Tensions at the dark heart of New Labour

Spartacus_Mills

Quote:
ALISTAIR Darling doesn't pick fights for the sake of it.

So why is he telling the world about his "tensions" with Gordon Brown?

The Chancellor wanted to jack up VAT to 20 per cent next month - and is proud of it. The Prime Minister rejected it. What's going on?

I'll tell you my hunch. That Darling fears we're heading for a SECOND crisis and wants to make clear he did his best to avoid it.

I've listened to many budget statements in my time. And last week's Pre- Budget Report was easily the weirdest.

Darling's delivery had all the sincerity of a hostage reading a scripted statement. It's his way of saying: "This isn't my idea".

Soon after the Budget, the stories flew around. Prime Minister and Chancellor are fighting tooth-and-nail about the future of UK plc.

Darling wants to axe an extension of the expensive (and, in my view, pointless) identity card system. He admits this freely.

He wants to stop the insane tax on jobs, which is the surest way to stifle a recovery. But Brown overruled him.

Darling was dead against a bank windfall tax, saying it would chase the fat cats (and their taxes) out of Britain. Here, he actually won.

I met him the day after the Budget, at a Treasury drinks party. He looked strangely calm, and quietly confident. He openly admits to his "healthy tensions" with Gordo - and "sometimes, unhealthy tensions." What's more, he doesn't care who knows it.

So much for the idea of Darling as a tartan !!!!!cat who will meekly obey whichever orders clansman Brown barks at him.

The rift is over Brown's addiction to spending. Darling wants to break it, knowing it's cursing a generation with debt. The budget small print shows we're borrowing £242 BILLION this year. Debt interest is already higher than education or defence bills.

Dubai went pear-shaped last month. Greece was downgraded this week. And make no mistake: Britain is next on the critical list.

Economists are starting to fear a nightmare scenario: that Britain's credit card is torn up as we're force to go cold turkey. According to the debt markets, Britain is now judged more likely to go bust than McDonald's. Or Gap. Or Vodafone.

When quarterpounders are seen as a safer bet then pounds, you know things might turn nasty. And without any warning.

I'm told that, inside the Treasury, Darling puts it thus: "You only know the ice is too thin when you fall through it."

Last week, he was pleading with Gordon Brown not to jump on this ice. Brown thinks: At least Cameron will fall in too.

But so might the rest of us. This SECOND crash could be much worse.

There would be no deficits, no safety nets. Just cold, harsh cuts.

In 10 Downing Street, Brown is surrounded by Tory- hating apparatchiks who think only of an election they'll all soon lose.

He knows that, after next May, he'll be taking a Tiger Woods-style "indefinite break" from politics. In the Treasury, Darling is surrounded by civil servants who know THEY will have to clean up the mess.

They want to start now.
http://www.newsofthe...ture-of-UK.html

Now I do not usually take the NOTW seriously as a political commentator - amazing that - however young Frazer does seem to be remarkably well connected.

Now this only tells us what we already knew. Namely that there is tension between Brown and Darling. That surfaced in the summer when Darling was going to be sacked by Brown and replaced with the repellant Ed Balls. Brown could not do it due to the weakness in his position.

Now we see Darling appears to be briefing to the media to let his version of events out. It is rare a politician is named in a story like this. It is usually "sources close to" rather than the man himself. Darling would seem to have the economy at heart as well as a bit of blame avoidance and why shouldn't he. He is hardly responsible for the mess he inherited from Gordon Brown.

2010 will be a very rocky road indeed. Bad for the economy, bad for jobs and bad for house prices.

I do not think anyone wants that scenario but it does look increasingly more likely.

amcluesent

Clown is a Marxist with a large dollop of greed and class envy on top.

His objective is to create scorched earth for the incoming government so the hard-left can weep and wail about the 'poor' and hope that the Tories will be a one-term administration.

Spartacus_Mills

amcluesent wrote: »

Clown is a Marxist with a large dollop of greed and class envy on top.

His objective is to create scorched earth for the incoming government so the hard-left can weep and wail about the 'poor' and hope that the Tories will be a one-term administration.

That certainly is the feeling in Tory ranks, or at least some Tories. Personally part of me hopes Labour does win next year. They have created such a mess they deserve the flak for it rather than the Tories with their one-size fits all approach to it.

Graham_Devon

I've said before that I have a lot of time for Darling. Ever since that summer when he went to the TV to tell us what was coming in this recession, then had to put a Brown fed "I got it wrong" statement out to the press. Actually, he got it right, Brown just didn't want him saying it.

Everyone knows we need to come down harder in terms of tax rises.

Everyone knows we are just starving it off as Brown wants to win an election and he is happy for the country to face a bigger crisis so long as it's not before an election. If Brown doesn't win, he's going to make damn sure everyone else sinks, especially the tories.

Pobby

I can see it know Brown leaning over Darlings shoulder telling him whet to write.

" Ach, Darling, I know best. Wasn`t it me that presided over the economic miracle? Oh and come on, who saved the world ? "

StevieJ

Pobby wrote: »

I can see it know Brown leaning over Darlings shoulder telling him whet to write.

" Ach, Darling, I know best. Wasn`t it me that presided over the economic miracle? Oh and come on, who saved the world ? "

Classic Blackadder Darling should have walked.

LizEstelle

No tensions at the dark heart of New Touchy-feely Torydom, then:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/2119151/Tensions-with-David-Cameron-lay-behind-David-Daviss-resignation.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6825403.ece

http://torytroll.blogspot.com/2008/05/boris-johnson-vs-david-cameron-triumph.html

http://www.newstatesman.com/2009/07/london-mayor-johnson-cameron

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/11/13/george-osborne-due-to-be-axed-in-tory-reshuffle-exclusive-115875-20890977/


...?

And, obviously, no partisan party prejudice on the part of the OP..?

Graham_Devon

LizEstelle wrote: »

And, obviously, no partisan party prejudice on the part of the OP..?

If you are able to....look past your love for labour, and look at the real story here.

It's nothing to do with partisan prejudice. It's to do with who is running our country, and HOW they are running it.

You can shift focus to the tories all you like, but they are not at this moment in time, in charge of the countries finances and playing a massive great game with the nation, its finances, and its future in order to try and stay in power.

In any case, they some pretty old stories you dragged up. Relevance to tdoay? About zero.

Spartacus_Mills

LizEstelle wrote: »

No tensions at the dark heart of New Touchy-feely Torydom, then:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/2119151/Tensions-with-David-Cameron-lay-behind-David-Daviss-resignation.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6825403.ece

http://torytroll.blogspot.com/2008/05/boris-johnson-vs-david-cameron-triumph.html

http://www.newstatesman.com/2009/07/london-mayor-johnson-cameron

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/11/13/george-osborne-due-to-be-axed-in-tory-reshuffle-exclusive-115875-20890977/


...?

And, obviously, no partisan party prejudice on the part of the OP..?

What what what !!!!!!

I am not even a Tory. I have never voted for them at a GE, I voted Labour at every GE since 83. Next time I am considering voting for the Lib Dems. I am not politically partisan.

Any issues with them is relevant to the GE certainly and if the party has tensions or is divided then this will be subject to scrutiny but the issue reported in the NOTW relates to the PBR and what is actually happening in government now. Why on earth does every stupid thing this government does that impacts on the economy have to relate to the Tories. Labour have screwed up but the Tories are just as bad !!!!! All guesswork.

What is even more interesting is Alistair Darling is actually being named as the source on the record. When the Chancellor briefs against the PM that transcends party politics.

Spartacus_Mills

Graham_Devon wrote: »

If you are able to....look past your love for labour, and look at the real story here.

It's nothing to do with partisan prejudice. It's to do with who is running our country, and HOW they are running it.

You can shift focus to the tories all you like, but they are not at this moment in time, in charge of the countries finances and playing a massive great game with the nation, its finances, and its future in order to try and stay in power.

In any case, they some pretty old stories you dragged up. Relevance to tdoay? About zero.

We can judge the Tories based on their manifesto pledges and policies in the run up to the election next year. If they are a divided party I am sure it will show in the level of support they are afforded.

However the current government need to be held to account for their actions.

Graham_Devon

Spartacus_Mills wrote: »

Who is this fruitcake ?

Paid up labour activist I believe.