Europe needs to get real on defence; Britain needs to get real on Europe
13 February 2025
There’ll be another New Big Idea along in a moment
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16 February 2010
So the Tories' New Big Idea (NBI) is the Co-op. They say.
Interesting though that the Newsnight report on the NBI used as part of its explanation a film report showing where Labour already does it, and some old shots of Dave making a speech saying much the same thing as he was setting out as the NBI in front of some nice new posters yesterday.
In the old footage he was wearing a poppy, as was Iain Duncan Smith (the renowned Tory explorer who has seemingly made the incredible in-touch discovery of inner city poverty, and the link between sport and health). So it was some time in late October or early November.
After the film there was a discussion between a right-wing think tank person who needs to wash his hair and a left-wing think tank person with a polo neck sweater and a nice manner.
At the end of the programme I was none the wiser as to what the NBI really is.
But it must be great to have the media so in your thrall that you just have to say something is the equivalent of Maggie's council house sales and, even when it isn't, you get lots of coverage for it.
There are so many unanswered questions to his latest NBI that had it been a Labour NBI, ministers would be run ragged trying to fill in the holes.
You watch though. He'll have another NBI soon. It'll be the equivalent of the Big Bang privatisation programme. For at least two bulletins anyway.
In the absence of thought through policies that stand up to scrutiny it is nice to see he is still coming up with new posters as a way of spending some of Ashcroft's dosh. Even nicer to see 'I've never voted Tory before' trending on twitter with hundreds of reasons not to vote Tory.
Yesterday was another one.
*** Buy books and raise cash for Labour. Go to http://www.alastaircampbell.org/bookshop.php. Half of money raised in online sales of The Blair Years, individually signed by AC, goes to the Labour Party.
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Unsurprising the Tories are coming out with this, after all they’ve spent 12 years learning from New Labour.
Conservative Co-operative Movement set up in 2007 – so far it has no members, never had an AGM and the Tory leadership has appointed the 2 chairs.
I wonder if Labour are going to come up with any new ideas – big or small. Would be interesting to hear. The only thing Labour seem to be working on at the minute is Gordon’s personality and PR. I thought he was supposed to be a man of substance? Not use his kids as props etc etc. Looking forward to reading the Rawnsley book in due course.
Hope you’re feeling better after your Marr interview. You came across as unconvincing and manipulative. Not for the first time of course.
It is fascinating how Cameron is sticking to his centrist agenda despite a hugely hostile right wing press. When you have Heffer, Tebbit, Campbell and Toynbee against you – in my book you probably can’t go far wrong.
I hope this comment hasn’t upset you. Just think all those relatives of Iraqi civilians and British troops who died in Iraq must really be feeling your pain right now.
I heard a bit of this myself on the radio, Dave stated “all the evidence shows….”. Well, where is it?
If Dave does want a nice example there’s FC United of Manchester (Dave seems to like visiting the Republic of Mancunia for conferences) which is an Industrial and Provident Society where any profit is ploughed back into the club. Ticket prices, shirt designs etc all decided by the membership. Perhaps football could be Dave’s NBI, he’s tried everything else.
It’s not exactly thought out policy, I agree, but the truth is that New Labour have had years to put right the damage done to Local Authority powers by Thatcher, and really haven’t seized the nettle. Who could trust the Tories with any form of co-operative? But at least they are recognising where change is needed even though their ideas are sometimes ridiculous.
Dear Alastair,
I was the one defending your emotional outburst as being genuine when I spoke with 5 live last week.GB has stolen a March on the opposition with this interview and I feel he will do well in the debates. I also would like to remind everybody that I said Gordon will win when you first started your blog and last August too. I have always had the feeling that the Tories just don’t ‘have it’. May I also point out that you and Peter Mandleson and TB are doing a sterling job at present.
It is nice to be back on the blog with my old friends Alan Quinn and Colin Morely too
With thanks
Gary Enefer
I have a belief that an excess of money actually makes you stupid. I haven’t done any scientific research, however my belief has been reinforced rather by the Conservative party’s latest poster campaign.
I have never voted Tory.
As a phrase to place into people’s minds it really does seem to be rather counter productive.
I hope they put a lot of money into this poster campaign and have one on every billboard in the land!
‘In the absence of thought through policies that stand up to scrutiny’
I am no fan of the Tories but this one made me laugh. Its the old Pot Kettle syndrome again. When TB’s arguments for invading Iraq are held up to scrutiny the flaws and inconsistencies are all too obvious – hence why he slanders the Chilcot enquiry and the British public on Fox news in a rather backhanded way.
Its why AC neatly avoided answering Marr’s perfectly legitimate question and resorted to his usual ‘poor me’ narcissist’s defence (I’ll cry and shout and stomp my feet at the impertinence of those cynics who do not agree with me) because of course, when confronted by hard evidence AC doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, let alone his arguments. I believe a judge in the late nineties once called AC’s credibility into question – a less than reliable witness and that says it all really. Robin Cook was right when he highlighted the deceit in TB’s arguments over Iraq. Never trust a Campbell – its an old Highland saying.
Mr Enefer – not sure what universe you live in; TB, Mandleson, Brown, AC – are NuLab’s biggest electoral liabilities – a discredited old guard who should step aside and let others try and reinvent the party. They won’t of course won’t because (contrary to their stated beliefs) they have always put their own interests first.
As for ‘incredible in-touch discovery of inner city poverty’ why has it taken 13 years for Labour to start to make any tangible difference to the lives of those who live on the Aylesbury Estate? Another hollow promise from old TB – spin over substance.
Not much to choose from at the next election. Will the last person to leave the country please turn out the lights. In the words of Tommy Cooper, “Thank you and goodnight.”