29 June 2009
26 June 2009
Michael Jackson: 1958-2009
While his personal life may have left much to be desired, his music most certainly did not.
Quite simply a legend. Rest in Peace.
Quite simply a legend. Rest in Peace.
15 June 2009
12 June 2009
08 June 2009
Local and European Election Results
No denying it- that was awful with a capital A for Labour.
Why we did so badly
The first and most important thing is to stop this infighting, which just generates bad press. We are not going to win the general election with Gordon Brown, but we are not going to win it with anyone else either. The only thing we can do now is damage control- limiting the Tory majority.
I suggest that Mr. Brown subjects himself to a leadership contest like Major did in 1995. Whoever wins, the other side accepts that and supports them. If no-one gets the necessary support among MPs, so be it. Let's get this stupid thing over with.
I suggest we drop ID cards. More trouble then they're worth frankly. The Tories will only do it when they come in otherwise.
We need to focus our resources on the seats we can actually win. If this means not contesting places, so be it. We need to save money.
We also need to find ways to get our message across that do not involve the press. The Tory media don't care about our message- they never have.
Finally, we need to prepare for 2013/4. That's the key election for us.
Why we did so badly
- We've been in power for 12 years. People tend to get sick of any government after 12 years.
- The economy is in a mess.
- The MPs expenses scandal.
- Hazel Blears, a woman who should never get near a ministerial box again, stabbed Gordon Brown the day before the election.
- Our voters didn't turn up.
- The other lot did.
- Infighting.
The first and most important thing is to stop this infighting, which just generates bad press. We are not going to win the general election with Gordon Brown, but we are not going to win it with anyone else either. The only thing we can do now is damage control- limiting the Tory majority.
I suggest that Mr. Brown subjects himself to a leadership contest like Major did in 1995. Whoever wins, the other side accepts that and supports them. If no-one gets the necessary support among MPs, so be it. Let's get this stupid thing over with.
I suggest we drop ID cards. More trouble then they're worth frankly. The Tories will only do it when they come in otherwise.
We need to focus our resources on the seats we can actually win. If this means not contesting places, so be it. We need to save money.
We also need to find ways to get our message across that do not involve the press. The Tory media don't care about our message- they never have.
Finally, we need to prepare for 2013/4. That's the key election for us.
06 June 2009
D-Day: 65 Years On
Today is 65 years since the Allied invasion of Western Europe that helped bring down Hitler.
I've been to Normandy on three occasions and when you see the American cemetery there, you get an idea of the scale of the invasion and the losses involved.
May their sacrifices never be forgotten. We owe you a lot.
I've been to Normandy on three occasions and when you see the American cemetery there, you get an idea of the scale of the invasion and the losses involved.
May their sacrifices never be forgotten. We owe you a lot.
03 June 2009
Rodents and descending water vessels
So, a woman who was about to sacked has decided to resign at a highly embarrassing time for her boss. To think I actually gave her my second preference for the Deputy Leadership.
It seems that poor Gordon has not been having a good few weeks. The "amateur Kremlinologists" are talking of his imminent departure following an extremely likely Labour whipping at the European and local elections tomorrow (we won't get the results on the former, by the way, until Sunday- everybody else has to vote too. Anything you hear before then is rumour).
I don't think that removing Brown now will do the party any good. It would just mean that the next leader would go down as the PM who got defeated in a landslide (I'm a realist, it's likely to happen) and we'd probably have to have another leadership contest. While Wilson came back from a defeat, he's the only PM who really has.
I think it's best that we focus on trying to reduce the Tory majority and deal with other issues later. That way, we'll be like a submarine- coming back when the Tories least expect it.
By the way, please go and vote tomorrow. I'd like you to vote Labour, but anybody bar the BNP will be good enough for me. Let's keep these fascists out of Brussels.
It seems that poor Gordon has not been having a good few weeks. The "amateur Kremlinologists" are talking of his imminent departure following an extremely likely Labour whipping at the European and local elections tomorrow (we won't get the results on the former, by the way, until Sunday- everybody else has to vote too. Anything you hear before then is rumour).
I don't think that removing Brown now will do the party any good. It would just mean that the next leader would go down as the PM who got defeated in a landslide (I'm a realist, it's likely to happen) and we'd probably have to have another leadership contest. While Wilson came back from a defeat, he's the only PM who really has.
I think it's best that we focus on trying to reduce the Tory majority and deal with other issues later. That way, we'll be like a submarine- coming back when the Tories least expect it.
By the way, please go and vote tomorrow. I'd like you to vote Labour, but anybody bar the BNP will be good enough for me. Let's keep these fascists out of Brussels.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)