Black arts of Blair machine now in top gear
August 28th, 2010So David Miliband would pose the greatest threat to the Tories? How convenient for DM that this alleged private remark of David Cameron’s has hit the headlines, via an unidentified ‘well-placed source’, just 4 days before voting starts for the Labour leadership. It is of course the oldest trick in the political book, ever since the children’s story of Brer Rabbit and the Fox and the briar bush, to pretend when one is under threat that the one thing the political enemy fears most is X (in this case a vote for DM) in order to get gullible supporters to do precisely that, only then to find that it was just a ruse for DM to escape the threat of losing.
But even if Cameron did make the remark attributed to him (which is highly unlikely) – that DM stood the best chance of reaching out to middle Britain – the comment is off the mark. Who is now the middle class anyway? There is a serious misperception that it reflects people like teachers, managers, doctors, architects, surveyors, stockbrokers. These are largely in the £50,000-£100,000-plus income bracket. But the average wage in Britain today is £24,000 and 90% of people in the UK earn less than £40,000 a year. Half the population is below £460 a week gross, with one tenth of the population (6 million people) living on less than £310 a week.
Middle Britain is at a far lower income level than the politicians and the media like to represent. They are far more concerned with making ends meet in a climate of austerity, where the deep cuts being imposed haven’t even started yet to bite, than the lofty aspirational images of Blairite propaganda would have us believe.
The real truth is that DM offers nothing to struggling families on whom the insecurity of their jobs, incomes and housing is now starting to impact. EM by contrast has shown a real readiness to confront the causes of this massive breakdown and deal with the nitty-gritty of the issues that are really hurting people. The illusion now being pumped out by the black propaganda arts of the Blairite machine, with its huge business finance backing, that DM can reach these problems like a political Heineken when other candidates can’t is a measure of the desperation of the DM camp.
August 28th, 2010 at 11:57 am
If I didn’t know better I’d say this was a spoof. Blairite Machine ? Huge business finance backing ?
Come off it.
Any party which seeks to work for equality and fairness has to work for ALL the population – including those who earn between 50 and 100,000 – And if you don’t think that one of the aspirations of people who earn closer to £24,000 is to become one of the people who earn more than £50k then you’re not listening to them. And believe me they don’t want to support a Labour Party on the way there, only for it to turn its back on them when they make it.
When David Cameron was running for leader of the Tories it was fairly open conversation amongst Labour supporters that he was the strongest candidate from the point of view of beating Labour. What’s wrong with the Tories doing the same ?
And sure it could be double bluff – whatever – all part of the fun.
And in case you’re wondering, I’ve not made my mind up yet who to back – I’m torn between David Miliband, and Ed Balls.
Your divisive tirade here, makes me more likely to go for David Miliband than I was a few moments ago.
Please don’t try and factionalise the Labour Party any more than it has been – it’s just what the Tories want.
August 28th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I think if DM is elected, I’ll finally have to join the greens. I cannot put up with more of the last 13 wasted years which has so compromised the reputation and purpose of the LP.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Today (30th August) it appears the Blairites are even moredesperate in that Lord Mandelson has waded in to support David Miliband, suggesting that if ED wins he will “drag Labour back to before Blair (why would that be such a bad thing?)
The fact that DM has to rely on the support of a vain pompous man who twice had to resign from Cabinet in disgrace and was part of this years ramshackle election campaign, speaks volumes.
August 31st, 2010 at 9:23 am
I thought Michael’s piece is spot on , except the sentence “There is a serious misperception that it reflects people like teachers, managers, doctors, architects, surveyors, stockbrokers. These are largely in the £50,000-£100,000-plus income bracket” – Is Michael suggesting teachers are typically on £50-£100K ? Because they aren’t. Nor I think are surveyors. I think many architects may not be earning that much either