Tony Blair's right about some things

I must admit that I bought the Blair memoirs today (half-price) and watched his BBC interview with Andrew Marr. I am also not afraid to say - even as a staunch Conservative - that I do have some admiration for the former Prime Minister.

Tony Blair was a brilliant Politician in that he transformed the Labour Party, was a great orator and knew how to win elections. But, he was a much worse Prime Minister. He failed to stand up to Gordon Brown, and as a result, important public sector reforms were carried out half-heartedly, if not shelved. He also was unable to convince the British Public about the Iraq war, partly because there was too much 'spinning' - as to what was really going on - from his Downing Street henchmen. Blair did have the grace to acknowledge that in the early years he 'tried to please all the people all of the time'. This had been a mistake and inevitably politics was about difficult choices - many of which people would either support or oppose.



Nevertheless, on TV, Mr Blair was right about a number of things: He reminded the world about the threat of Iran and of extreme Islamism. I agree when he said that military action against Iran may be necessary, in order to stop the fundamentalist regime from acquiring the bomb. He was correct also in stating that Islamist fundamentalism is the major threat of our time: the West had to confront it rather than appease it.

The former PM, also said some important things about the future of the Labour movement. Urging the party not to go back to election defeat 'default mechanism' and revert to 'old Labour', he pleaded with his former colleagues to continue to be radical and embrace public sector reform. Of course, the Labour party are doing the exact opposite: opposing cutting the deficit, setting themselves against change to public services and opposing the people power reforms of local democracy and the big society. Whilst Tony Blair moves towards the centre right of British politics, Labour continues to move leftwards.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

How the Labour Party has collapsed

I just read a remarkable article on the Internet. It shows just how deep Labour's decline has become. You can see it HERE.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

After the European Elections

In my last posting, I mentioned the good results the Conservatives had in the elections for Essex County Council. This was repeated in the European Elections, with Conservatives coming top in Harlow and across the Eastern Region in general. Nevertheless, looking at the European results again in the cold light of day, it was clear that there was a big swing against the established parties, in favour of some of the smaller fringe parties. I am not surprised that this has ocurred given the expenses scandal in Parliament, and the anger felt by everyone to some of the abuse of taxpayer's money by some of our more greedy MPs.

The good thing about democracy, and particularly mid-term elections, is that it allows everyone to register a protest and say "enough is enough".I wish, though, the BNP had not had had such a good showing - including winning two Euro-Parliamentary seats in the North of England from Labour. The BNP stand for the politics of hatred and division and must be confronted head-on. The Government's failure to develop a coherent immigration policy, its appeasement of extremist Islamism and its populist rhetoric (remember when Gordon Brown said "British jobs for British workers" - now a BNP election slogan), explains some of the rise in BNP vote.

But it was not just expenses or immigration issues that people were voting about: the broken economy, rising crime, failing public services, and disenchantment with Gordon Brown were all motivating factors. For my part, as Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Harlow, it is my job to persuade the voting public, that the only way to get rid of Gordon Brown and the Labour Government is by voting Conservative. The local and European results were an important step in acheiving that goal.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Labour Complacency over the nightmare Budget

I have written to the local papers today about the Budget, and I thought you might like to see what I have said. My main point is that the Labour MP and the Government seem incredibly complacent as to how just bad things are. They need to get out of their Ministerial cars and see what is really happening on the ground. My letter is below:

Dear Sir

I realise that Bill Rammell is Foreign Minister and has to frequently travel around the globe, but after his recent comments regarding the Budget, no wonder people ask what planet are he and his Labour Government living on?

On Saturday, I met a couple in Bush Fair, one of whom had just been made redundant. He was now added to the over 2.1 million unemployed, and was finding it tough even to get a part-time job. The empty shops in Broadwalk and elsewhere, not forgetting the huge house repossession rates in Harlow, just show the damage that the Government’s economic policies have done.

Last week’s Budget, far from alleviating the problem, makes a bad situation even worse. Every child born in Harlow and the surrounding villages will come into this world with a debt of £22,500. If this were not bad enough, not only has Gordon Brown increased taxes – yet again – on fuel, alchohol and tobacco, but every person earning just over £ 20,000 will have to pay increased National Insurance Tax, Yet the NHS is facing a £2.3 billion cut. The tax increases will amount to £1,000 on every Harlow family over the next two years.

This should have been a Budget that got to grips with national debt – now at the worst level since the Second World War. It should have offered tax cuts for small firms to take on new employees, and a proper national loan guarantee scheme to get credit flowing again. Above all, it should have set the path to more efficient lower tax economy – whilst protecting vital services. It is a great shame that Labour’s budget was such a missed opportunity to put things right.

Yours sincerely

Robert Halfon - Prospective MP for Harlow Constituency

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Labour's Alan B'stard

Although only recently having reached the age of just 40, I remember well the last years of the Conservative Government, leading up to Labour's election victory in 1997. Far more damaging to the Tories - and much more deadly than anything Tony Blair did - was TV satire. Over the years of Government, House of Cards, Alan B'stard and Harry Enfield's Tory Boy, all gave the impression - however unjust and unfair - to the watching millions, that Conservatives were heartless, thoughtless and cruel. This image lingered long into the dark years of opposition, and it is to David Cameron's credit, that he has done so much to change this.

I thought of these characters as I watched In the Loop, this weekend. Instead of Tories being at the butt end of satire, it was Labour and the spin machine. A hapless Minister, a scheming Special Adviser, and two spin doctors, of the type that we knew about during the Blair years, and heard so much about over the past fortnight. In the Loop is all the more remarkable, because it achieves in mirror image what the programmes, I mentioned above, did to the Conservatives. The film, effectively destroys New Labour and exposes how the spin machine has corrupted government. It is so accurate, that, were it not for the black humour, you think you might be watching a documentary. Through entertainment and comic genius, In the Loop, does more to question the integrity of New Labour, than almost any other critique. Let us hope the DVD is out soon.

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com