Sunday 28 February 2010

Just Vote Labour


Don't blog angry!
That's the rule. You will only regret it.

Well the teeth marks are still fresh in the tongue they have been biting into to prevent making a scene at the dinner party. I haven't lost my temper at someone else's gathering since I was a young adult. But I'm home now and don't feel any better so I'm afraid, unless I delete before the end, the temper and migraine must be unleashed.

What triggers this annoyance is the floating voter. Rightly known simply as floaters among MPs. Not just the floater but the "I haven't yet made up my mind" crowd. "I am unconvinced by the arguments."
Really? You really haven't been able to form an opinion yet? What are you waiting for? What is the big sign in the sky that's going to do it for you? A personal invitation to participate in the next cabinet? A bunch of flowers? Free car? Banning all cars? What do you need, because the time is almost up.

I had "I feel let down about the Tories no referendum policy." Fine. So the answer is vote UKIP. It has to be. But someone was saying they feel let down so they are thinking of Labour. How could that be? What is the similarity between the positions. Only one party was in a position to grant a referendum, said they would, then didn't. Yet this person though he might vote Labour.
Someone else said that they weren't persuaded by the economic argument.
Well vote Labour then. Don't faff about dithering and saying 'My mind isn't made up.' Just vote Labour. Because if you cannot make a grown up decision after 13 years on whether the country is better, worse, or about the same then you have to vote for the status quo because you haven't been affected enough to want change.

It is really very very simple. If you believe that the economy is better, spending is within a manageable amount, services have improved, taxes are acceptable, crime has gone down, health care has gone up then vote Labour. If you approve high duties on motoring and alcohol and also believe 24 hour drinking has had no effect or a beneficial one on the country then vote for Brown.
If you feel that unlimited immigration has bought nothing but social and economic benefits to the country, that two wars were necessary, however they were started, to combat terrorism in this country, that wind farms should be the cornerstone of our energy policy,public transport and transport provision is at a high, that education standards have improved dramatically and that society is generally a fairer, better safer place than 13 years ago then vote Labour. If you feel that the regulation of smoking,drinking,parenting,having contact with any children, hunting or demonstrating is rightly policed by the government then vote for the socialists.
If you are too young to remember anything before 1997, and you think that your education has left you prepared for work, or that your university education was both beneficial and a reasonable cost then there is your answer.
If you believe that MPs themselves have enhanced the office of state with their behaviour from everything on selling peerages to mortgage flipping to whipped voting then vote for the government that made it all possible.

But don't ponce about saying you're not yet convinced because all the information you will ever need is only a click away on your laptop. All the benefits or otherwise are just a stroll down your local high street, a visit to the health centre, school or a tour of your workplace.
If you think that Dave is a lightweight and you're unsure then vote for Brown. The Lib Dems or any of the smaller parties are not going to win power. It is red or blue.

The choice my floating friends is painfully simple. If you are happy with what you have, then stick with it. If , like me, you think that five more months, let alone years, of the Prime minister will result in the UK becoming an"abandoned fairground for all" then vote for Cameron and at least the hope of something different..
But stop kidding that there is some magical word or phrase that would swing it all around. You either like it as it is or you want a leap into the unknown and whatever that brings with it.

37 comments:

Richard Manns said...

Well said.

And someone had to say it.

Budgie said...

Well, I'm not so sure, I think I need a year or two to adjust to that view - in the meantime I'm neutral.

Seriously though, I suspect many 'floaters' aren't really: they are either totally uninterested in politics or, they disagree with you but don't want an argument.

Having said that the bar for the Tories is much higher than for Labour. If the Tories had only done half of what Labour has (ruined pensions, boom then bust, tuition fees, etc, etc) there would be riots on the streets.

Stevie b. said...

I've never been a floating voter until I read in the Telegraph that Angela Knight will play a "leading role" in a future Tory government.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7330761/Michel-Barnier-the-most-dangerous-man-in-Europe.html

Srely that's enough to make any true-blue voter think twice?

hatfield girl said...

It's 18 minutes past 11 here so you must have done thank yous and lovely evenings at - what - tennish?

Do you think they might have wondered if you were entertained? You know you're not supposed to head for the door before 11.30 unless you really want out.

Old BE said...

It doesn't make any difference how I vote. But I want the Tories to win because there is only a choice of two. Once Cam is in we can start to think about what to do next.

Having said that I wish Cam was going to win on an ideologically sound platform. I wish he was bold enough to stand up and give us a properly conservative manifesto.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Bill please excuse me posting the same note that has gone elsehwre, because the sentiments are identical...

The electorate are now fed up with ordinary 'replacement politics' i.e kicking out one lot and letting another bunch in for a spell.

I'm 62 now, and while I'll continue working for many years now, because my pension was raped by Brown and co, whatever happens at the next election will not actually take much more away from me and my family, because they've already done it!

So, my dilemma is whether I say 'Sod the lot of them', and take all I can from the state, which I don't ever want to do, or say 'I'll beat the bastards at their own game', and get even better at my job and make/screw a few squillion to tide us over until we drop off this mortal coil. Actually, I've answered my own question!

So why do I really need to know which flavour of politician takes over, because they're all pretty poor at doing their respective 'jobs'.

May be that because I'm so old now, I just may vote for a principle I admire, which is to kick the Europe dreamland into touch for ever.

Now that is a legacy I could tell the kids ...(possibly grandkids if this week goes well);0)

Bill Quango MP said...

RM thanks, but I have just read Idle and now the doubt starts.

Budgie. It was the vapidity of it.
Tories aren't right wing enough for me so I can't decide. Decide on what? Giving communism a go? The party you want doesn't yet exist. The choice is light blue or faded re. For me getting the red out is more important than the blue in. That will come next time.

Stevie B. Yes, that does present a dilemma.

EK. Pretty much. But I don't think the risk can be taken. Mr Drew and CU pointed out the scortched earth strategy back in 2008. Imagine what they would do with a minority government knowing only a year to live ?

HG. I'm of the young family age. Diner is 4ish - 8/9pm or until the tears start. Tomorrow is a school night you know. Grub wasn't bad at all. Plentiful Lib Dem contingent.
The reverse logic is what I find so annoying.
I dislike Cameron for being soft on immigration,commitment to cut taxes and crime. So I'll favour Brown.

Brown who will increase immigration,raise taxes and ignore crime.

I urge all readers over to Idle who has a very good post of the other side of this coin.

Bill Quango MP said...

BE: I agree totally. 2015 is a whole different matter.

Scrobs: Saw it already., but thanks for posting. I disagree its replacement politics just on the economy alone.
Brown is the wrong man for the same reason he was the wrong man in 2008. He helped cause the financial crash, yet he can't admit it. So he can't deal with it.
And don't expect that nice Mr Darling to be a check and balance on the emperor of the world. If Gordon wins Badger will be gone before sun rises. Ed Balls will be in place.
It would be like expecting Waylon Smithers to stand up to Mr Burns.

Grandkids eh? You will let us all know. Ma Q has 8 now.

{She emigrated, so its one of those tough things that has to be considered EK.Family}

chris said...

Brilliant post

Peter Whale said...

You are quite right there is no real choice but to emphatically disembowel Brown. But how do you register your disapproval of the next wanabee who has made you a cast iron lie?

idle said...

Thanks for the puff, Bingo.

I thoroughly enjoyed your rant. Well said. You must have had a good head of steam up if Hattie's right and you stormed out before the nespresso machine had even been switched on.

My conclusion was to resign the office, vote Tory, await schism.

I would offer the same advice to a floater as you gave. Indeed, I would steal some of your lines and pass them off as my own. I hope this is what we all do - what other reason is there to visit enlightened and literate blogs, if not to feather one's own nest of vituperative quotes and dry drolleries?

Now, remain calm and read Boris in the Torygraph. He rightly points people in the direction of Betfair if they want to know where the money is.

Electro-Kevin said...

Always a good indicator, Idle.

BQ - You understand that I don't favour Brown.

You also understand that I feel compelled to express publicly why I think the Tories are failing - it's to get them to buck their ideas up and switch back to being proper Tories. For this they need to understand that they CAN lose our votes. And that they WILL if they don't sort it out.

(I'm busy on John Redwood's blog.)

asquith said...

Well, if you held a gun to my head, & I will say this, I would prefer Cameron.

But I live in a safe Labour seat, so my hatred of Brown will never make itself felt in a meaningful way.

The electoral system makes millions of our views irrelevant. I am not a floater, I oppose this govrnment bitterly. But I haven't decided who to vote for, apart from the fact that it won't be Labour, in the context of being an elector of Stoke-on-Trent North!

For me it isn't a matter of making a choice between the two because with my mystical powers I've foreseen what will happen here, the same thing that has happened ever since the days of Herbert Asquith.

Mermaid of Moorgate said...

Hahaha!

Loved the comment about Angela Knight!!! The New Thatcher of the financial world.

Ah. I can feel the shoulder pads and pearls coming back to my wardrobe very soon.

As for not voting, I think there should be some way of working out who has not voted at all - well, our names ARE ticked off on a list when we go into the polling station.

That data should be collected and all those people who have not used their vote for at least three national and local elections should have their right to vote rescinded.

you don't want a say, then don't have a say. But don't lump about moaning for four years afterwards about how bad things are.

Morons,

Edindie said...

I'm going to vote and have done every time since I was 18, but I understand why people don't. If both parties are full of incompetents who waste/steal 60% of what they gather, what does it matter which policies are ineptly put into place?

If this conception was ameliorated, then people would care a lot more about who gets in.

Bill Quango MP said...

Chris : Thanks for that

Peter Whale : I refer you to Idle.
The job today is to remove Brown. The
job tomorrow is to create the party you want.

Idle. Really enjoyed your piece and recommend to all. The media is chocka with don't know Tories today.
Someone just said about the cast iron guarantee, and how now he feels not voting is the answer.
Not voting is the same as voting Labour. With his inbuilt majority Brown doesn't need to win,just not lose. The economic argument for stimulus end is also very had. Personally I would never have tried to make that a dividing line.
Its a frightener for everyone who has a state reliant jobs or benefits. Thanks to Brown the beneficent, that's almost everyone.
Far better to have highlighted waste, inefficiency, mad projects social engineering bossiness and the growth of council executives salaries at the expense of the ordinary council worker etc.
But we are where we are.

EL Kevo. I understand your views and largely share them. Cameron's Tories may turn out to be Blair 2. But that is no excuse to stick with Labour's losing formula.I posted something some while ago on why I give Dave a free pass.
I might even repeat it if anyone wants to know.

ASQUITH. : There is no gun being held. Liberals will be sorely tempted to grab this fleeting chance for a tiny piece of the power pie. However it will be red or blue that decides the future.If neither has enough support its a re run in a few months time. Axing constituencies by 20% and having less MPs may bring more variance in some areas. How about twinning?
Stoke on Trent and Guildford have to elect a single MP?

Merms. Just watched Working Girl. That is a seriously big haired/shoulder padded movie. Mrs Q says they are coming back..
Partially agree about the voting but in many areas it makes no difference. When i lived in Runnymede I never voted as a Tory had been returned since around the Magna Carta.

Edindie. It does seem like both parties are playing for the wrong voters. Not the centre ground but area to the left or right of it

measured said...

Good to see you have calmed down, Bill.You gave good advice but far to complicate for you average disinterested punter who has yet to feel any pain.

Meet you in Singapore in 2011. 10% tax I am told, 10%! I wonder if Singapore can cope with an immigrant problem.

measured said...

Oops. Must make myself proof-read.

Bill Quango MP said...

Matt: Welcome and thankyou.

SW: The danger with that strategy is that there is no guarantee that the public would vote in enough numbers for a right stepped Tory party.
Cameron was right in his analysis of the reasons for Tory failure, especially in 2005. Voters went liberal. DC thought that taking the centre ground would capture the missing voters he needed. He was correct.
But, like the collapse in Newlabour support amongst genuine working class voters, if the party ignores its core vote long enough it will disappear.
The balancing act is difficult. MRs T had a big advantage in that the country was demonstrably broken.I have not heard a single commentator pointing out how the Japanese decline came about and what the effects of it have been.
What are the likely consequences of continually pumping the economy? When would be a measure that the time to stop has come? Why can't the stimulus be directed at business instead of just buying debt from ourselves?

Haven't heard anything on any channel about any of this. Its just a simplistic spending = good
debt = bad
not spending = more bad
pay later = good.

Bill Quango MP said...

Measured: I sent A letter to the bods that finished
"prrof read by intwerns".
Came back with I think you've mispelt "poof and red"
cheeky minxes.

Ma + pa Q live in a 0% tax exile country. Thats where I shall be going once I've saved enough to get in. Shouldn't take more than another 200 years.

Electro-Kevin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Electro-Kevin said...

Big shoulders. I hope to God not !

The highly esteemed Mermaid ought to know from an abstainer that my abstention is political activism.

If no party offers the manifesto which I want (and there are literally millions like me) then why on Earth should I endorse any of them ? Why should I give David Cameron a mandate to do things which I don't want him to do ?

Before we go along the dramatic lines of depriving good people of their right to vote how about trying this first:

"None of the above" as an option on the ballot slip.

And then for once. Just ONCE. The people of Britain might actually have their voices heard.

Electro-Kevin said...

A rethink on Betfair.

Wasn't it gamblers that got us into this fix in the first place ?

hovis said...

Sebastian Weetabix - a man with my own views. I've always believed Cameron to be Heath Mk2. Luckily living in Chris Grayling's constituency I can vote UKIP without the chance of letting a labour/lib dum numpty in.

hovis said...

El-Kevo@2.07: - no - and especially not those of us who use Betfair :-)

Old BE said...

Places like Singapore, Australia, Canada will be able to pick and choose which highly skilled people they take. Which on second thoughts rather improves my chances of becoming Supreme Leader of the Rump Kingdom!

idle said...

I notice hovis and weetabix are siding with one another.

FrankFisher said...

Classy rant. I'll stop by more often.

Well, I'm not floating - I figure I'm adrift. Drifting with no one to vote for.

I despise Labour more than anyone, but I cannot bring myself to vote for Cameron. He *might* be better than Brown - he almost certainly will be. But he's already done terrible harm. The conservative party is no longer conservative, it's no longer right wing, it no longer believe in personal responsibility, it no longer believes in a meritocracy. I simply don't see the point in a conservative party that has rejected meritocracy, rejected elitism by rejecting grammar schools, that has betrayed us on the EU.

We need such a party - Cameron's victory would *cement* the ascendence of soggy Left ideology in the bloody Tories! And that would be it - a future of centerist welfarist socialist hell - until we all starve.

So nope. I prefer a Brown victory, a Cameron defeat, and a split conservative party, the cameroons, if there are any left, merging no doubt with the libdems, the rmup with UKIP and perhaps the libertarian party. *That* I could vote for.

In truth, I still think Cameron will win. In fact I think he's going to win a thumping victory and suprise the hell out of the pollsters. But it will bring me little pleasure...

Edindie said...

I think he will win too. But I'm going to be voting for Cameron (despite not liking him much)just to make sure we get the lesser of the two evils. Or at least a different evil.

FrankFisher said...

make sure we get the lesser of the two evils

But this is the problem isn't it? If you vote for the lesser of two evils.... you get evil.

I'm not doing that any more.

Bill Quango MP said...

EK. I fully understand the sentiment. Cameron is not the right wingers choice. But Blair wasn't the left wingers choice either. What blair did, which is what Thatcher did, is to win. Win and destroy his enemies. The tories are liberals as a direct consequence of Blairs repositioning from a nationalising,Working class based,council homes for all, abolish private health and schools, shipbuilding, coal mining base; to a privatising,financial sector based, home owning, private business based base.
Cameron may be the heir to Blair but Blair is without doubt the heir to thatcher.
Brown is just an abomination.

To get the voice heard it requires change. Maybe not Cameron but certainly not Brown.

Bill Quango MP said...

Hovis/iIdle and weetabix.
I have just started a book on the 1970's. So far so good.
From just one chapter Cameron is politically,socially and prepositionally nothing like Heath. I assume you mean Cameron will be like Heath in that he will let us all down.
Heath was told in 1970, when he was 12% behind in a rogue poll, that if he didn't win he must stand down. He won.
Time will tell, or maybe not if Dave never gets in.

FrankFisher.
I am aware of your work elsewhere on WWW. Glad you stopped by.
I'm not so sure of your argument though. Mrs T was timid in her initial moves. very Blair in fact. Only when she felt strong did she become the privatising, deregulating PM. Cameron may be the same, but as said earlier, if he doesn't get in, we will never know. Does give an idea for another post later though. Who should be leading the Tory party and on what platform?

Edindie: He will get my vote too. And my campaigning time. And my money. After that he's on his own.

O/t but BBC R2/R5 today has been anti tory from 7am. Ashcroft,care,miners and a whole 2 hour special on Tory cuts to the BBC? Really? I wasn't aware Cameron was Pm. Takes some doing to cause BBc cuts from opposition.

hovis said...

BQ: I’m quite happy to be picked up that indeed Cameron isn’t precisely Heath, but as Heath Mk2, I was not suggesting an absolute comparison. More that he appears limp, without any philosophical vision other than the flaccid broken political consensus. Add to that his EU record suggests he would continue to sell us down the river on the EU (and many other issues)– remind you of any Tory leaders of the 1970’s? So yes He is Heath in the sense of disappointment – and more.

Sebastian Weetabix said...

Quite right, Hovis. Cameron's spineless behaviour over the Lisbon treaty tells us all we need to know. Traitor Heath sold us out to Europe & Cameron promises more of the same.

Anonymous said...

Good post. Also came back red in the face last night from an evening down the pub with an ex-friend, fatuous, Labour-voting non-job worker who stated "We don't have to worry about the debt. I've got a big mortgage but I'm fine. Gordon will cut it in half in four years anyway (empty expression and blinking when difference between debt and deficit is explained). We shouldn't talk down the public sector and we shouldn't talk down Britain. The Torys have no policies. I'm voting Labour because its the right thing to do." Vein. Forehead. POP!

myLabour Posters Unleashed

Anonymous said...

Hm hm.. that's interessting but frankly i have a hard time determining it... wonder what others have to say..

Philipa said...

BQ, it's not that I want more Brown or NuLab, I just don't want Cameron and his policies either. So I'm tempted to vote for a small party but... I want the £ to rise. I really want the £ to rise against the euro. And i think that if i vote Conservative it might, if I vote such that we get a hung parliament the £ will fall.