Fear and
panic – all Labour has to offer.
Be afraid,
be very afraid!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bGuCGdLxW0
(this clip is always worth a watch!)
Today I read
an extract from an article by Gerry Holtham. It’s content is very interesting
indeed (please see the link at the bottom of the page for more details).
Holtham states that Labour:
“played on
public fears for the National Health Service but said nothing positive about
how it would actually tackle the service’s manifold problems on a tight budget.
It complained about poverty and inequality but presented no credible prospectus
for their solution apart from a couple of patently, indeed risibly, inadequate
tax changes.”
I agree 100%
with his comments. Labour’s message in Llanelli and across large parts of Wales
was “we’re not the Tories.” They offered nothing. Equally, looking at Labour’s
voting record would suggest they are merely a poor copy of the Tory Party –
extremely similar platform policy.
The Better
Together organisation in Scotland employed the same tactics – it seems that
winning votes and ‘ruling’ by fear is the norm for the British state and her
parties. At one stage it suggested people living in an independent Scotland would starve and not be able to use mobile phones - perhaps they could have eaten their phones?!
And it was from the indy campaign that we heard the WORST campaign slogan ever - off Labour "if you don't know, vote no!"
Labour did
indeed complain about poverty – it voted for £30bn of Tory cuts on 13.1.15 and
in favour of the Welfare Cap which risks pushing ‘345,000 additional children into poverty across the UK’ according
to the distinguished charity Save the Children.
Equally
Wales is chronically underfunded and has been for some time. We
receive £1.2bn less per head of population than Scotland. Imagine the difference this could make to vital services in Wales. If it's good enough for Scotland it's good enough for Wales! In addition, the
Tories slashed £1.5bn from the Welsh budget since 2010 and if Labour had been
returned on May 7th they would have cut £1.2bn from the Welsh budget according
to the IFS.
And in
2020... I can safely predict is already the same nonsensical rambling and manta
– vote Labour to keep the Tories OUT.
I’d argue strongly, vote Labour to keep
the Tories and their policies IN! (equally the people of Llanelli did vote
Labour but ended up with the Tories anyway – this was also the case in 2010!).
Political parties used to offer people hope and a vision. Now they say simply "we're not as bad as them." - The best worst option.
As I’ve said on many occassion, we need a politics of hope over fear and ambition over despair.
You wont have to look as far as 2020. In next year's Welsh elections and in the next council elections it will be the mantra of "sending a message to London".
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