The Battle of Sedgemore
Boggy ground in Somerset or foggy thinking in Brian's brain. Brian Sedgemore was never one of the Labour Party's finest thinkers. But he was our fool. Not anyone's fool. He has voted consistently along left lines. He may or may not be a blindingly good constituency MP. I don't know. He has failed to set the house alight with his wit, repartee or persuasion. In fact according to yesterday's Guardian Diary he spoke there only once in the last year.
He has become a defector to the Lib Dems.
What was he thinking? Surely not that their take on neo-liberalism is better? With more health and post and school privatisation than New Labour by a long streak and, in some commentators' view, more than the Tories? Surely not their persistent opposition to Minimum Wage and other measures to assist the working poor? Probably not.
Purely and simply Brian Sedgemore wanted his place in history. He wanted to stand up and be counted. By calling for Blair's nose to be bloodied.
Writing as someone who has personally taken a bloody nose for Blair in 2003 local elections, and who is fearful that it could be the British people - particularly working poor, pensioners, children and patients who take this one for him - I share the extreme annoyance with Brian of his former Campaign Group and LRC colleagues.
Will they now all be regarded as putative turncoats? Will some of them fighting on, unlike Brian, lose their seats as voters follow Brian's courageous lead?
Mr Sedgemore retires to a seven-acre country pad in Wales. The lake is 1 acre of this. Well done Brian!
Lib Dems fighting Tories in marginals must be wondering what's going on here too.
Accepting a lefty from the Labour fringes isn't going to comfort the Tory voter preparing to have a dabble with the third party much now is it? Even though Charles Kennedy has been resolute in denying false media claims that his party is solidly to the left of Labour or "socialist". He has run a mile from the very suggestion.
He knows his Lib Dem history. The routine is sniff of power - shift to the right. This was also Blair's problem. Though I suspect that underneath the guff most Lib Dems politicians are already solidly to the right of New Labour at very least on their economic policy.
He has become a defector to the Lib Dems.
What was he thinking? Surely not that their take on neo-liberalism is better? With more health and post and school privatisation than New Labour by a long streak and, in some commentators' view, more than the Tories? Surely not their persistent opposition to Minimum Wage and other measures to assist the working poor? Probably not.
Purely and simply Brian Sedgemore wanted his place in history. He wanted to stand up and be counted. By calling for Blair's nose to be bloodied.
Writing as someone who has personally taken a bloody nose for Blair in 2003 local elections, and who is fearful that it could be the British people - particularly working poor, pensioners, children and patients who take this one for him - I share the extreme annoyance with Brian of his former Campaign Group and LRC colleagues.
Will they now all be regarded as putative turncoats? Will some of them fighting on, unlike Brian, lose their seats as voters follow Brian's courageous lead?
Mr Sedgemore retires to a seven-acre country pad in Wales. The lake is 1 acre of this. Well done Brian!
Lib Dems fighting Tories in marginals must be wondering what's going on here too.
Accepting a lefty from the Labour fringes isn't going to comfort the Tory voter preparing to have a dabble with the third party much now is it? Even though Charles Kennedy has been resolute in denying false media claims that his party is solidly to the left of Labour or "socialist". He has run a mile from the very suggestion.
He knows his Lib Dem history. The routine is sniff of power - shift to the right. This was also Blair's problem. Though I suspect that underneath the guff most Lib Dems politicians are already solidly to the right of New Labour at very least on their economic policy.
posted by Chris Paul at 10:42 AM
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