Why this Centrist Labour guy's staying that way?

[Democratic Hawk]

I'm a centrist Labour Party member and I'm staying that way.

When I joined the party, and attended my first branch meeting, I told them I didn't consider myself a socialist but a socio-capitalist in that I believe that capitalism is the only viable economic system; however, Thatcher's neo-liberal excesses served only to alienate me from that party once and for all and they had the call in 1979 to say that Labour isn't working (ironic considering the dole queues got longer) and low-and-behold we had the makings of a modern day underclass. Yes, the 'socials' are part of that legacy, when people were actively encouraged to go on sickness benefits

Three statements made by Conservatives will always stay with me:

1) Margaret Thatcher coming into office in 1979 quoting St Francis of Assisi and delivering, in my humble opinion, the opposite
2) Some Tory advising old people to combat the cold winter by going to bed and wrapping up warm (how compassionate?)
3) Norman Lamont, as Chancellor, saying that high unemployment was a "price, well worth paying" for low inflation (wrong - Gordon Brown's proved otherwise)

Not to mention, Michael Howard predicting ill-founded economic gloom over the introduction of the minimum wage

There are those who postulate that Gordon Brown inherited a good economy - may be so, but had the Tories' still been running the show it would have, true to form, soon gone bust

According, to the latest ICM poll, issues such as the health service, tax and public services, law and order, education, immigration and asylum rank higher in voters’ minds than the economy (where Labour enjoys its most favourable ratings). The task for Labour is simple – link the health service, education and public services (issues on which Labour leads the Conservatives) to the economy. The message should be that sustained economic growth and stability (as opposed to the ‘boom-and-bust’ Tory inevitability) is the key to sustained investment, and improved performance, of our public services. Contrary, to all the hysteria, crime, overall, is actually falling and immigration runs to the tune of thousands not millions

There are issues where I’m unhappy with the government most especially, tuition fees, but I don’t necessarily vote on issues that particularly affect me. I vote for the good the country and the good of others. I for one feel that Britain can’t go back to days of unacceptably high levels of unemployment; higher rates of inflation and higher interest/mortgage rates; negative equity and business bankruptcies

Michael Howard is promising an awful lot – but if it’s so easy why didn’t they do it in the past? He’s not fooling me! He’s more Thatcher than Macmillan, so don’t let him tell you otherwise. He's a reactionary - and I use that term in its contemptuous context

Dave

[bullmoose88]

What will/would you do if Labour went back to its old ways (not some moderate 3rd Way party under Blair?)...would you stick with them? bite your lip and vote for the tories? Lib Dem? Stay home?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Old ways? If you mean what happend in the '80's there's very little chance of that happening again... it was an abberation IMO.

[Democratic Hawk]

What will/would you do if Labour went back to its old ways (not some moderate 3rd Way party under Blair?)...would you stick with them? bite your lip and vote for the tories? Lib Dem? Stay home?

I'd probably still vote Labour - but it would be an anti-Tory vote. When I first voted in 1987, it was an anti-Tory vote rather than a pro-Labour vote. I doubt that the Labour Party would go back to its old ways, as I'm confident that this government will not risk our economic stability because Labour are in it for the long haul to build a greater and fairer society. Enemies of the government have made much ado about nothing in that average incomes have dropped by a whopping £1 per week from £409 to £408, when in the grand scheme of things most people (and most income groups) remain better off because of low inflation, low interest and low mortgage rates (all of which would be at risk if the Tories were to form a government - their track record is testament to that). They want to bear this in mind on May 5. Sustained economic growth is the key to national, and personal, prosperity. Do we really want to go back to boom-and-bust again? Not to mention higher unemployment, negative equity, home repossessions and business bankruptcies. Of course, there are bad occassions, like with MG Rover, but overall these are the exception rather than the norm

There was a time (had I been around) that I might of considered the Tories, when they were a true one-nation party, like in the days of Harold Macmillan, before Thatcher revolutionised the party into some kind of social authoritarian and economic libertarian machine. I dislike monetarist neo-liberal economics intensely because as a committed Christian I despise it's inherent lack of compassion
 
The Liberal Democrats aren't really an option - but if I lived in a constitunecy where tactical voting could defeat the Tory candidate then I gladly would.

Having lived under both Labour and Conservatives, I know enough to make an informed choice of where my allegiances lie - and it ain't with the reactionary party!

Dave

[Notre Dame rules!]

I'm a centrist Labour Party member and I'm staying that way.

When I joined the party, and attended my first branch meeting, I told them I didn't consider myself a socialist but a socio-capitalist in that I believe that capitalism is the only viable economic system; however, Thatcher's neo-liberal excesses served only to alienate me from that party once and for all and they had the call in 1979 to say that Labour isn't working (ironic considering the dole queues got longer) and low-and-behold we had the makings of a modern day underclass. Yes, the 'socials' are part of that legacy, when people were actively encouraged to go on sickness benefits

Three statements made by Conservatives will always stay with me:

1) Margaret Thatcher coming into office in 1979 quoting St Francis of Assisi and delivering, in my humble opinion, the opposite
2) Some Tory advising old people to combat the cold winter by going to bed and wrapping up warm (how compassionate?)
3) Norman Lamont, as Chancellor, saying that high unemployment was a "price, well worth paying" for low inflation (wrong - Gordon Brown's proved otherwise)

Not to mention, Michael Howard predicting ill-founded economic gloom over the introduction of the minimum wage

There are those who postulate that Gordon Brown inherited a good economy - may be so, but had the Tories' still been running the show it would have, true to form, soon gone bust

According, to the latest ICM poll, issues such as the health service, tax and public services, law and order, education, immigration and asylum rank higher in voters’ minds than the economy (where Labour enjoys its most favourable ratings). The task for Labour is simple – link the health service, education and public services (issues on which Labour leads the Conservatives) to the economy. The message should be that sustained economic growth and stability (as opposed to the ‘boom-and-bust’ Tory inevitability) is the key to sustained investment, and improved performance, of our public services. Contrary, to all the hysteria, crime, overall, is actually falling and immigration runs to the tune of thousands not millions

There are issues where I’m unhappy with the government most especially, tuition fees, but I don’t necessarily vote on issues that particularly affect me. I vote for the good the country and the good of others. I for one feel that Britain can’t go back to days of unacceptably high levels of unemployment; higher rates of inflation and higher interest/mortgage rates; negative equity and business bankruptcies

Michael Howard is promising an awful lot – but if it’s so easy why didn’t they do it in the past? He’s not fooling me! He’s more Thatcher than Macmillan, so don’t let him tell you otherwise. He's a reactionary - and I use that term in its contemptuous context

Dave

Seems like you forgot to run the disclaimer: Paid for by Bush/Cheney...err  I mean Tony Blair and your friends at Labour.

[Democratic Hawk]

I'm a centrist Labour Party member and I'm staying that way.

When I joined the party, and attended my first branch meeting, I told them I didn't consider myself a socialist but a socio-capitalist in that I believe that capitalism is the only viable economic system; however, Thatcher's neo-liberal excesses served only to alienate me from that party once and for all and they had the call in 1979 to say that Labour isn't working (ironic considering the dole queues got longer) and low-and-behold we had the makings of a modern day underclass. Yes, the 'socials' are part of that legacy, when people were actively encouraged to go on sickness benefits

Three statements made by Conservatives will always stay with me:

1) Margaret Thatcher coming into office in 1979 quoting St Francis of Assisi and delivering, in my humble opinion, the opposite
2) Some Tory advising old people to combat the cold winter by going to bed and wrapping up warm (how compassionate?)
3) Norman Lamont, as Chancellor, saying that high unemployment was a "price, well worth paying" for low inflation (wrong - Gordon Brown's proved otherwise)

Not to mention, Michael Howard predicting ill-founded economic gloom over the introduction of the minimum wage

There are those who postulate that Gordon Brown inherited a good economy - may be so, but had the Tories' still been running the show it would have, true to form, soon gone bust

According, to the latest ICM poll, issues such as the health service, tax and public services, law and order, education, immigration and asylum rank higher in voters’ minds than the economy (where Labour enjoys its most favourable ratings). The task for Labour is simple – link the health service, education and public services (issues on which Labour leads the Conservatives) to the economy. The message should be that sustained economic growth and stability (as opposed to the ‘boom-and-bust’ Tory inevitability) is the key to sustained investment, and improved performance, of our public services. Contrary, to all the hysteria, crime, overall, is actually falling and immigration runs to the tune of thousands not millions

There are issues where I’m unhappy with the government most especially, tuition fees, but I don’t necessarily vote on issues that particularly affect me. I vote for the good the country and the good of others. I for one feel that Britain can’t go back to days of unacceptably high levels of unemployment; higher rates of inflation and higher interest/mortgage rates; negative equity and business bankruptcies

Michael Howard is promising an awful lot – but if it’s so easy why didn’t they do it in the past? He’s not fooling me! He’s more Thatcher than Macmillan, so don’t let him tell you otherwise. He's a reactionary - and I use that term in its contemptuous context

Dave

Seems like you forgot to run the disclaimer: Paid for by Bush/Cheney...err  I mean Tony Blair and your friends at Labour.

Dave