So why did labour lose? Basically because they hold the voters in contempt and treat them as cannon fodder.
This post at the Devilks Kitchen sums it up nicely.
That is, if the people don’t vote the right way, there’s something wrong with the voters, not the politicians or their loyal supporters. There’s little to no introspection. It’s as if they think that if only the media weren’t so evil/Brown weren’t so incompetent/commentators weren’t so negative then everyone would fall in line, trot along to the polling station to vote Labour
The arrogance of these people is incredible, they really are scum. Remember Ed Balls comment of “So what” when Cameron was pointing out that taxation was at the highest ever level. So it’s not just labour apologists who are like this, the whole party, especially at the top is riddled with the same cancer of totatitarianism.
The next big test for Brown is not the Crewe and Nantwich by election (the electorate there will have already made up their minds), it is the details of the compromise that he had to offer Frank Field about the 10pence tax band raise. The ONLY way to compensate all 5.3 million people affected is to bring it back (which wont happen). No doubt Brown will fiddle with tax credits or whatever but the people affected are such a diverse group, the low paid childless, single, divorced, young and widowed people that nothing short of full reinstatement will work.
But it’s not just the forever increasing amount of stealth and not so stealthy taxes. It also includes such things as the smoking ban on private property and the manifesto commitment to a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
If you treat the voters with contempt in a democracy they have the power to give you a well deserved kicking and no amount of “we must listen harder” will make any difference.
Only Labour could CUT taxes for the majority (who remembers the basic rate has just been cut from 22% to 20%?) and get themselves into this mess. It just goes to show the Tory press are still the masters of spin. New-Labour (briefly) managed to combat press lies and that is what annoyed the press, but as this shows, they have never been that good at spin.
It is good to see right-wingers like you calling for a 10p tax rate when the Tories opposed it all the way when Labour introduced it.
From your support for smokers to have the freedom to pollute the lungs of whomever they like and for there to be a referendum on every law you disagree with, I take it you are amongst the new breed of ‘libertarians’ who don’t allow anonymous comments on your blog, unlike ‘totalitarians’ like myself who do allow anonymous comments.
Hello Neil,
Thanks for your comment.
“”Only Labour could CUT taxes for the majority (who remembers the basic rate has just been cut from 22% to 20%?) and get themselves into this mess. It just goes to show the Tory press are still the masters of spin. New-Labour (briefly) managed to combat press lies and that is what annoyed the press, but as this shows, they have never been that good at spin.”"
The conservatives also cut taxes for the majority when they raised the tax free allowance by more than inflation which affects all income tax payers and when they cut the basic rate from 30 pence downwards. Secondly, it is not a press lie that the removal of the 10pence tax band affects large numbers of single people who earn less than the median average. Govt figures admit this. Thirdly, why did most of the labour backbenchers wait a full year before critising this measure?
Why did labour get themselves into this mess? You are a self confessed labour supporter, tell me why?
“”It is good to see right-wingers like you calling for a 10p tax rate when the Tories opposed it all the way when Labour introduced it.”"
Firstly, as a Libertarian, I am socially liberal as well as economically liberal, so clearly I cannot be described as right wing. Secondly, I am not calling for a 10pence tax bwand, I want all oncome tax to be abolished for everyone.
“”From your support for smokers to have the freedom to pollute the lungs of whomever they like and for there to be a referendum on every law you disagree with, I take it you are amongst the new breed of ‘libertarians’ who don’t allow anonymous comments on your blog, unlike ‘totalitarians’ like myself who do allow anonymous comments.”"
You forget that I am only calling for the owners of private places to be smoking or not as the owner sees fit. Other people then have the choice of not going to these private places as they see fit.
Secondly., I would openly rejoice if referenda on ALL laws was to be implimented, that would be real democracy in action which would be much better than the political elite ordering everybody about.
Actually I do allow anonymous comments on my blog, I have one under the “How to save the taxpayer some money” post which pointed out that the Stonebridge Housing Action Trust is a great acronym.
Having said all that I would still like you to adress the issue of WHY labour lost.
Overprominent says : I absolutely agree with this !
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Dubbin!!