The one thing that is politically certain in this country is that whatever illiberal nonsense the Lib Dems spout, it's not going to actually happen. They being terminally unelectable and all that, despite a propensity to jump on every bandwagon whilst simultaneously attempting to sit on a multitude of fences when tackled.
It's working wonders for them electorally, of course. Despite Labour imploding, their Euro election share fell by 1.2%.
Perhaps Labour have noticed this rejection of social democratic policies, for they have embarked on an odd charm offensive in recent days. In many areas, they are actually proposing to ease up on kicking us in the balls for a bit. Yes, seriously.
However, as Letters From A Tory pointed out, it's easy to promise such things when they aren't going to be in government anyway.
•Gordon Brown promised union leaders on Tuesday that he would legislate for new employment rights for our 1.3 million agency and temporary workers in the next parliamentary session, but internal government documents suggest that they will not come into force until after April 2011
•Ministers admitted this week that the Government cannot afford to meet a previous manifesto commitment to extend maternity leave from nine months to a year, so it’s been postponed indefinitely
•The much-vaunted statutory crackdown on pubs and clubs through a new mandatory code of conduct has been delayed indefinitely, even though Gordon Brown promised to bring it in just five months ago
•The implementation of a ban on cigarette displays in supermarkets will not come into force until 2011
•The new right for fathers to claim up to six months’ paternity leave is also being delayed until April 2011
2011 features quite prominently, does it not? In their dreams mainly. Go Fourth is a nifty slogan, but the electorate will be finishing that biblical sentence come the next election.
As the Lib Dems worked out years ago, you can promise anything you like if there is no possible chance that you will be asked to deliver. It would seem that Labour's national exec are aping this approach as the electorate schmoozing is continuing apace.
Jack Straw calls for heroin on NHS
JACK STRAW, the justice secretary, has called for the NHS to give out heroin on prescription to addicts for whom other forms of treatment have failed.
He claims “imaginative” solutions to hard-drug abuse are needed and believes there could be “huge benefits” to issuing the drug to chronic addicts.
Good call, Jack. Chances of it being enacted before the next election? Nil. Especially when your party are well down the road of criminalising legal substances too.
Ed Balls is on message as well.
ED BALLS, the schools secretary, last night became the first minister to spell out how Labour would make spending cuts, announcing plans to axe thousands of school staff and restrain public sector pay.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Balls detailed more than £2 billion of cost savings worth 5% of the total schools budget.
“It is going to be tougher on spending over the next few years,” said Balls. The squeeze will begin after 2011.
So ... err ... more fantasy.
These bribes will continue to be fed to the MSM in a vain attempt by Labour to reverse out of the cul-de-sac into which their policies have chauffeured them.
Some will be fooled and believe that the party has changed, that they are beginning to care about those they have demonised and punished in 13 brutal years at the helm. The more enlightened will remember that even when faced with a potential victory, Labour ditch promises very quickly once elected.
Referendum, anyone? Partial smoking ban? And the bloody rest.
They are lying fuckers, and never let it be forgotten.
We will, fortunately, never get to see if the Lib Dims would implement their daft policy ideas. However, with Labour, we have proof that they lie on a regular basis and once elected, just do as they damn well please.
It's a clever ploy from Labour to limit the destruction which they have brought upon themselves by way of reliance on yes men, fake charity input, omission of the public on decision-making, and bare-faced spin. The reaction is to follow the route of the Lib Dems and promise where it is clear they have no will, or capacity, to deliver.
Voting for some mythical Lib Dim initiative is merely jolly naïveté, not too damaging. However, being taken in by Labour promises is dangerously irresponsible. They have form. Don't fall for it.
