POLITICAL PANTOMIME WEEK - THE TWO UGLY SISTERS

UKPA (UK Press Association) report 'David Cameron has said he would help Britain trade its way out of recession if the Conservative Party won the general election'. Further, 'He rejected the argument that public spending could pull the economy out of the downturn, promising to cut faster and deeper than Labour in an attempt to balance the nation's books'.

If this was the United States of America, we would refer to David Cameron as a Redneck or Yokel, kindred to The Simpson's Cletus Spuckler. This view presented in the US of A is referred to as Isolationist by the rest of the world. Now, the single view of spending is not the whole story, there's also the Foreign Policy about Europe. For impartiality, I will state I live in Luton, I voted against the integration of Britain into Europe for ITV's Tonight Referendum. However, now that we are integrated, I am in favour of Britain doing 2 parallel policies - firstly running Europe by operating at the highest political levels and forcing change by political campaigning. Secondly campaigning to have Britain operate as solely a trading partner with Europe, and cutting the political ties completely to give back sovereignty to UK Parliamentary Democracy. David Cameron is in favour of sulking, putting through a legislative piece that allows parliament to consult on International Treaties, too little - too late! Together with a law that gives primacy to UK Parliament - so we still legislate for European Law into UK Law, what is that phrase? Puppet Government?

The issue with the statement denying 'public spending could pull the economy out of the downturn' is this shows that David Cameron has neither a clue in international politics, nor able to learn from history. The biggest joke is that the right answer to 'recession' was given by a former Conservative Minister - Oswald Mosely - can I get some booing? seeing as we have ding-dong politics from Labour and Conservatives from the worst pantomime production in history! The Australian Conservative Government have learnt the lessons from history, which Eton/Oxford Conservatives have yet to. I have already written an article giving the arguments and Australian spend figures here. Ah, so what if Conservatives cut the benefits payments? Well, the people being supported are recognised as 'non-savers'. The money goes from the benefit recipients, to shops and companies, to their suppliers, to the producers, with all links of the chain (with the possible exception of the benefit recipients) to the banks, and money circulates around the economy - that is, monies paid to non-savers by Government reflates the economy, with banks behelden unto the rest of the economy, which can operate with a government handout, and not the rest of the economy behelden unto the banks/bankers who nearly obliterated the national economy and still think themselves God's Gift!

There is also an added benefit for the economy, International Trade. Governments can incur an international trade war by deliberately directly supporting a sector of the economy, which is visible in state subsidies. Direct State Subsidies raises the spectre of Unfair Trade Laws, and the inevitable clash with Trade Tarriffs and the inevitable decline to protectionist policies for home markets, sparking an international Trade War. The solution - indirectly support the industries by giving money to those who will spend it on those market sectors.

While Cameron is making his policy declaration of 'I haven't got a clue how to run an economy, nor does my cabinet', the political Jonah Gordon Brown is potentially playing a long game with the Labour Party.

Here's the rules: If you are politically disliked, grab the headlines for being politically disliked.

Then get the not quite so disliked members of your cabinet to trickle out a series of support statements over the next day, just enough to keep the news focussed on you.

Make sure the statements are tepid, so that you have not obviously manipulated the newspaper headlines and swiped the news and political agenda (again!).

Make sure the pariahs are not important enough to damage, but significant enough to make the story stick in people's minds.

Result: People remember who is boss of Labour - and among those statements is a knock-back of Conservative attacks, i.e. Gordon Brown WAS an elected Prime Minister!

Problem? The tepid statements? It is but a start, and with the election campaign, the statements can become more and more glowing.

Political Long Game? Remember that Gordon Brown was the Wonderful Chancellor, until he became Prime Minister and all his economic policies showed up in stark relief, pensions gone, the banks regulator did not regulate the banks, the enthused about bankers (nearly?) bankrupted the banks, the spending over the previous 11 years nearly bankrupted the country - we are having to print money to evade total financial collapse. Something has to fill the void. If he's not the 'Wonderful Chancellor', maybe he can be the 'Wonderful Prime Minister'.

Who said he would put an end to spin?

So - Cameron and Brown, the two pantomime Ugly Sisters or just Twaddle Dumb and Twaddle Dumber?


Dr. Stephen Lathwell BSc(Hons), MSc(Optoelectronics), PhD
Independent Candidate for MP Luton South

POLITICAL PANTOMIME WEEK - THE TWO UGLY SISTERS