Fight dirty or we lose, Milburn tells Labour

[IndianaGreen]

Tony Blair's New Labour have now become the British GOP!

Fight dirty or we lose, Milburn tells Labour

Election boss's secret warning to activists. Polls reveal danger of hung parliament

By Andy McSmith and Francis Elliott
13 February 2005

Alan Milburn secretly told Labour activists yesterday that the party needs to keep up its "dirty tricks'' campaign to raise public interest in the coming general election, or see the Government's 161-seat majority wiped out by a record low turn-out.

Labour's election boss defended the tactics at a private briefing for delegates, after posters attacking the Tory leader Michael Howard and deemed anti-Semitic were withdrawn last week.

Private polling shared with senior cabinet figures last week has led them to believe Labour cannot allow the election to become a referendum on its own performance but must involve the Tories in a political scrap.

<snip>

A drop in turn-out of 4 per cent could leave them with a dangerously thin majority. If turn-out were to fall as low as 50 per cent, Labour could face a nightmare of a hung parliament, forcing it into coalition talks with Charles Kennedy.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=610610

[autorank]

1. That's all Labour has done, at home and overseas. Shame!

[w4rma]

2. A forced coalition with Charles Kennedy would be a good thing.

Especially if both Tories and Labour lose seats and the Lib Dems gain them.

[Spazito]

3. I agree, we have a minority government here in Canada,

and, as a result, the Liberal Government is having to work with our NDP party, the 'left' party, to ensure the government doesn't fall. It also forces the Prime Minister to be much more cautious in his dealings with Bush because he knows Canadians despise Bush and the NDP will vote against the Libs on the issue of MDS and for the government on the issue of gay marriage.

[MrPrax]

5. Really?

Just curious? Which issue has Paul Martin's liberals consulted the NDP over in the minority government again? None...the NDP isn't being consulted on MDS and it's the Bloc that is holding the cards in the 'gay' marriage debate?

But there are a series of issues that the Federal Liberals have simply gone directly to the provinces over and avoided Parliament entirely (medical spending, daycare). They have successfully neutralized the NDP in other words.

In fact the only time the New Dems surface these days is if Broadbent gets on Rick Mercer's show or one of it's caucus members complaining about the heavy handedness of the 'party whip' regarding the upcoming 'gay' vote and how old Jack hasn't really earned the right to be telling anyone in the Party what they can and can't do.

[Spazito]

6. The reason Martin hasn't kissed bush's ass re MDS,,,

is because the NDP and the Bloc have said no so the NDP have definitely had a big effect, imo.

The Daycare is finally being acted on because of pressure from the NDP.

The NDP has been in 'behind the door' negotiations with the Liberals on budget issues as have the Bloc and the faux Conservatives.

[Briar]

4. Dirty politics works

as the US election showed.

So - who's at fault? The politicians who grub for votes in the gutters? The political commentators who doubtless find this more interested than more high minded tactics? Or the voters the parties, with their scaremongering and their vile anti immigrant rhetoric, are aiming to win over?

Doesn't say much for democracy...

[applegrove]

7. I can hear the buzz of the telephone line between Rove & Blair now!!

How pathetic - they cannot win the election on the facts so they have to go into "turn them into patsies mode". What contempt for their people. What utter contempt they have for human beings.

Go Blair! Go get your psychopaths and pull the wool over the eyes of the people who elect you. You obviously hate them or you wouldn't attack the way of life they continuously vote for (a decent way of being).

[IndianaGreen]

8. I still remember watching Blair just before sunrise

celebrating his victory over the ruling Tories led by John Major. It was an exhilarating moment! How far down into the darkness has Blair fallen from that day.

[applegrove]

9. They have the soul's of the politicians - used to be a politician took his

chances in an election. And used to be politicians took responsibility for their actions come election time and accepted defeat and the choice of the electorate.

My, my things have certainly changed.

[ausiedownunderground]

10. Liberal Democrats should do really well as Tories still a bit of a joke!

Blair will probably "hang on" as his majority is sooo large. However Labour will almost certainly be "routed" across the country and a lot of sitting members will loose their seats. Liberal Democrats should get their best result ever although the British electoral system doesn't favour a third party as they do not have a preferrential voting system. However as long as the Tories keep shooting themselves in the foot and Blair keeps "sucking you know who's you now what" they should win the most first past the post seats they've ever had. If the Tories can win some extra seats particularly in the South of England and the Welsh and Scottish Nationalists can grab a few more extra seats then it could be close despite the huge majority Bliar has at the moment.

[non sociopath skin]

11. Dangerous thinking, ADU.

There is as much likelihood that a substantial protest vote by ex-Labour supporters will allow Tory candidates to come through the middle.

I suggest that you also look closely at LibDem policies. They are most decidedly NOT a "a party of the left."

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. The chances of Tories getting an absolute majority are minute

The Lib Dems claim that if there were a hung parliament, they would not necessarily go into coalition with either other main party (assuming the balance wasn't so fine that one of the regional parties couldn't make up the numbers of a majority). But, realistically, the Lib Dem policies are generally closer to Labour than Con (to the left of the Labour leadership, to the right of a lot of Labour members, and to the right of the trade unions, I think). I think they wouldn't form any kind of official coalition with the Tories, and would oppose too many Tory policies for the Tories to be able to govern as a minority (immigration, Europe, tax ...). Labour, on the other hand, might be able to govern as a minority (a lot would depend on the bahaviour of the true left wing Labour MPs).

I still maintain the Lib Dem leadership is to the left of most, if not all, of the Labour cabinet - Blair, Clarke and Milburn certainly; while Brown is interested in redistribution, the Lib Dems would have a more progressive tax system - whether Brown's happy with what Labour have now, or has been foreced into it by Blair, I'm not sure.

[non sociopath skin]

14. The LibDems have had no problem with forming coalitions with the Tories .

... on local councils and would, I maintain, have no problem with doing so nationally.

We know, don't we, that there is a battle currently being fought for the LibDems' soul, not unlike the one which gave birth do the New Labour travesty. If the Young Turks are successful, then what price the more progressive tax system?

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. The similarity between the Lib Dem and Labour split

is part of what makes a coalition between the 2 look more likely than one between the Lib Dems and Tories. The parties now occupy roughly the same spectrum in economic terms - apart from the longstanding Labour 'true left'. But the currently dominant Lib Dems are to the left of their party, while the dominant Labourites are on the right of theirs.

I think Labour tends to be a bit more socially authoritarian, and the Lib Dems more liberal. Tory libertarians are not in control of their party now, and I don't think the Lib Dems could form a coalition with the Conservative authoritarians at national level, where things like social and European policy are important.

[non sociopath skin]

17. I hear what you say, Mu ....

... but I have no intention of giving the opportunity for a Tory-LibDem coalition.

The Skin

[IndianaGreen]

13. Blair's bankrupt New Labour is using the fear of the Tories

to cling to power, just as Bush as used the fear of terrorism to get elected in 2004. Down with Blair and Bush! They are both war criminals that should be behind bars.

[non sociopath skin]

15. And a very real fear it is, as anyone in a rustbelt area of the UK ....

... will tell you.

So, Indiana, which of the realistic options would you like to see for the UK?

You Americans had a viable option in Kerry. We don't.

The Skin