Beyond Debate

Came across thhis rather neat summary of why New Labour gobs must remain shut for the foresee-able future , whatever savage cuts the coalition feel advisable

The greatest economic mind of the last century( ..ya Maynard..) argued many things, but he is best known for his insight that the capitalist economy is cyclically unstable. Government needs to stabilise economic activity by monetary and fiscal policy. To do that, it should balance the budget over the course of the business cycle. So it should build up surpluses when the economy is expanding in order to run deficits - beyond those that would normally arise from the contraction in output - and boost demand in a recession. This obviously is not a description of what Gordon Brown did as Chancellor after 2002, because he disastrously believed he had abolished the business cycle. The share of public spending in national income rose from just under 40 per cent when new Labour took office to 48 per cent when the credit crunch arrived. That's an extraordinary figure for an economy that was growing briskly throughout that time.

There is just no answer to that

Here Come The Girls

Harriet Harman has called for half of the shadow cabinet to be women. The top half ? Mr. Capello needs to be informed of this selection wheeze post haste think of the talent we are missing out on . It’s a marvellous idea of course and if a few more men are added to the disproportionately male unemployed they are at least unlikely to be working class. ( As noted by the Speccy)
I would go further .The babe deficit is start but there are many more disadvantaged groups than the laaaydeeez . Black people , proles crims et al, but today,I want to focus on that little regarded group 'people who do not want a career in politics' .
This important ‘community’, are woefully under-represented at all levels of government . I accept that to some extent the honey quota will address this , but I say get to the nub of the matter .To this end I suggest that any group whose members try in disproportionate numbers to become MPs should immediately face a pro rata penalty .
PS UKIP have a Transsexual MEP is that a case for flexibility and such flexiblity be refferred to as gender bending ?

Why Labour Lost

Why were Labour kicked out ? The more you think about it that more perplexing that simple question becomes.It was not the handling if the banking crisis, which helped Brown ( justifiably). Not Iraq which would hardly drive you to the Conservative Party …ok Liberals may have benefitted a bit ( but opposition was evident in the Labour Party too).Not the recession, the effects of which were carefully deferred .Services ? Hard to argue they have not improved , even if value for money has worsened .Lisbon….doubt it, much as it irritates me few care Immigration ? Plenty would say so but I just don’t see that alone as directing many votes.
Its true that the abject mishandling of the Economy is an unanswerable and serious offence but Labour were unpopular long before the risks they were running became clear. Its also true that New Labour have drifted left , wasted money and seemed to be only on the side of the Public Sector ,unions and Labour regions … . Twas ever thus that is the core vote …
I am unimpressed with the whole authoritarian / ID card thing personally , the smoking ban annoyed me more ,and corruption was evenly spread .
The Camerooning of the Conservative Party is , I think , an underestimated factor and New Labour responded by attacking the centre ground in effect which was foolish .The domination of Labour was much exaggerated by the rigged system but that did not effect this election.
All of these things are part of it but none alone , each of them alienated another few none was decisive .The question is why did Labour irritate the country one by one ,why when the gears were grinding did they drive on ?Its that odd thing power does .New Labour became less and less like anyone you have ever met in real life .Inward looking , resentful , passive aggressive to a fault and currently conducting a patently insincere show of self loathing.Sounds like a waffle I know but ultimately the head shot was ‘time for change’, and this human problem is why people are right that the psychological pond was brackish and foul.
Bottom line - if you want people to like you try being likeable.