The End Of New Labour?

Carrera

Let's hope so. Widely believed to be a successful, socialist party this is the most right-wing regime we've ever seen elected. Maybe just maybe the public is waking up to something a minority of us have been pointing put for years - Blair's party is disorganized, anti-democratic and anti working-class.
Now we see nurses jeer Patricia Hewitt, Cherie Blair is found out for spending thousands of pounds on hair-styles and then it appears hundreds of dangerous foreign criminals have been set loose to the streets when they should have been deported.
This time it ain't just me. The public is angry too, over petrol rises, crime, the Iraq War, Civil Liberties being eroded, nurses losing jobs, immigration out of control, rises in tax, closures of care-homes and the list goes on.
The main defence made in their favour is the economy isn't in bad shape which is true where services are concerned. But heavy industry, car manufacture e.t.c.? Under the Tories we still had Rolls Royce in one piece and dozens of car factories churning out motors. My own area also had dozens of bone china factories but most of these have been closed during the Labour term of office, not under the Tories.
But the question is: Is it too good to be true? Will people finally wake up? Will they actually do something and slammer Blair in the local elections or will he just get voted back in again?

Srodders

Blair's the reason I left the UK. Thing is, I've settled where I am and probably wouldn't return even if he was kicked out. Words fail me when I see what he has done to the UK.

Carrera

In the old days, as I recall, there were 3 main reasons Labour wasn't trusted:
(1) Defence (they would weaken national defence considerably)
(2) Immigration (they would fling open the borders)
(3) Economy (they would make a mess of it).
So, what did New Labour do? Militarily we now have very little clout. Any defence expert will assure you cutbacks have crippled the military and we rely totally on the U.S. for protection, making us a banana republic.
Immigration goes without saying. Finally the country is asking where all these foreign prisoners might be hiding, let loose by the Home Office but it's a bit late for that now.
The economy: Heavy industry has gone down under Blair. Even my own region is beyone recognition compared to the eighties when we had some huge ceramics firms thriving and selling bone china worldwide.

limerickman

I agree that Labour has drifted in the last couple of years or so.
Blair began to lose credibility when he pursued the war in Iraq.
The cracks in his support began in 2003.

In respect of the British economy the period 1997-2004 saw a rise in prosperity.
You're correct to say that "heavy industry" did decline.
I suspect that this was not due to Labour - but was due to global factors.
Shipbuilding/car manufacturing/heavy engineering are all industry's which function more effeciently in lower income economies.

As regards defence, I am not familiar enough to argue this.

The last 18 months to 2 years has seen education, social welfare, health plans all being watered down.
Throw in the controversies about "cash for honours", cherie's hair, Clarkes prisoners, Prescotts fling - there does seem to be an air of failure.
The fact that Blair and Brown are at loggerheads doesn't help either.

But if you think Cameron or Ming Campbell are an alternative..................?

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

11ring

Check out http://www.respectcoalition.org/ for new on the growing left wing alternative to new labour.

limerickman

I've got lot of time for the policies which RESPECT and Galloway advocate.

__________________
.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets" - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

Carrera

As Dave M.C. pointed out Blair really had no choice over Iraq. The decision to invade Iraq was made by the upper echelons of the Bush Administration and Blair had to sell it to the public over here. Either he did as he was told or he risked being cut high and dry by the U.S.
Now, that was part of my argument all along. Had British governments invested in their own defence and concentrated on the economy, it would have been possible to simply abstain from the Iraq war as we did in Vietnam. Strength brings freedom and independence.
Besides, are you aware the U.S. could technically extradite any British citizen it wishes, including myself or Darkboong? This is a particularly sore point with me and I hold Blair responsible since he signed away citizen rights. Surely, a citizen of an independent country has a right to a trial and legal protection in his own country?
I don't know whether this affects Ireland too - possibly not.
Here is my point: I don't have anything in particular against the U.S. and remain sympathetic to the 9/11 incident - which destabilised American democracy and human rights somewhat, in my view. However, I don't agree with this situation whereby we become just another U.S. state when we are clearly not - historicaly speaking.