The words are Gordon Brown’s:
“You have accused us of being a bunch of control freaks. Well in a way that’s what we have to be because we don’t have an identifiable aim which is ideologically based: because there’s no core idea to hold the party together in tough times we have to use discipline instead.”
Source: Ashdown Diaries, Volume 2, 2nd December 1997. (Hat tip: Hywel Morgan)
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8 Comments
So, this was HOW many years ago exactly? When Labour were in opposition, and also when Labour were coming out of a decade or so of damaging in fighting on exactly what core values are or were.
Ming could say this now about the Lib Dems without fear of contradiction.
The different message for every doorstep is a well known, and must be said quite effective, modus operandi for the LDs. There are times when this mirroring – which I detest when my party does it – is taking you close to being on a completely apolitical power grab.
Actually, he was talking in the present tense and at a time when he’d been Chancellor for six months.
OK, I though the date given was the book publication not the quotation. But the main point is it was ten years ago.
I might add that discipline is hardly a major disadvantage for a political party.
Lib Dem MPs are very disciplined indeed on whipped votes are they not? Whatever they may really think.
“The different message for every doorstep is a well known, and must be said quite effective, modus operandi for the LDs. There are times when this mirroring . . . is taking you close to being on a completely apolitical power grab.”
It amuses me that anyone only interested in apolitical power grabs would join the Liberal Democrats.
I know that socialists and conservatives (small ‘s’ and ‘c’) find it hard to believe that one can genuinely think individual freedom – positive freedom, not the negative kind – and a non-dogmatic approach to problem-solving is the right approach, but they really should try!
I am a committed political activist, but I recognise like everyone that there is a dark side to politics.
Politics is very competitive and we all want to win. But by being competitive it often brings the worst out in people, or even creates a dark side where none previously existed.
And so it is with Gordan Brown. Maybe when he started out he wanted to create a better world. But for many years he has focussed his mind on back stabbing and taking power. The comments made recently about him from a retired civil servant demonstrate what an aweful man he is.
And to be honest, this kind of thing happens in all parties. It is a widespread belief that to win power you have to be ruthless and pratice the dark arts.
One consequence is that people have been leaving politics in droves for decades. That has consequences that democrats ignore at their peril.
“It amuses me that anyone only interested in apolitical power grabs would join the Liberal Democrats.”
I joined the party when we were at 3% in some opinion polls (ie within the margin of error of 0!)
If I was after a power grab then I really was very lacking in judgement!
Well he’s controlling Ming quite well. Haven’t seen the party so directionless in years.
Liberal Democrat, so that makes you more conservative than Obama.
I have been at the bottom and will rise to the top through hard work, personal responsibility and American Spirit. I have passed people who are going nowhere and are still where I passed them. Each and every person has the same ability if his or her spirit and dignity are not crushed through dependency upon a failed federal government. I have seen first had the social programs that promote equality. But fail and produce ineqaulity.
Read a principal of what founded our great nation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Our government is here to secure our rights not to provide Happiness.
God Bless America