Cameron to join Labour party?

bernard_shaw

Cameron is, without a doubt, the master of telling his audience what they think they might want to hear. At this year's Guardian-sponsored Hugo Young lecture he appeared to make New Labour redundant by taking a stance to the left of its current incarnation.

Here's the speech:
Link

Here are some lovely quotes. In the first one, he agrees with the pronouncements of Peter Mandelson!

Peter Mandelson described ... a "smart, strategic state".
He said it should be one that uses "existing resources better, connecting up different parts of the government charged with this work and asking what we can do more". He made the case for government to "steer and shape the networks and institutions of a globalised economy and society" so it could better "manage the system so as to minimise and deal with the shocks". And he argued for active policy to ensure "markets function effectively".
Well I think we can all agree with that.
Of course the state should be smart. Of course it should be strategic. But isn't this the very least we should expect from government? I think we should expect an awful lot more.

In this one, he buries Thatcher's ghost before she's even dead by repudiating laissez-faire:

Our alternative to big government is not no government - some reheated version of ideological laissez-faire. Nor is it just smarter government.
Because we believe that a strong society will solve our problems more effectively than big government has or ever will, we want the state to act as an instrument for helping to create a strong society.
But we understand that the big society is not just going to spring to life on its own: we need strong and concerted government action to make it happen.
We need to use the state to remake society.

He then goes on to call for little platoons of "community activists" and "social entrepreneurs" (whatever they are) to seize power away from our elected representatives.

So, yes, the tories may well dismantle the 'nanny state'. It's just that they intend to replace it with the 'busybody state'!

bambam101

Mr_Mumble wrote: »

The NHS is morally repugnant - hey we'll take 10% of the fruits of your labour for the next 40 years and we will not give you that life saving cancer drug because we spent all your money on drug addicts and boob jobs, ha, ha, ha.

Politicians who say they will protect the NHS are waffling meaninglessly. Do they mean the NHS that took 2% of GDP in 1950, 4.5% in 1990 or 9% right now?

Well take up drugs and get your knockers done then, get your money's worth

mbga9pgf

In this one, he buries Thatcher's ghost

A complete misquote of Thatchers comments on Society. Look up the full speech. It is moer in tune with Camerons message today than rabid right-wingness.

ses6jwg

amcluesent wrote: »

Well, maybe not...:D

But his New Year speech was indistinguishable from the platitudes and nonsense of Clown et al

"We will send out the loudest signal that this country is back open for business and ready for investment."

"We recognise its special place in our society so we will not cut the NHS, we will improve it for everyone."

"Our goal is to create a fairer, safer, greener country where opportunity is more equal."

That isn't even good English grammar!

England is finished. If you can, get out now.

I was quite interested in your post, until you said this, then I completely discounted all of what you said.

Reeks of ill-informed tabloid claptrap.

nearlynew

Remember last year when a tory politician was arrested and had his offices searched etc.?
Did cameron make a big fuss about it being an abuse of power?

No, of course not.

All he thought was, "wow I can't wait until I have that power"


Just another lying f*cking thief, bought and paid for a long time ago.

bernard_shaw

mbga9pgf wrote: »

A complete misquote of Thatchers comments on Society. Look up the full speech. It is moer in tune with Camerons message today than rabid right-wingness.

Yeah, I know. Thatcher's "no such thing as society" soundbite has been (mis)quoted out of context so often by her enemies that they have succeeded in painting her as more rabid a libertarian than she actually was.

Cameron's communitarianism is, indeed, close to what Thatcher had meant to promote at the time, but his new distributionist agenda (yeah, I won't hold my breath) is very much at odds with Thatcher's von Hayek-inspired reflex to "give the market it's head"; the very definition of laissez-faire. This is really what I was referring to by "Thatcher's ghost", not the society thing.

The Cameroonians are no free-marketeers. Some right-wing members of the commentariat are becoming increasingly restive at the thought of a Cameroonian government. Having been delighted by the prospect of a leader who might actually win an election, now they've had the chance to look under the duvet, they don't like the colour of his pyjamas.

bernard_shaw

amcluesent wrote: »

Well, maybe not...:D

But his New Year speech was indistinguishable from the platitudes and nonsense of Clown et al

"We will send out the loudest signal that this country is back open for business and ready for investment."

"We recognise its special place in our society so we will not cut the NHS, we will improve it for everyone."

"Our goal is to create a fairer, safer, greener country where opportunity is more equal."

That isn't even good English grammar!

England is finished. If you can, get out now.

You are right to say "England" rather than "Britain". If Cameron becomes UK PM, the UK stands a good chance of not being U for very much longer. The SNP are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of a Tory regime in Whitehall. Refugees from the Cameroonian regime may or may not be welcome in the northlands.

amcluesent

>I was quite interested in your post, until you said this<

But I always say this...unless I mention grim, grey, grinding years of austerity! :whistle:

drc

Cameron is Blair part 2.

Masomnia

bernard_shaw wrote: »

You are right to say "England" rather than "Britain". If Cameron becomes UK PM, the UK stands a good chance of not being U for very much longer. The SNP are rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of a Tory regime in Whitehall. Refugees from the Cameroonian regime may or may not be welcome in the northlands.

I doubt very much the Tories would grant Scotland independence. They are after all called 'The Conservative and Unionist Party' Could they just declare independence and be done with it?