Interesting speculation by Fraser Nelson in this week's Spectator on the subject of whither Labour? and, perhaps more interesting, Labour with who? I gave up this forecasting lark back in the early '60s when I boldly predicted to the 'scousers' in my barrack-room that this new group from Liverpool called the Beatles that they were wittering on about were one-hit wonders. Er, yes, quite so! Nelson points out, rather shrewdly, that there is a huge difference between the way in which 'Broon' was handed the job and the clunking, clanking Party machinery that will haul in his successor. In particular, if Labour is routed at the next election the bloody axe will fall mainly on the New Labour Blairites who took seats off the Tories in the last decade, thus leaving the big decision in the hands of the increasingly militant unions, the Party membership (and you only have to read some of the Blogs to get their flavour) and the rump of Old Labour MPs. In my view, that will leave Milliband jnr. well out of the running.
The not-so-dark horse, of course, is Ed Balls who perhaps isn't quite so keen these days to be known as 'Broon' s' anointed. Politically, Balls is a loathsome man in my opinion - of course, personally he may be a loving husband and a doting father, although one might legitimately doubt the latter given the fact that to preserve his ideological purity he is prepared to sacrifice his children's future by leaving them to attend a broken state school which has been severely criticised by its inspectors. His flagrant attack on the last tattered remnants of all that is best in our 'edukashun servis', such as the 'A'-level examinations, will win him plaudits with the hard Left.
However, as Nelson points out, there is one big unknown (amongst a host of smaller ones) and that is the question of how long will 'Dim Dave' last in the job? Apparently some Labourites give him one term maximum before they are all back in 'business as usual' mode. If that is so, then whoever takes over from 'Broon' will have timed it perfectly. But - and it's a whopper of a 'but' - if 'Dim Dave' proves rather more dexterous and intelligent than hitherto assumed, then he could do a Blair and win three elections! This would be a catastrophe for the new leader of 'Old' Labour. Just look at how many interim leaders the Tories had to get through before they found one just in time to take the tide. It would certainly spoil the prime ministerial plots and plans of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Balls, a thought to savour, I feel.
Happily there is yet another cheery prospect to look forward to if Labour is thrashed at the next election. The vicious in-fighting between the Blairites and the Ideologues will keep me cackling away in my armchair, but the political WMD that will be chucked around between the differing factions within the Ideologues will have me falling out of it and onto the floor weeping with laughter. You need only visit some of the Ideologue blogsites to enjoy a foretaste of the coming civil war. It could be the Bolsheviks vs. the Mensheviks all over again, or perhaps the Judean Liberation Front vs. the Liberation Front for Judea is nearer the mark! Such fun!
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