Compass on Boris - 3 comments

I can't think of any positive reasons why anyone would vote for Boris Johnson for London Mayor. What concerns me, though, is the distinct possibility that Compass - who have launched a 'dossier' (PDF) about the Johnson threat - will find one by mistake.

Compass, and everyone else in the Labour Party, ought to be offering positive reasons why Ken Livingstone should be re-elected, as well as impressing on Ken the need to avoid needlessly alienating many of his party's supporters by (for one thing) chumming-up with foreign dictators - part of the reason why he isn't a shoo-in (a mere 7-4 on) right now. We really must avoid insulting the electorate's intelligence by claiming, as Doreen Lawrence (why?) has, that Johnson they mustn't even think of standing voting for Johnson because cities have a 'unity' (perhaps in the same way that cities can be offended, as Liverpool's spokesmen once claimed it to be) that would be damaged by the election of someone with divergent views. Sorry, but can such sentimental tripe possibly convince anyone over the legal voting age? Adults conduct politics based upon policy (OK, fine, but they should), not identity, and we need to prepare for the day when the Conservatives decide to stand a proper politician as candidate for Mayor. Or PM, for that matter.

Via Tom. Tyger is somewhat in agreement.

Update: fixed an error; added a link.

Hard-working families - 4 comments

The Times brings us the news that "Thousands of buy-to-let families face tax shock".

The article's feeble and shamelessly partisan rhetoric has already been cut to pieces, but what is tragic is to see the same "boo" and "warm" words traded by all mainstream political parties. How demeaning it is to contemporary politics that people out for themselves can still be held up for pity in front of a less well-off electorate, and the stupid and greedy protected on the grounds that they have a home, a spouse, and perhaps dependants.

It continues to stink.