WELL, THAT SHOWED THEM – not only was over confident New Labour given a severe and well-deserved rubbing at the council polls, but Ken Livingstone – the Labour London mayor who wanted to tear down the statues to our Britain’s heroes and replace them with old terrorists like Nelson Mandela – was sharply shown the door by the Tory’s Boris Johnson.
Unfortunately for the self-styled Presumptive Party it was still labouring under the Tony Blair illusion that it could do no wrong with the brain-washed electorate. Now it knows.
Soon after the Conservative’s crashing defeat of a decade ago, I asked Michael Portillo what had gone wrong. He shook his head from side to side and shrugged his shoulders. ‘They just got sick of us,’ he said. Mr Brown take note. We were sick of New Labour before Tony Blair decided he ruined the party far too much and for too long to win another election and chose to steal off into the night and leave dour and doughty Gordon holding the candle.
Now they really think they can win us back by reversing the daft decisions of recent months – no more dafter than those of recent years incidentally. So look forward to a revival of the lower band of income tax, cheaper fuel, and an end to punitive council tax. Too late, too late. We know what you’re capable of; we know what you’ll do once you think you’ve got the upper hand again. There’s no doubt that Blair was the craftiest, most dishonest prime minister Britain has ever had but it’s equally clear that Brown is the daftest. Goodbye, Mr Sleazy and Mr Stealth. Let’s hope never to see your like again.
Not, naturally, that this demise welcomes in the political brains of the century. The Tories will have their work cut out proving to the electorate that they’ve dramatically improved since they were thrown out last time. But is that what this is all about? Vote them in until we can stand it no longer? When the devil we knew becomes preferable to the devil we know? But at least New Labour has got the rapping it deserves and Red Ken has gone for a flyer. Boris is bonkers but he’s true blue British so at least old Winnie and Nelson are safe while he’s in office.
Meanwhile, look out for some rare stunts from Gordon’s boys and girls as they try to woo us back before 2010 – you’ll think your granddad just took charge…
How, I wonder, will Gordon back pedal on his promise of new tough laws on cannabis while police continue with their policy of letting offenders off with a slap on the wrist?How will he deal with Boris’s promise to cut congestion charges? I’m sure the next few months are going to be better than the soaps. Poor Gordon, Blair has stitched him up like a kipper, as my old Gran used to say…
NOT TO LET THE TORIES get away with it, my attention has been drawn to a statement by Andrew Lansley, Cameron’s health spokesman, that parking fees at hospitals are perfectly permissible because ‘they are needed to raise revenue for the NHS’. Have we really reached the stage where we must charge those in dire need of hospital treatment who wish to avoid dragging their sick and wounded bodies onto public transport – where there’s a chance they’ll be even more sick and wounded before the alight?
The NHS is short of funds because what was once a personal medical scheme for Britain’s workers has been hijacked to provide free medical aid to immigrants to the detriment of those who have paid contributions all their lives. No family unit can function if Dad keeps inviting the neighbours in to enjoy the fire. Reason has to prevail. Britain does not have the resources to feed and give sustenance to the world – charity begins right here at home.
Perhaps if Mr Brown had seen that he wouldn’t be staring at the wall this morning...
