General Election to be called on 01/03/2010

The Conservative lead in the opinion polls has all but disappeared. The Conservative Party are lurching to the right looking to appeal to traditional voters. Surely now is the time to call the election. The political blogs were brimming with speculation about the possibility of the election being confirmed this weekend.

Has the date already been decided? Gordon should go for it now. My prediction is - and has been for 18 months - for a hung parliament. Where we go from that, who knows?

A Tale of Two Tories

One day. Two Tory MPs. Two opposite ends of the media spectrum. Left-wing BBC morning radio show, and right-wing online churnalism. Two opposite ends of the political spectrum. The same political party. The Conservative Party. Who's tale is the truth?

Sir Nicholas Winterton and his ranting rage against the British public, a public who dare question why the tax-payer should fund his first-class rail travel. He claims that it would not be possible for the poor soul to get on with his important work while mixing with the masses in standard class. Oh no, not at all, we just pay the £300 difference. How could he possibly afford it on his measly MPs salary.

Darty David Cameron is next - did you know he was a huge fan of slobbing out with a Guinness and watching the darts on TV. A 'man of the people ya know'. A right royal John Smith. A Jonesey. Every-man's man. Or that is what he would have us believe. Or worse than that - this image is what his paid advisers have advised him to want to have us believe. Keeping up? No, nor me.

Anyway the crucial point is which version of Tory principle and character is the true one*? Well even the Daily Mail bunch on the bottom of the online article have ganged up on Darty David. They don't believe a word he says.

The reaction to Sir Nicholas' anger is wholly different. We know he is speaking his mind. That's the point. He is leaving parliament at the next election, so can say whatever he likes, like when you tell colleagues the truth you have been thinking all along the day you leave a job. No comeback. Not for him. But will this have a negative impact on the general election - it might stick in the mind of a few voters who refuse to accept the Tory "we are your friends, we can be who you want us to be" approach.

As long as the Tories don't forget 'the standard class' if they are elected.

*This article written on Tank the Tories highlights brilliantly the 'true face of David Cameron'

Cameron - ITV 'primetime' slot?

So after the vitriol, anger and electioneering accusations levelled at Gordon Brown after his appearance on ITV on Sunday evening, mainly from Tory blogs, newspapers and supporters, it seems the same is going to happen with David Cameron. Taking advantage of your dead children and your family? Using your friends to come across well? Some of the disgusting comments made against Brown; even from the mainstream journalists (Quentin Letts) on Radio Five in particular.

This is all nonsense of course. No-one forced anyone to watch it. Brown came across well, and I am sure Cameron will or would do just the same if he were to do a similar programme. Both have had tragic episodes in their life, and if they would ever take advantage of it to secure an extra couple of votes, they should be ashamed of themselves, and disowned by their current wife's and children! Seriously!

Personalities, life experience and personal opinions will always affect how you judge a politician, and they are one of the only professions that have to be 'judged'. However, the only issue that should really matter, with any vote you cast, is the policies and principles of the parties you choose to vote for. Bear that in mind next time you see or hear about the next episode of 'Gordon and Sarah' on 'Living' or 'Cameron in Ibiza' on his beloved Sky One.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a203381/david-cameron-for-itv-primetime-slot.html

A letter from David Cameron - The NHS

Have you received your David Cameron letter yet? You know the one, everybody I have met in the last six months has got one, flashy NHS leaflet, photos of him rubbing shoulders with the doctors and nurses in the NHS, smiling with cheese, ending the letter with "I'll look forward to hearing from you soon", all very pleasant stuff. Except, and this is the give-away, the Conservative Party do not believe in the National Health Service.

Too cynical I hear you cry? Dave will "cut the deficit - not the NHS", the Tories will increase spending year on year. Dave wants a "world class NHS". Garbage, he might increase spending, but not for the NHS itself. Ill let Richard the blogger explain (and his blog has some outstanding, in-depth, detailed analysis of Tory Health proposals.)

"Whenever possible, we will ensure that national public health initiatives funded by public money are paid for on the basis of the results they achieve. … By paying organisations running national campaigns by the results they achieve, we can encourage such innovation and improve the value we get from the money spent on public health."

This is clearly indicating that a Conservative Government will franchise public health responsibilities to new private corporations: these are private super-nannies who will tell you what you should eat and drink: "public health initiatives funded by public money".

http://torylies.blogspot.com/2010/01/conservative-public-health-green-paper.html

The key wording is, as Richard quite rightly points out, public health initiatives. These will be private companies.

"PRIVATISATION AGENDA

The first thing that is extremely obvious is the Conservatives intend to have a much larger involvement of private suppliers in the NHS. The manifesto is littered with terms like "any willing provider", "choose any healthcare provider", "new independent and voluntary sector providers", "allow new providers" and "encouraging hospitals to compete for patients".

There we go, an old political trick, don't say the actual word 'privatisation', just use other double-speak phrases to mask your real intentions. Not a solely Tory practice, as we found with the spinning of Alastair Campbell et al, but is hugely significant in this mirror image of what the Conservative Party truly intend to do to the National Health Service.

I really do urge you to read the blog written by Richard, it is full of clear explanations about the intentions the Tories have regarding the 'world class' NHS Dave C so clearly loves.

http://torylies.blogspot.com/2010/01/conservative-public-health-green-paper.html

"The Conservatives originally promised an extra 45,000 single rooms at a cost of £1.5 billion, but on the 7 January when pressed on this figure David Cameron admitted that it was not achievable and said that it was simply an "aspiration". Here was Cameron admitting that the manifesto has at least one policy that could not be achieved, a Conservative lie

If we have learnt anything from the expenses scandal it is that the public want politicians to be honest and open. The fact that the "draft manifesto" includes policies that cannot be achieved shows that it is neither honest nor open.

CONCLUSION

There is very little of worth in the Conservative "draft manifesto" on health, but there is a lot to be worried about. First it shows the natural inclination in Cameron for centralising power, next it shows his zeal for privatisation and finally it shows dishonesty by claiming Labour policies as theirs and including unobtainable policies. It is clear that the only people who will benefit from these policies are the private healthcare providers. This is not a manifesto for the NHS it is a manifesto for private healthcare."