Comrade Cable

So I've devoted most of the text on this blog to bashing the tory party (and rightly so), but once again I find myself discussing the Liberal Democrats.

Not sure how many of you caught Vince Cable's speech today, but I was listening to it intently and he said some pretty important things giving some pretty powerful impressions. First up is that Cable placed himself to the far left of the lib-dem party, knowingly, and second is that both the lib-dem and tory leadership let him. He addressed the hall of people as 'comrades', obviously a poke of fun at his critics who cite him as being too far to the left, but what was vitally important was his very blatant criticisms of capitalism and his pointing out that currently 'competition' is only speeding up the crushing of new and small businesses, counter to right wing claims. But his solution is to correct this and make a fairer and 'more free' market, laissez faire, still a liberal economy, and hardly what Labourites and lefty lib-dems were hoping to hear, but then again, lib-dems are prepared to accept it as gospel.

I haven't fallen for it. I'd like to trust Vince Cable, heck I think he's a brilliant man and would love to see him as a labour minister, but even if this really are his own words - the fact that Dave and Gideon are happy for a major minister to blurt out policies and intentions (sometimes) counter to the official line is evidence enough that Cable is being used as a lib-dem 'leftist outlet' of sorts. It keeps enough of the further left lib-dems happy to let the con-dem's continue their work.
As ingenious as it is, it's also damaging. Damaging to the progressive liberal agenda and damaging to Labour's chances of converting leftist lib-dems.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/22/vince-cable-no-marxist

Buyers Remorse

So it's the Liberal Democrat conference today (Sept. 19th), and it'll be Clegg's big task to lighten the mood, because at best, that's all he can do.
Vince Cable can put on a brave face, talk about 'necessary austerity measures', but as ex-Labour, and a man of the progressive centre-left, Cable will be cringing at every cut passed onto him from Dave and Gideon via Clegg. Lib-Dems are starting to speak out, because sure, they wanted to be in government, but they're realising that as junior partners they have less than a quarter of the power, but taking half the blame. The centrist lib-dem supporters will no doubt be praising their party, as they're not being mentioned in papers alongside the words 'failure' and 'a joke' for once. But the far left of their party (yes, apparently it does exist) are not so easily swayed by smooth talk and are beginning to question the policy of 'sell thine morals, for only good can cometh', and as a result have become the target of leadership candidates and brothers, David and Ed Miliband. David put forward his pledge to win thousands of lib-dem voters in the coming months, which may seem ambitious, but the natural trend so far has been a drifting of support, amongst the general public, away from the government, backed up by the influx of new Labour Party members in the aftermath of our election defeat (some 25,000 last I heard... which means maybe a few thousand more by now?) and the polls constantly showing increased support for the Labour party at the expense of the con-dems.

And considering the Labour Party doesn't even have a leader (although Harriet Harmen has done a fine job filling in) I can see things only getting better. I personally endorse Ed Miliband, but I'd be happy with David or Andy Burnham - all three are equally fit to lead. When the winner of the leadership election is announced on the 25th, they'll be quick to make sure any dissidents fall into line as the party unites behind them. We have no choice, if we don't unite and remain that way until the next election, then we might never recover from the defeat.
But if we can hold up our end, then chances are those floating voters will *fingers crossed* turn to Labour as a viable and proper alternative. The lack of satisfaction that many Liberal Democrats (MP's included) are feeling is leaving them with buyers remorse, which can be only to the detriment of the con-dem coalition. But you have to hand it to them, managing to stay inert and useless this long has to be some sort of record?

Great timing....

So I'm going on holiday for a week before I go to uni... I need the break...
And apparently the only internet available is that pay internet where you by the minute or hour or whatever... and to be frank I'm not paying through the teeth to get internet on holiday... so...

I'll be back in a week, so I'll post then, unless I find a starbucks or something with free wi fi. Really sorry...actually, I'm not that sorry, I'll be on holiday after all...some big political story better not break while I'm on holiday!

Back with a vengeance! (minus the vengeance)

So I've had a little break!I didn't give up on the blog, fear not! But I was in Uni mode... and still am... but I'm gonna start posting again! Which is always good...

I'll get to posting a new article maybe tomorrow...as it's a bit late and I haven't any immediate inspiration.

Stay tuned!

16 Votes - A chance at real change.

Liam's campaign page on the Battlefront II website.

You may or may not have heard of Channel 4's project called 'Battlefront'.

"Battlefront is an online/on-telly Channel 4 project starring a crew of 14-21-year-olds with big ideas, big hearts and big ambitions. With the help of experienced mentors and a dedicated Battlefront team, Battlefronters turn their issues into fully-fledged campaigns and set off on a journey to achieve something incredible."

(Link to video with further info)

 Well one of the young people competing to be picked as the 12th campaigner is Liam Young, from Lincoln in the UK. His campaign is about lowering the voting age in the UK to 16, and he already boasts the support of David and Ed Miliband as well as both Sarah and Gordon Brown.
Although other campaigns have been launched in the past, Liam is truly committed and has a real chance of finally catapulting the debate into the media and governmental limelight to hopefully pass it into legislation. He has also received the backing of several left leaning blogs, this blog included. I would like all readers to please pledge support for his campaign by visiting this link and pressing the 'Vote' button.

Liam's '16 Votes' campaign logo.

He also has a website at http://www.16votes.org.uk/ as well as an introductory video to his campaign if you want more info.

Finally, to help fund his campaign Liam is having wristbands created, please pledge support by voting for his campaign and then buying one of the wrist bands right here.