Sorry seems to be the hardest word
Posted on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 9:57am
7 responses
I read this article by Simon Jenkins a while ago, and thought that others should read it too, especially in the context of the recent ‘Brown Bounce’. I gasped at the rise in popularity of Brown in the polls today. The lead that the Tories had over Labour has now fallen from 19 to 8 points in the last two months.
This surge in support for Brown is being associated with the way Brown has dealt with the economic crisis that his party effectively helped to shape. Yes, we all know that the Tories played their part during the Thatcher era, but when I hear Labour politicians trying to blame this situation solely on the Tories, then one does get very annoyed. After all, where is their humility? Labour in London has encouraged people to borrow larger sums of money for mortgages that they can ill afford, has facilitated the desperation of the ‘ipod generation’ (that’s ‘insecure, pressured, overtaxed and debt-ridden’ for those who didn’t know) and the culture of debt that they will be consigned to for years to come. I don’t even want to mention the way in which Labour under Blair saw fit to reward Bankers for their risk taking, only for the government to announce so boldly of late that they will in fact limit excessive bonuses in the Banking sector. Why did it take so long?
Its hard to imagine why Brown has been rewarded for such past actions. Perhaps apologising for their part in this mess would go a little way in ensuring that people have faith in politicians, but we all know their track record on saying ’sorry’- it doesn’t come easy!
The news that there will be more job losses, mass unemployment is very worrying indeed, but then there are individuals in the Labour party and in the Conservative party- namely Mandelson and Osbourne, who are so far removed from reality that its laughable. They are socialising with the rich and the famous while others can hardly dream of such things. Yes, a degree of humility would not go amiss.
And please don’t come back to me with the one about it being a ‘global’ recession. We all know the part that the Labour government has played in creating this mess. Its their duty to get people out of it, and rewarding them or praising them for it should not even come in to the equation.
Dw i’n cytuno’n llwyr! Bai’r Llywodraeth Ganolig yn rhannol yw’r mes yma a tra bod y werin yn gorfod byw gyda diffyg arian a safonnau byw sy’n lleihau, mae Brown, Arglwydd Madelson, Cameron a’i fflyncis yn joio fel bod dim yn bod! Hen bryd iddyn nhw agor eu llygaid i weld y broblem! Go Plaid! Gyda llaw, dw i’n 15 ac ar fin sefydlu cangen CymruX yn yr ysgol. Hwyl!
Bethan
Once again I have to ask myself are you serious.
Can you not see that people are not interested in your silly point scoring when it comes to the economy?
Instead they are worried about mortgage repayments and food costs, two real world concerns you have never really had to deal with.
Like you Nationalist colleagues in Scotland, Plaid will struggle to take on a serious party such as Labour in such a period. Why you ask, because when genuine concerns take over people lose interest in issues such as which flag can I have on my number plate.
anon- I am not trying to score points, merely highlight Labour’s role in this situation. As Alex Salmond rightly says, Brown is the architect of this current economic situation in the UK, and must be accountable for his actions.
Bethan
The problem is that weather you like it or not we live in a global economy. If we are to regulate it has to be global. If we do not investors will simply go to more deregulated countries.
That’s why your comment about not wanting to her global excuses is so silly.
We have come to an impasse which presents us with an opportunity to reform global economic institutions. I would like to see greater controls exercised over the banking sector as well as hopefully an end to the global race to the bottom where we are all forced to implement the lowest standard and jobs go to countries that are willing to pay the least.
Just because you and Mr Salmond do not see this does not make it untrue. Salmond has made a career of appealing to populist base instinct so I not surprised he struggles with serious issues.
Hey Bethan, Why have you closed comments on you American Election blog? Afraid someone might talk some sense? No candidate would stand any chance of being elected as president without being a hawk on national security, pro-Israel, vowing to continue the “War on Terror”. Other candidates who say different don’t even get a look in. How many interviews have you seen with Ralph Nader or the Green Candidate? Our only hope (as Michael Moore says) is that Obama will not keep his election promises on foreign policy. Isn’t it a sad day when we are hoping that our preferred (realistic) candidate is lying.
I haven’t closed any comments. You are able to place comments on each individual blog post. If you are having problems doing so let me know. I’ve changed the settings so that anon’s can comment.
Hmm, very cognitive post.
Is this theme good unough for the Digg?