I don't really want to waste time discussing Polly Toynbee's latest Guardian column here, but I should say the following. I am a big fan of Polly, I think her policy suggestions are usually spot on and her books, excellent. I think she has a strong moral compass which more often than not, means she advocates voting Labour. She recognises, like the Guardian apparently does, that this country is at it's strongest when the Labour party is at it's strongest. As a political commentator she has every right to call leaders of any political party on their policy decisions, and she does so. Most of the time I think she's dead right.
Her column today, in which she once again calls for Brown to go in a rather nasty manner has, however, made me lose a considerable amount of respect for her.
Gordon Brown is leading Labour into the fight of our lives at the next election. The feeling at conference and since is that we are up for it. Ready to fight, fully behind him. And we are. It does not help, in a media hostile to Gordon and Labour, for someone whom activists and supporters of our party regard highly, to once again call for division, splits and ousting of our leader. Naval gazing in a recession doesnt look too great. Gordon is not perfect, he is uncomfortable on camera. He is no showman. We know that. But he is fundamentally the right person to lead us into this monumental election. And if, which I do not for a moment believe, we end up with a Tory government in June, will Polly be happy in the knowledge she can say "I told you so"? No. She will be rightly distraught at the malicious cuts to public services and destruction of the fruits of Labour investment that will follow.
So could I suggest, Polly, that you give up your one woman (ok, maybe three-person with Clarke and Sheerman) attempt at ripping apart our PM, and join the fight for a better Britain? You have ideas we should use, appproaches we should adopt, but use your widely read column to do your bit for those who have no such voice...Not to personally attack someone who is tirelessly working to do just that.
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8 comments:
Polly is best ignored.
But worth telling the MPs Once they should get schtumn eg http://url.ie/4hfe
Feed trolls and, in time, you'll be eaten alone.
It's all very reminiscent of the run up to the 97 election or indeed the ousting of IDS. The problem is that Polly et al believe that ousting Gordon will improve Labours chance at the election - a valid point to view - but don't worry the public won't notice too much...
Is the point of her article not to state clearly that GB is not the right man to lead this fight? Why should she capitulate to those who say otherwise if she fundamentally disagrees with their opinion?
David Cameron is winning the fight because he has adopted the Clinton philosophy 'Change vs More of the Same' and GB cannot convince voters that he represents anything other than same old same old.
I disagree with Polly on replacing GB now for a number of reasons.
Firstly, I simply think it’s too late. With the General Election looming, as you point out, it is certainly not the time for a damaging leadership battle that will inevitably distract from the real objective and number one priority, which is keeping the Tories out. So I agree, now is the time to ‘dig in’put our differences to one side and pull together.
Secondly, if we were to oust Brown now we would be perceived by the electorate and portrayed by the media as party complete disarray, and again, this is the last thing we need as we enter ‘the fight of our lives’.
Where I think you have been unfair in your criticisms of Toynbee, is in your failure to acknowledge what are clearly valid points about policy failures, which as Chancellor and PM GB must take some responsibility for. I don’t believe, as you make out, that Toynbee’s criticisms of Brown are simply based on some personal vendetta. After all, historically she has been a supporter of Brown. She is simply making the point that, due to certain failures, for example, the growth of income inequality, GB has become tainted and to some degree a liability.
As she correctly points out in her article, during the boom years “all growth went to the top 10%, and most to the top 1% – while he [GB] and Tony Blair did no more than see that the back half didn't fall too far behind. Middle Britain did badly however hard they worked”
Now, in my opinion, if you accept the above as fact, it is an embarrassing admission for any Labour Government. GB has been at the very top of the party from day one and as a consequence is partly accountable for this failure.
The second point which Toynbee makes which I think is valid is her criticisms of the Cabinet. I think it’s fair to say that if Labour were to lose the election the cabinet will quickly turn on Brown, so although they present a united front now they will quickly become hypocrites when the time comes.
"Right, enough about Polly" wrote BevaniteEllie.
Not nearly enough about Gordon:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/jack-straw-the-tories-are-trying-to-buy-the-election-1852839.html?utm_source=taomail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2633+Communication,+Wed+30th+Dec+2009&tmtid=25953-2633-6-1-1013
Anyone think that it would have been Anything like that had Gordon not been the first architect of NuLabour and led HMG's approach to our economy for so long?
And not enough about david Chameleon, now hoping that he would carture the Lib-Dems by offering seats in his war cabinet to other party Leaders. Might they include the Ulster Unionists he is courting so heavily?
'Jobs for Boys is Us' - Tory Party on the Make.
I think jon2aylor makes some good points.
Outside of the Labour bubble Brown is widely seen as a failure however now is not the time to replace him as it will just be seen as too little too late.
Best option? Stop Tory bashing and say what Labours plans are for the next 5 years. Every time Labour says "the Tories will do X" you lose a chance to say what Labour will do to benefit the country.
Unfortunately the only Labour policy I hear at the moment is that the Tories will cut everything. This needs changing from the top down.
Agree with another top Stilettoed Socialist blog. Unfortunately this is a long-standing Polly T campaign and is worryingly often echoed within The Guardian's general editorial line. Also, it's sadly very personal - and is just regressive. Where's the strategic insight and new thinking from such a well-paid colulmnist? Surely time to come up with something new or change the record. All very disappointing...but more than enough head space devoted to PT already. Back to 2010 resolution of more positivity....
Lets spell it out for you re: cuts.
Tax reciepts are ~£500bn
Spending is ~£680bn
A certain Mr Brown got us to this stage over the last 12 years by consistently running deficits in times of growth.
Cuts will happen. Massive ones. Whoever is in power. You simply cannot grow your way out of this mess in any reasonable timeframe (it would need GDP growth of approx 20%, which even under Labour's optimistic growth forcasts is not going to happen).
THe money you keep talking about for "investing in our future" has already been spent, and more so...
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