Storm in a 10p cup

Little did I think when the first post was made on this blog about the 10p tax problem on Sunday 6th April, when these changes came into effect, that this would expose a much bigger problem that now afflicts the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) that of preoccupation with the electoral arithmetic.

The opinion polls are depressing reading for any Labour Member of Parliament and the number of potential losses is growing ever larger!

As the, 'iv'e got a book to sell Prezza', (all over the airwaves talking about bulimia but actually trying to publicise his soon to be published autobiography 'My Story: Pulling no Punches. Hardcover Published on 29 May £18.99 (Get it here for £12:53) once said "the plates are shifting" and indeed they appear to be moving now and the pace is increasing!

The mood of the Conservative Parliamentary Party is reported to be ebullient. Unity in the Party generally has improved markedly and they are looking forward to elections to come with a relish not seen for years. Especially the local elections on May 1st where labour is set for 'meltdown' across the country, even in it's so called 'Heartland' areas of the north.

Even Rotherham will be affected by this, as the disillusion with Labour among its previous supporters is total and Party membership in Rotherham, as it is across the country, is lower now than it has ever been to the point where finding any half decent candidates is now a problem that the Labour Party in Rotherham has yet to solve.

There are now, a not insignificant number of Labour MPs, who will be losing their seats in the General Election, whenever it comes. Most look to Browns failure to be an effective leader either of the Party or Government to explain their current difficulties.

Browns relationship with his Deputy, Harriet Harman, is said to be 'problematic' and not much based on trust. After all the wrong candidate won and Brown seems incapable of forgiving her for this, especially when he nearly had to sack her almost as soon as she was elected when her financial arrangements came under close scrutiny.

Despondency of Labour Members of Parliament can now be felt stalking the Westminster corridors, many just cannot believe how out of touch the Government has become. Unflattering comparisons with Callaghan are now being made. See this article in the London Standard '10p revolt? What 10p revolt? Scowling Brown's outburst at 35,000FT.'

Those with a longer vision are wondering whether the Labour MPs must now 'go back to their constituencies and prepare not for Government but Opposition'.

The 'Peoples' Party, the 'New' Labour Experiment of Blair, Mandelson, Byers et al is clearly over.

The 'credit card approach to running the economy is now exposed as such a raw deal, that our children will still be paying for this stupidity long after we have gone. Now they are acting like 'ferrets in a sack' amid much mutual recriminations.

In politics, all careers, it is said 'end in failure' and this is obviously true for governments too!