Watching Ed Miliband crisping slowly on the spit, such fun!

I neither expect nor want my politicians to be 'goodie-goodies'.  It's a tough old world out there and you need very tough people to hack their way through it on our behalf.  Even so, there are some limits and Ed Miliband crossed one of them when, with deliberate 'malice aforethought', he stood against his own brother in the last Labour party leadership election and, with the help of a loaded and potentially corrupting election system that allowed Len McClusky and his UNITE union to swing  the vote, he won and killed his brother's dream.  I hope he savoured that victory which drove his brother from British politics and, it is reported, created a deep family rift, because that sweet taste has now turned to ashes in his mouth.  Four years ago he stood triumphant on a victory platform.  Today he trembles on a scaffold trapdoor with a rope around his political neck waiting for either the voters or his own party bigshots to pull the lever and send him on the last big drop.  Throughout these Isles he is derided and despised - and I'm lovin' every minute of it!

And so is Mr. Dan Hodges, my 'go-to' commentator on Labour party affairs.  In today's Telegraph he, in effect, writes the 'Milipede's' political obituary.  According to his careful analysis of the likely run-up to the election Labour has nowhere to go except down.  This, of course, is cheering news to a (small 'c') conservative like me.  Perhaps, just perhaps, 'Dim Dave', despite himself, and with a few encouraging smacks around the head from his Right-wing bully boys, might just be forced to make enough promises to swing the election his way.  Then my dreams will come true because the thought of 'Dim Dave' with a small majority and thus totally at the mercy of his 'Kipper'-sympathising faction is about as near heaven as I am ever likely to reach!

I have placed my champagne on ice ready for the night!

 

 

Comments

[Richard]

"might just be forced to make enough promises to swing the election his way."

David,

'Dim Dave' is a serial breaker of promises and should be judged ONLY on his deeds, NOT his words. The particular deed the link shows - opting back into the European Arrest Warrant - is a clear indication that after all those fine sounding words at the Tory Party Conference, it is still very much business as usual with regard to kowtowing to Federal Europe.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10960132/Tory-right-wingers-clash-with-Theresa-May-over-European-Arrest-Warrant.html

[David Duff]

Exactly so, Richard, hence my desire to see 'Dave' back in as PM but with a small majority and under the thumb (or fist) of his Right-wingers.

So who would you rather see, the two Eds with Len pulling their strings?

If the first is preferable then vote Tory, but if you think you can face the second then vote UKIP - but don't come on here moaning about it afterwards!

[Simon S]

The only issue that is in favour of Ed'd fratricidal election win, was that David may have been a competent politician and won Labour the next election with a Blair sized majority. Then unseating him would have been a problem, David Miliband would be a leader of the same useless bunch of cretins with new useless cretins added into the mix, such as Chukka Umanna (probably not spelled correctly). Personally I hope your preferred scenario happens, as the other option is too terrible to contemplate.

[David Duff]

Indeed, Simon (and welcome to D&N), it is the stuff of nightmares!

[backofanenvelope]

The other day Mr Cameron got something right! He said that the next government will be Tory or Labour. What he didn't go on to say is that it will make no difference! Both parties are committed to doing what they have all been doing for years - bugger the results! In fact, perhaps we'll get a ConLab coalition government. What difference would it make?

[David Duff]

You're still not 'getting it', BOE. Yes, you would have had difficulty getting a fag paper between a Blair government and a Cameron government but things have changed. The Labour party is back to the very worst days of Michael Foot madness. Even if Cameron remained at the sopping wet end of the Tory party there would still be an enormous gap between that and Labour. However, with the help of you and your fellow 'Kippers' he is now scrabbling to move Right, so please accept the thanks of a grateful nation but make sure you don't *vote* UKIP in May if it is likely to unseat your Tory MP. It's time to 'box clever', not indulge in suicidal gestures!

[backofanenvelope]

I don't think things have changed! If Cameron wins next year, then he will be safe, his MPs will sigh gratefully and let him carry on doing what he likes. As for scrabbling to move right - it is just words......

[David Duff]

He is pushing through a bill to make a referendum in 2017 *the law of the land*, a situation from which not even he can slither away.

Also, a majority of say 10-20 will mean that the Right will have him by the short and curlies. A majority of 10-20 for Miliband will mean that Len McCluskey will have *YOU* by the short and curlies!

You choose!

[Richard]

What none of us know is how well UKIP is going to do in the forthcoming General Election. Remember that they came within an ace of taking Heywood and Middleton, one of the safest Labour seats where you could previously have expected a chimpanzee wearing a red rosette to have been returned to Parliament. Remember also that the polls have been proving consistently wrong and that the public are completely disillusioned with all the main parties.

Let's see what happens in Rochester. We truly live in interesting times.

[David Duff]

And further to your last sentence, Richard, you know the old saying that reckons it's a curse!

[Richard]

Oh and David, remember that in this country NO ADMINISTRATION IS EVER BOUND BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION'S LEGISLATION. There is an excellent chance that 'Dim Dave' will not even be in office in 2017 and a Referendum Act could easily be repealed or wriggled out of by the next government.

[Richard]

And further to YOUR last... let's be optimistic. With a following wind, it could even turn out to be a blessing!

[David Duff]

That is true, Richard, but assuming the Referendum Bill is passed into law then it will take an act of repeal to get it off the statute book. Which party leader, do you think, will have the guts to tell the British people that he's not going to give them a vote?

[backofanenvelope]

Cameron.