It's something I posted about nearly two months ago in connection with the Winter Fuel Payment debacle, the rumblings from which are still with us -
Not that the bean-counting smallness isn't there, but this debacle looks far more like a deliberate reminder of who manages these things, a reminder that it isn't Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer.
It's easier and possibly more plausible to put the poor start down to incompetence and much of it clearly is incompetence. However, a number of flies on a number of walls could have heard something else too.
What would an alert, senior Blob fixer do about Labour's huge majority? Undermine it from the start? Seems plausible enough, especially when we factor in the inadequate pool of talent among Labour MPs, including the leader. Discreet undermining was likely to look like incompetence anyway.
What would an alert, senior Blob fixer do about Labour's huge majority? Undermine it from the start? Seems plausible enough, especially when we factor in the inadequate pool of talent among Labour MPs, including the leader. Discreet undermining was likely to look like incompetence anyway.
4 comments:
Discrete undermining is only going to happen if:
a) broad principles are inimical to the Blob, or
b) elements of the Labour Party want to get their own way, rather than the official position on something.
The fact that you or I or any other politically inactive person may be harmed by the Labour Government is neither here nor there... unless some politically active person chooses to 'weaponise' the 'discontent'.
It’s certainly a puzzler, AKH, as to just how bad the start has been.
I think a good working assumption is that the Blob want the Labour Party stuff to be implemented, because it gives them work and guarantees jobs. Lots of new laws and regulations, closer links with Europe, and a general expansion of the state at the public's expense. They are probably upset, though, because this crowd are so inept and useless. Normally the Blob would expect a good PR team (also known as "The Government") to put on a show for the public, and pretend there is some sort of ideological battle they are winning.
Imagine, for example, what they think of Rayner. Delighted that she wants to tax and spend, and put people into social housing, but appalled that she hasn't got the intelligence to rebut the allegations that this will be physically impossible. Not enough workers, materials, or time to build a house every 2.5 minutes for the next 5 years.
DJ - Blob fixers may look at Labour in a number of ways, but settling the pecking order early could be a high priority. The Blob needs to establish that a huge majority doesn't imply Labour can go its own way and this could be what is going on.
Anon - it is a puzzler, as some of it was so easily foreseen.
Sam - it's not easy to imagine that Rayner wasn't told about the obvious impossibility of her housing ambitions. Although it is possible to imagine her ignoring professional advice, that would depend on how it was put to her.
Of course, officials probably knew already how useless Starmer's crew are, but if Labour ambitions were aligned with official intentions, those officials haven't done much effective guidance. It all seems very odd to me unless powerful people want a different leader and Cabinet.
Post a Comment