UKIP vs Cameron's Blue Labour (Christopher Booker)

thorsten · 11-12-2006, 08:40 PM

This has been mentioned elsewhere*, but not reproduced in its entirety it seems. Dr. North gave permission on his blog for full reproduction, so here it is in its entirety. Read the article first; my UKIP relevant comments are after it.

(*The other threads are Booker (anti-EU) column in S. Telegraph 3.12.06 'censored' and Cameron's first year - Sunday newspaper criticisms.)

Dr North states:
"Booker wanted the paper to publish [this] photograph of the Boy cuddling the black baby in Darfur, but has been told that the rights have been reserved. Publication in the UK is not permitted. What is the Boy trying to hide?"

Quote:

On "Dave" Cameron's Blue Labour by Christopher Booker

A column that The Sunday Telegraph wouldn't publish on Dec 3, 2006
(courtesy of the EU Referendum blog http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/200...-censored.html )

"As David Cameron ends his first year as leader of the Opposition, there are clear signs that the greatest gamble in modern British politics has not come off. The little group of ex-public schoolboys who last year hi-jacked the Conservative Party have seemed to gamble on just one strategy. List everything the Party used to stand for – low taxes, the family, rolling back the power of the state, encouraging business, upholding our defences, curbing criminals, common sense – then go for the opposite.

The essence of the gamble has been the belief that, in wooing the support of Lib Dems, would-be greenies, Guardian readers and the supposed "soft centre", they could take their supposed "core" supporters for granted. But as support for Cameron falters, all the evidence seems to suggest that those wished-for new recruits to his "Not The Conservative Party" are not forthcoming, while the Party's former natural supporters are left baffled, dismayed and increasingly angry.

All this was neatly symbolised by the recent photo-opportunities staged by the three men now competing for the role of Britain's prime minister. Mr Blair and Mr Brown, aware that defence and national security (not long ago rating 34 percent on a Mori poll) still rank very much higher as voter priorities than "environmental" issues (only 8 percent), flew out to the Iraq and Afghan battle-zones to pose in front of the largest guns they could find. Mr Cameron, at the same time, flew out to the Sudan, in Lord Ashcroft's CO2 emitting private jet, to be pictured cuddling a little refugee child. It was the "Men from Mars" against "the Boy from Venus". "Darfur Dave" did not come well out of the contrast.

The tragedy is that, confronted by the most corrupt, hypocritical, inefficient, illiberal, discredited government in history, what millions of voters are looking for is an alternative which might put an end to the sleazy, self-regarding sham of the Blair era by displaying some "masculine" firmness: in cutting back on the bloated public sector and the out-of-control bureaucracy which is destroying our health service, education and police; which might encourage enterprise; which might restore democracy to local government; bring back some balance into our public finances; sort out the shambles into which our Armed Forces are sliding; uphold Britain's national interest, as we suffocate under the malfunctioning system of government represented by the European Union.

In other words, what much of the country is crying out for is a party which represents precisely those values which Mr Cameron's Not-The-Conservative Party seems so hellbent on abandoning. As for what he stands for instead, almost the only clear message Darfur Dave seems to have put over to the voters is his sentimental "save the planet" greenery, on which his dotty little gimmicks and practical ignorance have simply made him a laughing stock.

What many voters sadly begin to conclude is that Dave and his cronies seem so hopelessly ill-equipped to take on the serious business of government that, if we have to choose between one gang of PR merchants and another, better stick with the devil we know. Hence the evidence of the latest polls appearing to show that the gamble has failed. Ever larger become the number of would-be Conservatives sorely tempted to join that 40 percent who already feel so alienated from politics that they just stay sullenly at home. But the Guardian readers are scarcely flocking to replace them. So where does all this leave our country?

As Toby Horton said, "I didn't leave the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party left me."

CCHQ people and blinkered Loyalists who believe that the current two party system is immutable are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Another party, the Liberals went from power at the start of WWI to collapse by the late 1920s and never recovered**. Coaliton government was all that was possible for them (at best) from then on.

Given Cameron's clear vision (if that is the word) of a Blue Labour, the UKIP has a renewed chance now. The Conservatives are going in such the wrong direction that there is little hope of redeeming them before the next general election (if at all).

If the UKIP wants to make a difference, and gain the votes of the many disillusioned party members, creating a rallying cry and policy website around the Blue Labour concept is likely a winner.

**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal...iberal_decline

thorsten · 16-12-2006, 06:57 PM

As well as the article from Melanie Phillips there are relevant weblog articles here:

http://cicerossongs.blogspot.com/200...al-divide.html (it's worrying to see the fallout from the CBI incident)

http://chameleonsonbicycles.wordpress.com/

Britannist · 16-12-2006, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thorsten

As well as the article from Melanie Phillips there are relevant weblog articles here:

http://cicerossongs.blogspot.com/200...al-divide.html (it's worrying to see the fallout from the CBI incident)

http://chameleonsonbicycles.wordpress.com/

Interesting article, Thorsten, by Melanie Phillips.

If the Conservative Party followed her advice and pushed strongly eurosceptic policies and if they openly and proudly promoted cutting tax, getting tough with hoodies (yobs) and if they campaigned for clean streets and a dramatic reduction in the council tax they would - even with electoral boundaries working against them (the constituency map favours Labour) - win the next General Election (or certainly become the largest party in the House of Commons close to an overall majority).

thorsten · 17-12-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Britannist

If the Conservative Party followed her advice and pushed strongly eurosceptic policies and if they openly and proudly promoted cutting tax, getting tough with hoodies (yobs) and if they campaigned for clean streets and a dramatic reduction in the council tax they would - even with electoral boundaries working against them (the constituency map favours Labour) - win the next General Election (or certainly become the largest party in the House of Commons close to an overall majority).

Despite what their leadership thinks, Blue Labour continue in a direction that is likely to consign them to the political wilderness forever. Happenings such as John Redwood's "attack" on UKIP show how many Conservatives are aware that their party is off in the wrong direction under Cameron; it speaks volumes about what's going on behind the scenes. The UKIP is clearly perceived (quite rightly) by the more principled MPs and party members as being the serious threat to Blue Labour it is.

Thus the sudden increase in negative comments about UKIP.

The specific Chameleons on Bicycles article I meant to post the URL of is this one from 13th Dec:

Quote:

As I have expected for some time, polls are showing a gradual rise of the “others”. The Independent reports on it, as does Anthony Wells. The latest Populus poll for The Times states Conservative34% (-2%), Labour 33% (nc) & Liberal Democrats 19% (-1%). The Greens are given 4% and UKIP 2%. It is unclear what the BNP polled.

Populus hasn’t traditionally shown high scores for minor parties, that’s usually YouGov, however all pollsters are showing the “others” increasing. It will be interesting to see the next YouGov poll, as they are my favoured company and give higher minor party figures. Their last poll gave the Greens, UKIP and the BNP 3% each (Populus at the time gave UKIP 1%).

Cameron has got to be careful. The Cameronians have believed that Tories have no where else to go, or won’t want to risk Labour winning, so will always vote blue. This view has been put across to me by several MPs. They are wrong. As the Bromley by-election showed, they can and will stay at home if they see no difference between New Labour and “Blue Labour” - a UKIP term getting known by more and more of the general public.

I do not want to see a Labour government caused by the centre-right splitting. It is up to Mr Cameron to see that it doesn’t. I equally don’t want to see Blue Labour. Again rectifying this is up to Mr Cameron.

He cannot go on fighting a war on two fronts. He must learn from other parties across the globe, where they have moved a few select single issues to the right/left (depending on their own ideology) to stamp out competition on their ‘home’ flank. A referendum on the EU would do this easily, but he must do it soon or risk failure.

tamashi · 17-12-2006, 06:24 PM

The Tories current policies remind my of another great British institution which also got it very wrong a short time ago. Marks and Spencer use to be THE place for a certain kind of lady (and gentleman) to shop. You paid a bit more; it wasn't terribly trendy but was British made and good quality.

M&S then decided they wanted to 24 to 35 age group shopper and re-invented their product range to attract these people; they had trendy designs, produced overseas at lower prices. M&S's traditional customers deserted them in droves and the anticipated new customers never appeared as they were all very happy in GAP and NEXT.

The new Tory policies are turning away their long standing supporters and failing to attract new ones. M&S almost went bust before they realised they needed to keep their despised core customers and started to win them back. Many however will not come back, once the M&S habit was broken then it isn't going to ever be the same. I hope the Tories continue with their M&S policies long enough for the loss of customers to be terminal.

Britannist · 17-12-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tamashi

The Tories current policies remind my of another great British institution which also got it very wrong a short time ago. Marks and Spencer use to be THE place for a certain kind of lady (and gentleman) to shop. You paid a bit more; it wasn't terribly trendy but was British made and good quality.

M&S then decided they wanted to 24 to 35 age group shopper and re-invented their product range to attract these people; they had trendy designs, produced overseas at lower prices. M&S's traditional customers deserted them in droves and the anticipated new customers never appeared as they were all very happy in GAP and NEXT.

The new Tory policies are turning away their long standing supporters and failing to attract new ones. M&S almost went bust before they realised they needed to keep their despised core customers and started to win them back. Many however will not come back, once the M&S habit was broken then it isn't going to ever be the same. I hope the Tories continue with their M&S policies long enough for the loss of customers to be terminal.

I agree with your interpretation Tamashi. Marks and Spencer (M. and S.)have lost some customers for good - traditional shoppers who used to go to M. and S. every week, but who don't like being messed about just because the bosses of M. and S. wanted to appeal to fickle and unreliable customers who won't stay loyal to the store for long.

The simplistic tactic adopted when David Cameron and his team took control of the Conservative Party a year ago was to try to push the eurosceptics and anti-EU majority in the Conservative membership to the fringe - in the hope that they could be replaced by liberals from other parties. But the flood of new members has failed to materialise. Indeed, there is an exodus in the other direction (i.e. out of the party) which could turn from a trickle to a a flood if they're not careful.

David Cameron kept on calling himself a 'liberal Conservative' in speeches for much of this year. But all his repeated use of the 'L' word (liberal is a dirty word, by the way, in American politics) has done is boost support for the fanatically pro-EU Liberal so-called 'Democrats.

According to local council By-Election results this year and according to the result of the Bromley Parliamentary By-Election in June 2006 -Conservatives and 'floating' voters are switching to the Liberal 'Democrats' (despite the bad publicity the Liberal Dims got at the start of this year and the fact that their new leader is 'less than brilliant').

Conservative Home (an unofficial pro-Conservative website) believe that the next membership figures to be published by the Conservative Party will show another fall. Statistics published by the Conservative Party (as part of the publication of the results of an internal party referendum) showed that the membership of the Conservative Party had fallen from 253, 000 to 247, 000 this year (up to October 2006).

In a local council By-Election at Kentish Town in north London a couple of weeks ago, the Cameron-led Conservatives came bottom of the poll - even the Greens beat the Conservative candidate. It appears alot of Conservatives voted for the Liberal Dims.

Pro-EU David Cameron, talking of being 'green' and 'liberal' may have increased support for the Liberal Dim and Green parties.

thorsten · 21-12-2006, 06:23 PM

Very nice analogy tamashi. Blue Labour will clearly fail in the rebranding as M&S did, but it may well be the end of what was once the "natural party of government"...

Quote:

Originally Posted by thorsten

As Toby Horton said, "I didn't leave the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party left me."

CCHQ people and blinkered Loyalists who believe that the current two party system is immutable are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Another party, the Liberals went from power at the start of WWI to collapse by the late 1920s and never recovered**. Coaliton government was all that was possible for them (at best) from then on.

Given Cameron's clear vision (if that is the word) of a Blue Labour, the UKIP has a renewed chance now. The Conservatives are going in such the wrong direction that there is little hope of redeeming them before the next general election (if at all).

If the UKIP wants to make a difference, and gain the votes of the many disillusioned party members, creating a rallying cry and policy website around the Blue Labour concept is likely a winner.

Someone should enter a bid for bluelabour.com at Sedo, and get this moving. The time is ripe given the recent defections.

It should be an official UKIP project (or start privately and become one asap).

Alex McKee · 21-12-2006, 09:26 PM

Blue Labour dot co dot uk is available ...

I think it would be a good idea ... we could get it indexed as the conservative party website so anyone searching for conservative policy would come across this.

Who is interested in sponsoring me to produce this website?
I can't do it free of charge, so I'll need £120 minimum, but if a number of people sponsor me ...

Westcountryman · 21-12-2006, 09:33 PM

I just forked out £120 on a UKIP website, so don't look at me

Alex McKee · 21-12-2006, 09:51 PM

Heheh :wink:

16-12-2006, 06:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
thorsten Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 73	Re: UKIP vs Cameron's Blue Labour (Christopher Booker) As well as the article from Melanie Phillips there are relevant weblog articles here: http://cicerossongs.blogspot.com/200...al-divide.html (it's worrying to see the fallout from the CBI incident) http://chameleonsonbicycles.wordpress.com/

21-12-2006, 09:33 PM	#9 (permalink)
Westcountryman Uber Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The Westcountry. Posts: 5,922 Party: None	I just forked out £120 on a UKIP website, so don't look at me __________________ Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam - "This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty."

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17-12-2006, 06:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
tamashi Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 523	The Tories current policies remind my of another great British institution which also got it very wrong a short time ago. Marks and Spencer use to be THE place for a certain kind of lady (and gentleman) to shop. You paid a bit more; it wasn't terribly trendy but was British made and good quality. M&S then decided they wanted to 24 to 35 age group shopper and re-invented their product range to attract these people; they had trendy designs, produced overseas at lower prices. M&S's traditional customers deserted them in droves and the anticipated new customers never appeared as they were all very happy in GAP and NEXT. The new Tory policies are turning away their long standing supporters and failing to attract new ones. M&S almost went bust before they realised they needed to keep their despised core customers and started to win them back. Many however will not come back, once the M&S habit was broken then it isn't going to ever be the same. I hope the Tories continue with their M&S policies long enough for the loss of customers to be terminal.

21-12-2006, 09:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
Alex McKee Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gloucester Posts: 6,666	Blue Labour dot co dot uk is available ... I think it would be a good idea ... we could get it indexed as the conservative party website so anyone searching for conservative policy would come across this. Who is interested in sponsoring me to produce this website? I can't do it free of charge, so I'll need £120 minimum, but if a number of people sponsor me ...

21-12-2006, 09:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
Alex McKee Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Gloucester Posts: 6,666	Heheh :wink: