Labour's Dark Side

David Cameron's New Year's message was published last night, ahead of Blair's later today. He said that 2007 would be the year that Labour's "dark side", in the shape of Brown, would initiate the politics of fear and negative campaigning.

Brown's welfare policies were the main target of the speech, with Cameron framing the ideological battle as being between:

"Labour's state control versus Conservative social responsibility."

In another welcome sign that DC is recognising the importance of strivers since his promise of a grittier second year, he went on to say the Party would side with "working people, not rich and powerful vested interests."  [Related ConservativeHome link from August: It's time for Dave to hug-a-striver].

Civitas' Director, David Green, captures the idea of strivers in his excellent article for today's Sunday Telegraph:

"A free society allows everyone, whether their origins are humble or mighty, to discover their personal best. For anyone with talent, it means the chance to strive for the heights of human accomplishment in any walk of life, from making scientific discoveries that vanquish disease to using words, paint, stone or music to encapsulate truth and beauty."

But a letter to The Observer has a different take on the concept:

"Economic growth not only fails to deliver happiness but it encourages us to be miserable. The capitalist system's survival depends on us all being discontented and permanently striving. If we are unhappy with the way we look, we will buy cosmetics and clothes; if we think our homes aren't up to much, we will continually re-decorate and buy new furniture"

That's materialism, not striving. Brown's failed methods have done untold damage to what Green calls "private action for public good" - to the desire and potential to work hard for society rather than getting whatever you can out of it.

Cameron's team have hit on the Dark Side's biggest weakness.

Deputy Editor

11am postscript: The Sunday Telegraph is reporting that Gordon Brown is planning a humbler, more austere Downing Street.  There'll be fewer political advisers in the Alastair Campbell mould and power will be returned to civil servants.  "You will not see the new prime minister holidaying at the home of a Bee Gee or Sir Cliff Richard," a senior MP told The Sunday Telegraph.  [No ManBoobs then!]   Brownites Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper and Ed Milliband are all tipped to join the Cabinet along with Blairites James Purnell and Liam Byrne.  Armstrong, Falconer, Jowell, Hutton and Prescott will all depart the Cabinet table.

Comments

[Anthony Broderick]

Good piece. I too recommend reading Green's article, Cameron is still too fawning of Brown's but at least he's talking a good talk.

[Ruth Turner]

Love the pic, where's it from?!

[Nichola Nickleby]

It will be hard for the Old Etonian, but he really must follow through on with the gritty striver poor over-taxed working man thing. At the mo all us northerners can see is a metropolitan, latte-drinking pretty-boy who seems like a 'nice guy' but is more concerned with fashonable subjects like organic food, gay rights and chocolate oranges, than doing anything about happy-slapping, benefit-fraud and fathers' rights.

[Deputy Editor]

My brother made it for me, Ruth!

[Kit]

With reference to the Observer letter. Capitalism has rid us of poverty, doubled our lifespan, and given us untold wealth. Happiness is something I can find for myself. What is amusing is that socialism, which has failed on every count, is now being touted as the way to create happiness!

[Thesp]

This article ties today's themes together neatly and paints a compelling picture of the future policy agenda. BUT as Anthony said Cameron is talking a good talk about social responsibility; but how can the government 'walk' on this? You could argue that there is no point in taking away an assured system of help from the state just for the sake of hoping non state actors will pick up the baton.

[Voice from the South West]

I think that picture should be used on election literature! Certainly made me smile. :D

[Umbrella Man]

"Labour's Dark Side?"

This is the politics of the playground. What happened to ending Punch & Judy politics? The Tory leadership should be making serious attacks on the Brown record. They will find no shortage of ammunition.

[Annabel Herriott]

Kit, I am now going to put on my(qualified) astrologers hat for two seconds, and I dont care if John Coles has apoplexy!!
The labour party kicked off Feb 12 1906. Aquarian. Neptune, the god of smoke and mirrors, is currently in Aquarius. Blairs moon is 12 degrees of aquarius. So, we cant see what they are up to. Yet. Neptune is more benign form rules ideals. Socialism is ruled by neptune too. They WILL come unstuck as soon as neptune moved out of orb of their stuff. Meanwhile, The tories are ruled by Capricorn, the sign of law and order. Pluto, the god who rules the collective unconscious, moves out of sagittarius, where he has been creating havok, rules expansion and fundamentalism, and into good old Capricorn, giving us a tail wind. This process starts end of jan 2008, 2008 will not be fun, and settles into Capricorn 2009 for around 14 odd years. We will be in power then.
So get ready and post lots and lots of poo poo comments, but keep an eye on your calenders anyway. Tim will probably delete this, in the name of free speech, he only allows the really vitriolic posts to stand, not the quirky ones!! Bless! So of course, socialism is being touted as the route to create happiness. They would say that, wouldnt they??

[Jack Stone]

I would like to know why there is no report on this site as there is on the BBC site of the ICM poll showing the partys opinon poll lead growing. I am sure it would have been lead story if it had shown the reverse.

[Deputy Editor]

Jack, are you referring to the 40% one that was conducted almost two weeks ago?

[Anthony Broderick]

Editor, I respect your liberal approach to comment moderation but Astrology has no relevance here - is that comment not a valid candidate for deletion?

[Daniel VA]

Jack, the BBC item you refer to is from Wednesday 20th December.

[Sean Fear]

Kit, I'm sure that the Observer letter-writer thinks we'd all be much happier dwelling in caves - so long as the mammoth meat was divided up equally.

[simon]

Gordon Brown has a 'dark side' then...Use the 'force' DC! What next? A GB-DC light sabre battle during the election campaign? Surely DC's team are struggling for the soundbites! Here's a suggestion- i) a poster of GB's face imposed on Pte Frazer's body with the caption- 'me as PM? we're Doomed!'

[Editor]

Thank you Anthony. I can't say I share any of Annabel's belief in astrology and she is guilty of posting off-topic but I'll ignore that on this occasion.

[David Cooper]

Simon @ 12.48: good one - here's mine - a PPB starting with a blank screen and a voiceover comprising Tony Blair's comments at PM's Questions about how David Cameron would one day find himself knocked out by a Great Big Clunking Fist. Cut to a spooky forest at midnight with a shrouded Neanderthal figure stomping through the trees. Introductory music - the opening drumbeat and initial crashing power chord of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" (now I'm really showing my age) - then cut to the shrouded figure as his booming metallic voice calls out "I Am Clunking Fist." (Plenty of inspiration in Jeff Randall's original Telegraph article to complete the PPB.) Best saved for the day after Gordon Brown takes over, assuming that's what 2007 will bring.

[Simon]

Ta Dave! Could have fun for hours with this! Another one- a PPB with pics of GB looking dour and full of gloom. Over the pics - all the tax rises he's implemented with a total going up,and up! Music playing- 'Happiness' by Ken Dodd! Or a collage of all the Bliar / GB spats- music playing- Russ Abbot's classic 'Atmosphere'! PS: who's Black Sabbath?

[TomTom]

Another one- a PPB with pics of GB looking dour and full of gloom.

It is only you groupies that watch PPBs or read the junk mail the postman is paid to stuff through the letterbox and the council is charged to recycle.

Most people out there in Realworld don't care about PPBs and watch Freeview and Satellite to escape them

[Scotty]

I think that Cameron's team have hit on the perfect soundbite for a Brown led Labour government.
We have had the "am an ordinary guy" fronting the party for the last 10 years, now we have the puppet master or Sith lord who has been hiding in the shadows finally making it to No10.

[Matt Davis]

Jack Stone finally conclusively proves his credentials to replace Ming Campbell as Leader of the Libdems: Irredeemably left wing and 10 Days behind the rest of us. Go on Jack apply, after all who's the competition, Lembit Opick?

[Andrew]

Urrrgh - why bring up the idea of GB's man-boobs? That's beyond repulsive, and it's going to stick in my head :-((

HNY all.

[Sally Roberts]

Delighted to see you show your magnanimous side Editor! Annabel's post may have been a tad off-topic but it was certainly interesting!!