The Week in Politics
• Alistair Darling delivered his pre-Budget Report, getting a 66 per cent score from Left Foot Forward for his troubles. Among the main announcements were a 50 per cent tax on bankers’ bonuses – criticised by both the Tories and Lib Dems – a 0.5 per cent increase in National Insurance contributions from 2011 and a rise in VAT back to 17.5 per cent. There had been talk of a widespread rift between the Prime Minister and Chancellor, flatly denied by the man himself who today said:
“Alistair Darling and I have worked together for many, many years, and we worked closely together and continue to do so. I want to praise him for the pre-Budget report that he has given.”
• After months of anticipation, the Copenhagen summit finally began on Monday, with Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, in an exclusive article for Left Foot Forward, writing:
“Whether these talks succeed or fail, the world will be transformed by the middle of this century. Our choice is how. We can choose a future we want for ourselves and our children or we can let events choose a less positive future for us.”
Today, Britain and France led the European Union in committing more than €2bn (£1.8bn) a year to help poorer countries cope with global warming, though delegates from developing countries remain frustrated at the perceived lack of progress, pace and urgency in the negotiations. Left Foot Forward will continue to bring you all the latest from our reporters in Copenhagen, and on Sunday we will publish an exclusive poll examining public attitudes to climate change and Copenhagen.
• The latest tranche of expenses revelations emerged yesterday, with “Labour toff” Quentin Davies’s £20,000 bill to repair a bell tower the most flagrant example of abuse. Tory toff George Osborne, meanwhile, did his Bullingdon best to live up to his image by claiming for a chimney sweep – that’s right, a chimney sweep. In 2009. Vote Blue, go Dickens…
Progressives of the week
Tuvalu, the tiny Pacific island idyll, winners of the first ever “Ray of the Day” award at the climate change summit in Copenhagen for standing up to the big boys and refusing to back down from demanding a legally-binding deal, saying:
“We cannot accept your ruling on this matter. This issue is too important for us. We cannot accept an informal process.”
Regressive of the week
Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, who this week voiced his outrage at the Environmental Protection Agency’s ruling that greenhouse gases are dangerous to human health; I mean, how dare they? Who do these scientists think they are to contradict a climate-denying congressman from Wisconsin?! A man in the pocket of big business who has made several overseas trips paid for by lobbyists, in clear breach of congressional rules.
Evidence of the week
The Met Office data which predicts 2010 to be the hottest year on record – shattering the spin of the Sensenbrenners of this world who believe 1998 marked the end of global warming. They Met also predict that half the years in the next decade will be warmer than 1998. As we will explain (again) the past decade has seen some of the highest temperatures ever recorded:
The eight warmest years in the 150 global temperature record are, according to the Hadley Center, in order, 1998, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2007. It’s a fact that this is the hottest decade in recorded history.
Seeemplez!
What’s trending on Twitter
Politically, the most popular item on twitter this week was the pre-Budget Report, predictions, commentary and reactions to Wednesday’s announcement. Here is a selection of the best:
@KerryMP: Osborne says can choose Lab route out of recovery or Tory route – presumably stopping to refuel in Cayman Islands en route to Belize. #pbr09
@TheTaxBuzz: Bankers bonus tax charge goes wider than announced in #PBR09. Will hit asset managers, hedge funds, private equity and more.
@AmyLTaylor: Good to see that everyone’s main concern, bingo, has been handled by the government. http://trunc.it/3xfj1 #pbr09
@ToryTavern: Wahey! Jacqui Smith’s on the telly! Perhaps her husband could swap porn for bingo? #pbr09
@warrenmorgan: #PBR09 the serious Chancellor has sat down and the schoolboy debating team captain is reading his soundbites.
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13 Responses to “Look Left – The Week in Fast Forward”
Anon E Mouse
Liz – The point of the list is to show that before Labour start their stupid class attack they should think ahead and remember Nantwich and Crewe and the hypocrisy this list shows – but they won’t.
I don’t need to produce a list of either Tories or right wingers since it is only Labour that will make the class mistake (again).
In 1964 when Labour brought in Grammars they said they would raise the standards of comprehensives/secondary moderns but never did – and before you say anything about comps, like council houses, more were built under Tory governments.
I think that Labour have no choice in the class bit – their internal polling has told them the truth about the polls – they know it won’t be a vote for the Tories that finishes them but the collapse of the core Labour vote.
There was a time around here when a monkey in a red shirt would be elected but not any longer so if the class card can shore up part of the core vote then it’s worth a shot but it won’t work.
The big problem Labour have is Brown. They have to devise a way to have the hustings without him because (as again their internal polling shows) he is Labour’s biggest liability.
Like their colour, people have no choice in their background so to attack them on it is petty and unfair – especially considering the people in the list above.
Personally I am not fussed on anyones colour or background and just believe that decency would prevent any mention of it but you just know Brown will go for it – he has nothing left in the locker as they say.
I always remember Dr.King – “Judge my children by the contents of their character and not the colour of their skin”.
Shamik Das
This fixation of yours with Gordon Brown, it’s not healthy! You’re being completely unfair to blame everything that’s gone wrong on him, not that I accept for one second that it’s all doom and gloom, but in your mind to focus solely on him is not pretty.
Liz McShane
Anon – I think you mean more council houses were sold on the cheap under the Tories.
Anon E Mouse
Shamik – I focus on him because he’s the Prime Minister and ultimately the buck stops there. I also dislike the way he stabbed Tony Blair in the back to get rid of him – what I’m saying is his character is at fault and he’s going to cost us the election. He’s useless. Always was.
We need a total clear out of this lot and a new batch, you Shamik, Will Straw, Liz McShane – your age group I mean will form what will become New New Labour – you get the point – “A Change Is Gonna Come”.
Call it progressives, whatever but already without being overt just the postings you all make on this blog and the fact this blog exists shows that despite a European move to the right there is a future for Left of Centre politics.
Although I think that the Tory bloggers run rings around you at least LFF has a fair crack at original pieces which is good and you also respond to posts people make.
Remember Shamik that the reason that Blair was ultra successful as a PM was his ability to be inclusive and to get the electorate behind him.
I know the position on this blog is to be supportive of Climate Change stuff and I realise you honestly believe all you are told – fine – we will agree to disagree but remember you do not want to alienate the majority of the electorate by using such silly terms as “Denier” and the like. It just isn’t clever. Brown may do it but he’s the past – you may be the future.
Blair would never have been so crass and if I were writing articles for this blog, I would be far more temperate in my language, irrespective of the point to be made.
You don’t see it now because you are all way too partisan but for Labour it *needs* to be over and I say that coming from a family who have never voted anything but Labour.
Liz – More council houses were built under the Tories. I agree it may have been to sell them cheaply and create more Tories but there you go…
Anon E Mouse
Shamik – Last post here I promise!
I actually equally dislike an awful lot of Labour MP’s – it’s not just Brown.
I like a fair few as well, Charles Clarke types – thinkers not soundbiters.