by His Grace The Devil
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDevilsKitchen/~3/78Z9McsT4pc/this-is-main-problem-with-austerity.html
Note: I disagree with His Grace. We can all agree that the Tories are crap, and for the reasons he gives. However, there is an abiding hatred of Labour as the party of English destruction. I voted UKIP in the Police Commissioner election. I’d vote UKIP if there were a bye-election tomorrow in my constituency. I will vote UKIP in the European and council elections – I always do. I send my Conservative MP nasty e-mails about once a week. He’s even stopped replying to them. But I know I’ll vote Conservative in the general election – and it doesn’t matter how often I say I won’t. I’ll get to the day, and then ask if I really want Labour back. It doesn’t matter how awful the Cameron Government is between now and then. I don’t think I’m alone in this.
Add to this the following: (1) the disinclination of many Moslems to vote for a party led by a Jew, even after his nose job, and despite his lefty atheism; (2) the general apathy of non-white voters; (3) the probability that a Tory/SNP deal will pass a redistribution bill to cut the number of Labour constituencies; (4) a strong SNP performance in Scotland; (5) a LibDem meltdown.
I predict a big Conservative win in England, if on a lowish turnout. This should be enough to give an overall majority in the Commons. Independence for Scotland will then smash Labour for good – which will be our opportunity to stop voting Tory in general elections. Until then, Mr Cameron has every reason to look smug. SIG
This is the main problem with “austerity” In an analysis of a Paul Goodman article—which speculates that the next General Election will be won by Ed “Goggle-Eyes” Miliband’s Labour Party—Iain Dale presents this opinion on Ed Balls.
Ed Balls has developed into a formidable politician in many ways, but as long as he stays Shadow Chancellor the Tory message of “Would you want to let them do it over again?” remains a very powerful one.
Unfortunately it does not, and here’s why: the British people have, largely, not accepted that the Labour government were a total bloody disaster—especially economically.
Why?
Quite simply because the British people have not seen any real bad effects from Labour’s policies—and those adverse affects that they have experienced they associate with the Tories (or the Coalition).
The majority of the public associate Labour with generous benefits and welfare payments; while those of us who are political anoraks may understand that the price of this largesse is a massive public debt, the vast majority of the public simply don’t care.
As far as they are concerned, it doesn’t matter that debt repayments are bigger than the education budget; as far as they are concerned, the government runs on magic money that falls from the sky.
The only real warnings about massive debt that the MSM has seen fit to publicise are the riots in Greece—but these are too far away for most people to appreciate that it is even possible for the same to happen here.
And the only pain that people in this country have felt is from the Coalition: as far as the British people are concerned, it is Cameron and his merry men who are raising taxes, slicing benefits and enforcing general cuts.
Because the dire warnings on government debt have failed—from most people’s perspective—to materialise into real problems, they feel like they’ve been hoodwinked.
Increasingly, the Labour government’s rule is starting to look like the Golden Years to many and, as such, they are likely to welcome Miliband and his boys back with open arms.
As such, the argument of “Would you want to let them do it over again?” actually cuts very little ice: indeed, the reaction from the majority of people is likely to be “yes, please!”
Furthermore, the Tories have not only utterly failed to make their case for the cuts (such as they are), but they have also reneged on almost all of their promises regarding reductions in regulation: combined with their persecution of corporations, this means that the Coalition do not even have the backing of the business world.
And, needless to say, their about-face regarding the re-instatement of our civil liberties has lost them any possible support from those of a liberal bent—let alone libertarians.
In general, the Coalition are doomed at the next election simply because they have managed to piss off just about every bunch of people in the country. And it is impossible to win a General Election when nobody supports you.
The Coalition have failed to significantly cut the deficit (let alone the debt), they have failed to keep their promises on civil liberties; most significantly, however, they have failed to create a coherent narrative.
And that last is the main reason why they will fail to win the next election.
But I know I’ll vote Conservative in the general election – and it doesn’t matter how often I say I won’t. I’ll get to the day, and then ask if I really want Labour back.
There is this thing you may have heard of called “ratonal thought”. It might be fun to try it some time.
Is “ratonal thought” related to atonal music? If so, I’ll give it a miss.
It should be pointed out that government spending has NOT been reduced since the present crises started – I am not saying the author of this post does not know this fact, but the author has not made it clear.
As for the government deficit (that increases the debt each year) it is financed, indirectly, by the Bank of England (with its creation of money – from nothing). Again I suspect the author knows this – but it is not made clear.
Of course the whole poiint of the post could be that the present government has not made these basic points clear itself – and there I must agree (if anything the government appears to be determined to obscure the truth on both fiscal and monetary policy).
As for civil liberties…….
Well at least ID cards have been stopped.
A sliver lining – on a very dark cloud.
The lesser of two weevils is…etc. However, the scales must weigh the evil.. Labour has a relatively solid base of dross who will vote for them. Camo-snot is destroying his own party. There is more chance of pressure having an effect of on Tories than the others. Not much chance but still more than with ZaNuLab.
Sean,
“Note: I disagree with His Grace.”
That’s fine. Although I would point out that there are two main reasons that UKIP has any kind of home policy agenda: myself and Tim Worstall.
Paul Marks,
You obviously are not familiar with my writings of the last few years. However, to answer your points:
“It should be pointed out that government spending has NOT been reduced since the present crises started – I am not saying the author of this post does not know this fact, but the author has not made it clear.”
It is clear to me. The British public does not see it that way—not least because the media does not report it that way. Which is the point of what I wrote.
“As for the government deficit (that increases the debt each year) it is financed, indirectly, by the Bank of England (with its creation of money – from nothing). Again I suspect the author knows this – but it is not made clear.”
It is clear to me. The British public does not see it that way—not least because the media does not report it that way. Which is the point of what I wrote.
“Of course the whole poiint of the post could be that the present government has not made these basic points clear itself – and there I must agree (if anything the government appears to be determined to obscure the truth on both fiscal and monetary policy).”
Hence my sentence: “… most significantly, however, they [the Coalition] have failed to create a coherent narrative.”
And if you think that ID Cards have been stopped, you are very naive.
DK
DK – I did say I suspected that did know that government spending has gone UP and that Bank of England policy is wildly loose (not tight).
However, my inner Hobbit must be appeased – the obvious must be stated.
For the reason that you yourself give – that most people do not know these things. And unless they are clearly stated (every possible time) then people will not know.
We must not be like Walter Bagehot who says (in his “The English Consitution”) that a certain form of Parliamentary Reform, not democracy, should be supported (he goes on for paragraphs about how “we” should press for this particular idea) but then says that “there is no space here to set down the details of the proposal” (thus consigning the idea, whatever it was, to the Memory Hole).
If something is important (and government fiscal and monetary policy) then it must be stated – every time.
As for ID cards…..
Alas!
I suspect you are correct.
By the way DK – you are mistating the case when you say the present government “failed to create a coherent narrative”.
On the contrary, the present government has a very clear story – the trouble with their story is not that it is not clear, it is that it is FALSE.
The story the government tells is that they a bunch of tough guys who have “cut government spending”.
The public believe them.
The story the government tells is false – but it is clear.
The tragic result is that when the economy collapses (which it will) many, people will blame “the cut in government spending” and the “tight money supply – resticting lending”.
It should be pointed out that the dreamers who vote conservative simply don’t realise their policies are not working and appear to live in a bubble, the F.O.I. last week confirms there has been a masive explosion in shop liffters, even amongst the middle classes, with even a doctor stealing a pair of trousers, the police in the city now spend much of their time sending five officers to arrest shopifters mainly stealing food, with middle england being some of worst offenders, at a costs of £22,000 for a court case involving the theft of a banana, they are already bankrupto on law and order, the costs will no doubt out weight the cuts to wealfare, with this massive explosin in the theft of food!
If well off people (such as doctors) are stealing – then it is not poverty that it is at work.
It is dishonesty and, perhaps, the influence of anti “big business” propaganda.
“I am not really stealing – because it is a big corporation” and so on.