Channel Four's dispatches programme tonight "Toff at the Top" will highlight, in Peter Hitchens view, that rather than having a real opposition now, all we have is an alternative version of the same thing.
For what it is worth, I agree with the premise of the show. I will mightily underwhelmed when Labour were elected in 1997. Friends of mine were delighted at the fresh new broom that would change political life, whilst as far as I could see New Labour was morally vacuous and stood for nothing more than being in power.
There are some interesting points made by Peter Hitchens on the Channel Four Website, particularly his view that Cameron will say anything got appeal to a given audience. This is taken form the website;
"In 1996, David Cameron urged that criminals be forced to carry out public works, such as cleaning graffiti or clearing litter, in "distinctive uniforms." And during 2000 he repeatedly attacked Tony Blair over his plans to abolish Section 28, accusing him of the "promotion of homosexuality in schools" and of being "anti-family."
Compare this to his "hug a hoodie" rhetoric and his claims that the Conservative Party accepts anybody and everybody. Certainly what Cameron says now can not be reconciled with this.
Perhaps for some, Toff at the Top will be a revelation. As for myself, I have long been of the opinion that Cameron is dangerous. I say this not just as a Lib Dem. I will admit that like "New Labour" did in 1995-97, the Lib Dems will face stiff competition in certain areas from the Tories, but this is not why he is dangerous. He is dangerous because he is another politician that like Blair, will bring politics in to disrepute. He stands for nothing other than trying to sound like he is agreeing with everyone.
So I know what Cameron is, without Peter Hitchens pointing out the obvious. However, I doubt the public will genuinely wake up to the fake and shallow nature of what he is.
4 comments:
Having just watched the show I believe that Cameron is dangerous for British politics. He and his 'Notting Hill Set' beleive in even less then New Labour. What the programme showed is a new polical strategy of media positioning, where a photo opportunity and a favourable media relationship are more important the policies or vision for the country. I dread the idea of Cameron winning the next election. That is why I will vote Lib-dem.
What will it tell us? Not a lot, it transpires. Not much of it was news, and I've seen Hitchens say it all before.
If Hitchens didn't have form as a Cameron hater, I'd wonder if it was a put-up job to remind us of how controversial and un-Conservative Cameron is.
But no, it's just a hate-campaign by the further-right. I was unimpressed.
"He stands for nothing other than trying to sound like he is agreeing with everyone."
Bit ironic for a Lib Dem to say that isn't it?
The problem is that this is a popular mis conception about Lib Dems. At a local level, some Lib Dems do have different messages in different areas. It is not being all things to all people, it is campaigning locally on local issues. However, this is not confined to the Lib Dem. In Norwich, the Conservatives were campaigning against an incinerator being built, even though thte incinerator was going to be built by the tory County Council. Hypocritical or responding to local needs ?
Nationally, the Lib Dems have policies which deal with each and every issue and there is no attempt to appeal to everyone.
What you need to do is separate what is good about David Cameron for the Tory Party and what is good for the country. Is another vacuous Blair-a-like really the answer ?
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