The Labour Leader is lying again. Accusing the SNP of a "transparent attempt to manipulate the political system for purely partisan political purposes" would be breath taking from any one other than the politician most responsible for Scotland's enthusiastic departure from the United Kingdom government's miserable control.
It is the Labour party that is being destroyed by Scotland's realisation that none of the horrors of Labour rule apply to Scotland any more. And it is the Labour party that is desperate to oppose the reconvening of the English Parliament. Labour would be consigned not just to permanent Opposition but to oblivion in the English Parliament. Another centre left party would form, there is no lack of centre left views among the English electorate, but the statist, authoritarian, confrontational trade union, high tax, redistribute within the poor party, would disappear into its 20th century grave.
While the reconvening of the English Parliament would require the redrawing of federal relationships with Scotland, and with Wales and Ireland (north and, in a different order, south), it is the removal of that Labour party road block to a proper, progressive, pluralist and democratic party of the centre left that is the prize.
It would bring to an end the vulgar, sub-marxian mind set that expresses itself politically as the Conservatives being the party of Capital and Labour being the party of, well, labour; and bring to an end the patronising, meddling interference in the lives of others practised by the failed intelligentsia that subscribe to and nourish it for their profit.
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It was clear from day 1 that when Labour introduced devolution they were writing their own death warrant. This path can only end in independance for both of the socialist heart lands leaving behind a perpetual Tory majority in England.
And a good thing too.
That's an interesting one, HG. Though the good you hope for might be vitiated by the divide-and-rule over-government of the EU.
Funny how the peasants don't mind toffs, it's the middle class nobody can stand.
this government has tried to push the English in to little boxes ever since coming to power but we just won't go.
I'm sure there was an old saying
"you can entertain the English until suppertime, but they'll never go quietly in to the night."
There is no longer a geographical socialist heartland is there JE- unless it's in Northern Rockland? There are two remaining major socialist state institutions, the National 'Health' service and the state 'education' service.
As they are not vulnerable to democratic vote but only secondarily by the elected government, I would like to hear what a Conservative government will do to remove their malign distortion of the economy and tax system, never mind their affect on political life. The proposal to fund public service broadcasting through diverse mediums and broadcasters seemed sensible and effective.
Is it the real middle class S? More the creeps and apparatchiks of the nomenklatura than the old style Compton Burnett middle classes. Perhaps they are moved into Toff status now.
Is it allowed to be not fond of peasants? They aren't a patch on workers; they do work a lot but sort of dully.
The European Union is what our government allows it to be. If we had a half decent government our relations with the EU would be transformed as and when and how we choose. The present government wants to pretend to a European single state, and post democratic control of populations. Goodness knows what they are being allocated for delivering us all up into a veto-free Europe. It irritates me that such a negotiation has been conducted by Labour - they sell themselves, and us, so cheaply and incompetently.
Funny how the peasants don't mind toffs, it's the middle class nobody can stand.
A look through the shadow Cabinet will show it to be not especially toffish and the tendency for Public school boys to predominate in the power media nexus is the fault of misguided educational policy including higher education amongst other things , thank you Labour.
I enjoyed Folly Toynbee`s description of Boris as effete , she would dearly have loved to join in with the accusations of Toffishness but as an Aristocrat , an advantage she shares with many Labour women it might have caused titters . There is however a genuine division in Conservative ranks between the “Middle class “ and small business interest and the patrician , between Heath and Thatcher you might say . Thatcher’s glorious reign was described with horror by the guardianistas as the anarchy of the middleclass and it is by reaching back into an older Toryism that Cameron has found the intellectual resources to appeal across Liberal England . Some of these antipathies came out over Grammar schools row and the outcome of that dispute shows that Conservatism still has a strong element determined to look after the lower middle and upper working class who have been sacrificed to “equality”. I am personally happy with the balance we have at the moment and all serious government must look for a balance
On Scotland of course you are right and yet this discussion often continues as if the naked politics were not present . You and I have watched this for a long time now and both Scotland and London show that gerrymandering a Liberal Labour government through PR is not as fool proof as Labour have assumed.
I don’t know if you are in England but the weather is beautiful and the Downs are breathtaking this morning .
PS I am not entirely convinced that the EU can be reformed but I do not believe we can be pushed around by it in the way some pretend .
HG: re the EU - I thought John Major's notion of "subsidiarity" was useful - but maybe it was only a shoehorn to overcome our resistance and could never actually work. Without well-articulated constitutional checks and balances, power will inevitably gravitate towards the centre. If the EU really was to be like a "United States of Europe", I might be in favour. In practice, I think it's becoming an Empire and we're growing an aristocracy to match.
Conservative toff politics is the best face of conservatism N. Generosity of spirit, and charm, and genuine willingness to house, feed and give work if they have the wherewithal. I'm less keen on the grocer variety as they have a punitive 'you should have when you could' attitude which is doubly unattractive as being so familiar, if not personal. It is a constant struggle not to reprove people or, worse, smile knowingly at their comeuppance. Torytoff is genuinely better than that, it understands forgiveness.
It is uncomfortable asking for Conservative clarity but we need to be informed. One of the virtues of such a clever and evolving response to public service braodcasting and its funding, is that if the BBC can be dealt with so smoothly it is a good omen for tax and spend, war, and relations within the UK countries. I was impressed, too, with Mr Cameron's responses on the European Union. Our country is a big player, we have to ensure Europe meets our values, we need to respond to theirs. No rush to judgement, but constant monitoring, and the giving or with holding of assent. I'll take that, in Italy that's precisely what is done, no doubt elsewhere too, except in sell anything and everything for our private gain Labour.
Your downs are lovelier than Islington then - not hard. I am going to Prague, which I have only seen in Amadeus, on Wednesday, so not in England just now though other members of the Angelic Host are there.
Subsidiarity is one of the EU 'pillars' isn't it S? Power sent down to the lowest effective level for decision-taking and implementation?
It's very attractive, and effective, from my experience under the Tricolore. the problem is the constitutional mismatch in the UK. We don't run our country like that, with regions and provinces and comunes; nor with prefects and magistrates and tribunals. They are told what they may do - we are told what we may not do. The Labour regime thought to use the difference to tell us what we may and may not do, to boss us around from pilar to post between both systems with no redress under either; and this is the essence of my distaste for them.
Prague ...coo you are flash HG
The EU will not reform in my opinion and I am sick of it. It has corroded all sense of participation in ones fate.
I am interested in your preference for the Toff Tory. I think you have to be clear to what you refer, Roger Scruton is not a Toff and yet is the opposite of a belligerent Grocer his book Elegy for England ( I think ) was tremendous in defining the dream and sentiment of the Conservative .He was an adviser to Margaret Thatcher . I am content to have these unresolved conflicts in play , this has rather been my approach to religion lately as well .I think I know what you mean though and I suspect this is because you hear Conservatives enraged at loss and callous statist arrogance . You rarely hear them talk about what they love and value and this gives the impression a meanness . This is wrong ,
Its all about love HG,what else?
Little do they know in Prague that the heart of Dorothea burns fiercely, N, in debate on the contribution of the history of economic thought to post socialist transitional economies.
Hints and comments on the benefits to pre-transition socialist economies from the history of economic thought will be hoarded for English use in their time of trouble.
Scruton is boring. I'll have something to say about love and conservative politics tomorrow, when my English has reasserted itself.
On the assumptin that you will have the time to see them, the castle, bridge, narrow lanes and the old town square with the ancient clck are not to be missed. I like Prague - one of the most interesting places in eastern Europe. Send us a postcard!
I will, Nomad, and intend to go AWOL to see the lovely city.
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