Opinion: As the EU in / or referendum hots up Tory PM David Cameron is sharing a platform with Labour's new London Mayor Sadiq Khan but it is not a good look.
Catching a news clip Cameron announcing Khan as the son of a bus driver and himself as the son of a stockbroker was a new low. Slippery Cameron is well practised at using people and this time he is using Khan. It may be by mutual agreement but is damaging. Those who claim the EU referendum is so important party politics are abandoned haven't got a clue how most people's minds work. It looks like throwing your hand in with the devil and alienates many. Those in the so-called Westminster bubble, and this time we include paid political employees around the country, may be applauding but many ordinary folk and a fair few members of both parties will grimace. We have already seen images of an EU referendum photo-shoot with Dodgy Dave Cameron standing above former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown and former Labour leader Neil Kinnock. All three men were laughing but Cameron, used to offering style over substance, was strategically placed standing over the two-seated former leaders to look like he was in charge. One man is at least for now sticking to his guns and refusing to campaign across political boundaries and that is Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. While some have criticised Corbyn for taking that stance his principled determination offers a shining light of hope; hope that there is at least one person in British politics that is not for sale to the highest bidder. Make no mistake there are fortunes to be made or lost in politics and on the EU referendum. Bookies stand a chance of raking money in but so do others. These days it appears as if in many cases politicians and policy advisers in government are bought. You only have to look at policies such as fracking, which is not the best or cleanest way forward in the search for new green energy but is the government's choice. Someone somewhere is making big money out of each and every decision that will be made politically on fracking or else why is the government risking areas of the UK? In 2013 " Lord Howell, Tory, was forced to apologise after insensitive comments regarding fracking. Lord Howell of Guildford, Essex, told a shocked House of Lords fracking should happen in the North East because it is filled with "desolate areas". The gasps his words received should have warned the Lord that he had gone too far but it was probably water of a duck's, or should that be Lord's, back. He carried on digging himself into a huge hole. Perhaps he was looking for shale gas in the House of Lords?" Lord Howell is a former Tory energy minister and George Osborne’s father-in-law. Is there any wonder the electorate is sick to death of politicians and politics and tends to steer well clear of both? Too many people have been left believing our politicians are all the same meaning Jeremy Corbyn is a breath of fresh air to us all or rather he should and could be if in and out party backstabbing was controlled. Crossing swords at the weekend with one Labour MP and a Labour councillor in a Labour Party Forum on Facebook this writer was left in no uncertain terms that she was being derided. It was a double-sided attack and looking at timelines on Twitter it seemed booze may have been playing a part. Confessing that before last year she had never heard of Jeremy Corbyn she was mocked. She was trying to make a point but gave up. (Serious debate was not on the cards. After all she had posted a link to our report and obviously hit a nerve). She is one of that breed of working-class women who has worked for a living never expecting or receiving helping hands along the way. She has always had an interest in politics but no time to hand over apart from consistently voting for the Labour Party. To be fair she was not ambitious and opted to work to live not live to work. But should that make her spot ball for two silly young Labour men who should know better? The two men come from the Blairite camp which is relevant. They obviously have old history with Corbyn though it cannot date back very far looking at their images unless they are fake. My point was for most ordinary voters Jeremy Corbyn was an unknown quantity. They or we will judge him on his actions now. That is why constant undermining by highly paid Labour MPS and others directly linked to the party who are feeding the mainstream media a diet of anti-Corbyn drivel are self-servatives and the very people voters like to say are "all the same". But back to Sadiq Khan. Ed Miliband was persuaded to join forces with Cameron and hot foot it to Scotland to try and impact on the independence referendum. When that referendum was over and Cameron began breaking promises and screwing with the Scottish people their anger turned toward the Labour Party and Ed Miliband. David Cameron was re-elected in the 2015 General Election and as they say the rest is history. Khan may feel he is sitting comfortable as he has just won the London Mayoral election but and it is a big but. During the mayoral race the Tories including Cameron ran a dirty campaign. They accused Khan of sharing a platform with Hamas; of sharing a platform with extremists and I had to note Monday he is now sharing with the biggest extremist of them all David Cameron. The Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith played it dirty from day one but after the election his friends tried blaming campaign managers. While there is something appealing about playing the bigger man or woman joining forces with David Cameron however briefly does not fall into that category. It is many things but overall it is a terrible image. Perhaps Khan does not care as the main damage could be to Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters? The MSM now claim that Khan as mayor is on a footing with the Prime Minister but that is bunkum. All that does is say once again North of Watford clear off. People like this writer living well outside of London will shake our heads in dismay. Twitter Bank Holiday Monday - David Cameron Verified account @David_Cameron 7h Today Sadiq Khan and I will set aside our differences to show how remaining in Europe guarantees we are better off. Is that the Royal WE?
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Op-ed: The blistering attacks against Jeremy Corbyn continue this time with Lord Alan Sugar leading the charge. With such a short time left before local elections in May undermining the Labour leadership and spearheading a leadership coup seems the prime objective. The attitude shown toward Jeremy Corbyn by some highlights that people like Sugar will never accept him as party leader. Sugar quit Labour when Ed Miliband was party leader over alleged anti-business politics. Like many on the rich side of life they do not want a Labour Party that even inches over to the left. So it is no surprise that he attacks Labour with Mr Corbyn at the helm. Sadly he and other dissenters have a loud voice in the mainstream media in effect manipulating the electorate. This time Sugar is voicing his concerns over the upcoming election for mayor of London. He has attacked Labour candidate Sadiq Khan presumably preferring fat cat Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith. Sugar may claim to be a non-affiliated Peer these days but he is a Conservative in all but name or maybe his only affiliation is Alan Sugar? Either way the big winner from mainstream media attacks on the Corbyn leadership is the Tory government. The big loser is 'we the people'. The Jewish News reports "The billionaire businessman accused Mr Khan of being personally responsible for wrecking the Labour Party as Lord Sugar branded the City Hall favourite and Jeremy Corbyn the “Laurel and Hardy” of politics. Lord Sugar, who quit Labour to become a non-affiliated peer in protest at what he called its anti-business stance under Ed Miliband, warned Mr Khan would be a disaster for London if he wins the May 5 showdown with Tory Zac Goldsmith." Sugar was writing in Murdoch's Sunday Times and the Jewish News was quick to follow on. They posted a piece damning Khan, Ed Miliband and Corbyn claiming "labour now welcomes anti-Semites and terrorist sympathisers to its ranks, the TV star warned." It is a hate filled piece but if you are a Labour Party member or supporter be careful how you respond. Those with their own agenda are quick to shout anti-Semitism. It seems it is fine to call those of the left of Labour the 'hard' left with the obvious connotations but not to call those from the Blairite camp attacking the Corbyn leadership ' bitterites'. And of course the Tories love and welcome Sugar's distraction coming at a time when that party is split over Europe and not fit for government. Sugar is quoted as saying “Under Corbyn, the lunatics have truly taken over the asylum" which is divisive and biased. Those on the left will simply explain they are turning the Labour party back to its roots and changing it from a second class Tory party to a real party of the people. Sadiq Khan is from the Muslim faith and Alan Sugar the Jewish faith-that should not be relevant but these days it is. Last week David Cameron used parliamentary privilege to launch an attack on Khan and as always he uses the mainstream media as a drip feed. Guess he will be sending Sugar a thank you note then. Jewish News Cameron called racist but allowed free rein by Bercow |
British political scene
The next General Election in the UK may not be scheduled any time soon but the British political landscape is changing. With that in mind this blog will concentrate on the political scene but with a left wing perspective. Opinion pieces and news will bring you the stories that the MSM prefer to ignore. Archives
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