TORIES AT SIXES AND SEVENS

‘Since the Brexit referendum the Conservatives have been facing two directions: towards their old voters and towards their new ones. Boris Johnson won such a stinking majority in 2019 General Election, because he was able to unite both halves of that coalition… Sunak is winning 46-41 among Tory members who voted Remain. But Truss wiped the floor with Sunak (70-16) among those who voted Leave (YouGov poll). It is in effect, a choice between doubling down on the electoral realignment that took place under Boris Johnson and Theresa May, or returning to a Tory vote that looks more like David Cameron’s.’

GORDON SPELLS IT OUT

‘If nothing is done, four in every five of our country’s lone parents, pensioners and large families will be in fuel poverty… This winter, I will devote my energies to fighting to renew Labour’s child poverty reduction target, that this Government shamefully abolished.’

Gordon Brown, The Observer,

7 August 2022.

OVERHEARD IN AN OXFORD PUB

‘Liz Truss has “inspired” me. I am thinking of leaving the Tory Party and joining the Lib Dems.’

P.S. A leading Tory denounces Sunak and Truss for nimbyism – ‘Rishi and Liz’s housing plans pander to the fantasy that we can build all the houses we need on brownfield, far away from where any Tory voters might see them. Britain has a housing crisis. It is blighting the lives of a generation. Yet more nimbyism is empathetically not the answer.’

Robert Colvile, Co-author of the 2019 Tory Manifesto, The Guardian.

THE 2022 LOCAL ELECTIONS REVISITED

In these elections Labour stood 36% fewer candidates in the south west and considerably fewer in the south east, compared to Jeremy Corbyn days – was this to help the Lib Dems or what? Overall Labour gained a net total of only 22 councillors in the whole of England (Note: Lutfur Rahman’s party gained more seats than that in one London Borough).

The Labour Party in Worthing took control of the Council for the first time ever. Reportedly Regional Office was onto the newly elected councillors to ask them to credit Sir Keir for Labour’s victory. But they responded that their win was down to the hard work and the influx of new members under Jeremy Corbyn.

P.S. It is also reported (Labour Briefing (Co-op)) that Seaford and Newhaven Branch Labour Party (Lewes CLP) has held one of its most successful ever fundraising dinners. The reason: they asked Jeremy Corbyn to speak. Reportedly Regional Office tried to get the Branch to cancel the dinner!!

LIB DEMS LEAD, LABOUR FOLLOWS

*Last October, the Lib Dems called for a windfall tax on energy companies. Twelve weeks later Sir Keir made the same call.

*9 August 2022 Lib Dems called for the energy  price-cap to be scrapped. Five days later Sir Keir proposed much the same.

*9 August 2022 Lib Dems demanded parliament be recalled. 19 August Sir Keir followed suit.

*Both Lib Dems and Labour support lifting the freeze on personal tax allowances.

The Times, 20 August 2022.

P.S. Austria has a superior energy price-cap arrangement – i.e. a set amount of energy is subsidised for each household. Beyond that, the price floats at the higher market cost. So, households that do the most to cut back their power consumption get a bigger proportion of their usage subsidised.

The Sunday Times. 

THIS IS WHAT A CENTRIST TORY CONCLUDED AFTER INTERVIEWING SIR KEIR

‘What disappointed me was that Keir didn’t seem radical enough. I didn’t get what (his) big picture was.’

Rory Stewart, former Cabinet Minister.

The Guardian, 29 August 2022.

P.S. Stewart is certainly capable of good judgement. This is what he said about Lib Dem/Tory austerity – ‘We got austerity wrong. I realised in the departments I went into, most dramatically in prisons, that these cuts were close to insane. They removed so many prison officers, while allowing the prison population to go up, that violence tripled in five years.’