anyway. If promising harsh measures against immigrants was a vote winner Michael Howard or one of those strange little bald blokes who led the Conservative Party for a while would already be in Downing Street. Dealing with immigration outside of the EU borders is, as most people already know, only tinkering with the margins anyway.
Increased school spending in areas of greatest need is certainly to be welcomed, but it isn't a new initiative - we've been doing it for 11 years now.
So, perhaps I should be relieved. Maybe we aren't 'relaunching' after all, it is just a journalists fantasy. If we're just getting on with the job, then that is what we should say we are doing. It's the economy, stupid, may be a cliche, but in politics it is a truism. We need to be seen to be in control of the economy, address issues of pensioner poverty, reverse the 10p tax decision and deal with issues such as social housing. Then, without relying on rhetoric such as reinvigoration by firm ideological leadership, we will show that Labour is better equipped to run the country than the Tories.
I don't think you are wrong on any of it, Bob. The only addition I would give is that areas such as this one are more exaggerated than traditional Tory vs Labour areas. They are easy.
It has to be seen to be done a little easier and additional time and effort has to be put into regeneration areas.
The 10p tax issues was simply bad PR and was an own goal. A stupid mistake by our researchers come MPs and leaders. Rebels had a field day and Tories milked it.Pathetic.
I doubt that my leaders are crying over my loss in the election, but I wish they knew how it feels to bull a team up for a nine Month fight and then watch men who wear mascara talk about docking 10p tax in the run in.
Of course up here, we have an elected Mayoral system (banned by the Government from now on) who has antagonised everyone, Parents, Teachers, Heads, Mothers and Fathers and said it was 'good for Labour'. The bigger the distance put between the Mayor and candidates, the bigger the vote they got. Not enough though to do the job. Pathetic.
Labour does care and I will carry on proving it. The challenge to the BNP around here is for them to get off this ANTI stance they have for the City and now say what they are FOR.
Our Councillors are given 150,000 pounds each term now to spend in their respective wards and we have no elections until 2010. A 300,000 pound beano for all BNP wards. A Mayoral gaffe?
In general though, Bob, you have it about right.Keep up the good work.
PS. Did you know Stoke have been promoted? I promise that I will be insufferable if they smack Villa. I'm a man of my word.
Gordon Brown will never reverse the 10p tax decision, nor does he have any control over the economy. I'm sure the Labour faithful would be delighted to see your suggestions implemented, but it will NEVER happen.
An unexpected degree of common sense from you on this and the previous, related, post. Too many "initiatives" will be seen to be a knee-jerk reaction to the election results. Unfortunately, knee-jerk policies are almost always ill thought through, and often counter-productive. We Tories have been guilty as well, don't worry.
Fortunately (from my point of view), or unfortunately (from yours), I don't think Gordon Brown is the man to take notice of your comments.
As for Liam Byrne offering British workers "the first crack of the whip" instead of immigrant labour, I really hope and pray that wasn't the phrase he used.
May 6, 2008 10:22 AM | permalink
I don't think you are wrong on any of it, Bob. The only addition I would give is that areas such as this one are more exaggerated than traditional Tory vs Labour areas. They are easy.
It has to be seen to be done a little easier and additional time and effort has to be put into regeneration areas.
The 10p tax issues was simply bad PR and was an own goal. A stupid mistake by our researchers come MPs and leaders. Rebels had a field day and Tories milked it.Pathetic.
I doubt that my leaders are crying over my loss in the election, but I wish they knew how it feels to bull a team up for a nine Month fight and then watch men who wear mascara talk about docking 10p tax in the run in.
Of course up here, we have an elected Mayoral system (banned by the Government from now on) who has antagonised everyone, Parents, Teachers, Heads, Mothers and Fathers and said it was 'good for Labour'. The bigger the distance put between the Mayor and candidates, the bigger the vote they got. Not enough though to do the job. Pathetic.
Labour does care and I will carry on proving it. The challenge to the BNP around here is for them to get off this ANTI stance they have for the City and now say what they are FOR.
Our Councillors are given 150,000 pounds each term now to spend in their respective wards and we have no elections until 2010. A 300,000 pound beano for all BNP wards. A Mayoral gaffe?
In general though, Bob, you have it about right.Keep up the good work.
PS. Did you know Stoke have been promoted? I promise that I will be insufferable if they smack Villa. I'm a man of my word.
Gary