I like your manifesto, put it to the testo."
Sultans of Ping FC, "Where's Me Jumper?"
Of course, I haven't read the manifestos in full. I'm not mental or anything. But I have had a good look through the Labour and Conservative manifestos - not the Liberal Democrat manifesto because a) it's not out yet and b) it's irrelevant. I am therefore able to provide the highlights to you below.
Labour Manifesto: A future fair for all
Overall impressions: The introduction says this is not a "business as usual" manifesto, but in fact the sense here is that Labour is going to keep doing what it's doing, only more so. The main buzzwords here are "continue," "expand" and "press on." There's no big eye-catching ideas, no catchy slogans, no gimmicks.
The stuff I like: New taxes on bonuses and salaries over £150,000, an increase in minimum wage, the establishment of a People's Bank at the Post Office, more spending for Surestart, free childcare, schools and 16-19 education, expansion of free nursery places, more access to psychological therapies, re-establish link between pensions and earnings, introduction of a Supermarket Ombudsman, make it easier for pubs to have entertainment without a licence, referendums on proportional voting systems and a new elected second chamber and upholding the independence of the BBC.
The shitty parts: If you are offered a job and refuse, your benefits are cut off at 10 months, talk of police intervention earlier with "dysfunctional families" (i.e. police harrassment), the right to "request" flexible working for older workers (what's to stop people requesting now? People should be able to demand it wherever possible), continuing to bring immigration down using new rules.
That'll never work: Proposes savings of over £59 billion without seemingly cutting anything of any significance. So why haven't they cut this stuff already then?
What the fuck moment: From the introduction: "Labour believes we must not put the recovery at risk by reckless cuts to public spending this year." The £59bn of public spending cuts are outlined on the next page.
Conservative Manifesto: Invitation to Join the Government of Britain
Overall impressions: This manifesto has something the Labour manifesto doesn't: a big idea at its core. It may be a stupid idea, but it's an attention-grabbing idea nonetheless.
The less awful parts: Scrapping ID cards, re-establishing link between pensions and earnings, expansion of SureStart and "right to move" scheme for those in social housing.
The truly awful parts: More de-regulation for business and finance, cutting benefits, getting private and voluntary organisations to do the government's job, reduce MPs by 10%, keeping school league tables and SATs, mandatory prison sentences for certain crimes, scrapping Contactpoint (which is desperately needed in social services), reverse closure of special schools, ridiculous overemphasis on "broken Britain" and nasty implication that it is all the fault of single parents, £60bn of public sector cuts.
That'll never work: The gimmick at the heart of this is the "invitation to join" the government, e.g. if your local school is shit, you and some other parents can take it over. Just like that. The argument ignores the fact that volunteering is often only an option for the well-off - the rest of us just don't have enough time to start running local schools and hospitals - as well as the potential for disaster. For all their faults, at least politicians have time to become well-informed in the areas they work on.
What the fuck moment #1: "So, with a Conservative government,any petition that secures 100,000 signatures will be eligible for formal debate in Parliament." The petition calling for Jeremy Clarkson to be made prime minister currently has 500,000 signatures.
What the fuck moment #2: "We can’t go on with an NHS that puts targets before patients." In the very next paragraph: "We will make the performance of the NHS totally transparent by publishing information about the kind of results that healthcare providers are achieving, so there is no hiding place for failure." Thereby increasing the incentives for NHS managers to focus on targets and statistics.
The Winner:
Style: The Conservatives. They have a big idea which is worthy of public discussion although it is, ultimately, stupid.
Substance: Labour. No flair whatsover, but pledges to carry on the good bits and glosses over the bad bits.
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteActually, from what you've written there a lot of Labour's manifesto sounds almost fine to me. There are always going to be bits no one likes.
With the Conservative manifesto 'bad bits' seem to be most of it. And two of the Tory good parts are almost the same as Labour's anyway. That leaves only the remaining two 'good things' from the pages and pages of the Tory manifesto you have read.
Did you read the Lib Dem one or still not gonna bother?
(PS: I had a dream about Gordon Brown. Most likely triggered because I found out he's from Kirkaldy the next town over from the one my gran lives in. He came over for dinner like a family member. It was a little disturbing, but when I woke up I thought: 'Thank fuck it wasn't Tony Blair'.)
Not bothering with the Lib Dem manifesto. Their policies are getting closer and closer to the other parties anyway, so it would probably just irritate me.
ReplyDeleteYou dream about Gordon Brown. You lucky lady.
I know. Why can't I have exciting dreams.
ReplyDelete